Incorporating UV Coating into perfect bound print projects is a great opportunity to enhance the visual and cosmetic characteristics of a printed piece. Understanding interaction between UV Coating and binding adhesives will help printers avoid unpleasant surprises in the finished product.
A key ingredient in the chemical make up of UV Coating is silicone. Silicone provides a degree of “slippery-ness” in the coating. The amount of silicone in UV can have a dramatic impact on the ability of the binding adhesive to stick to or repel from the UV coated material. Depending upon the amount of silicone used in the chemical make up of the UV Coating, adhesion problems may result. In other words, more silicone equals more binding related challenges. Since the bindery will not have any knowledge as to the silicone content in UV coated materials, problems will likely not be identified until the binding process is underway or complete.
Binding adhesion problems with UV coating may appear in a number of different ways. If the UV coating is a flood coat extending into the spine grind area and the UV coating contains a high level of silicone, there may be total adhesion failure at the spine. The silicone content will repel the binding adhesive and not allow a stable or consistent adherence between text paper stock, the spine adhesive and the book cover.
A UV coating with a lower level of silicone content may allow for adequate adhesive strength, but may allow for adhesive migration up between text pages. Adhesive that migrates as little as 1/16” up from the spine will result in paper fibers tearing between pages as the book is opened. Although the binding strength is adequate, the cosmetic result is poor and will be unacceptable to the customer.
When planning for a page or pages utilizing flood UV coating in a perfect bound book, make sure to knock out the spine grind area. Eliminating the UV coating in the spine grind area will help insure an appropriate binding strength, while eliminating the potential for adhesive migration between pages, thus ensuring the quality level that you and your customer desire.
Involving the Sales and Planning Professionals at Allied Bindery can help you avoid problems such as recognizing or avoiding potential production challenges with UV Coating. Give us a call and let us help you achieve your customer’s expectations.