Varnish vs Lamination in Packaging

Varnish vs Lamination: Choosing the Right Finish for Your Packaging

When it comes to protecting and enhancing the look of your printed materials like packaging boxes or book covers, two popular finishes are varnish and lamination. Both act as coatings that shield the print from scratches, dirt, and fingerprints, but they offer different benefits.

Aqueous Varnish

Aqueous varnish is a water-based finish applied to printed artwork to lock in the ink. It comes in two main styles: matte and glossy, both of which are affordable options. Aqueous varnish is often used for standard protection. For added effects, you can explore variants like UV varnish or soft-touch finishes.

Key Points About Varnish:

• Offers lighter protection
• Budget-friendly
• Water-based

Lamination

Lamination involves covering your print with a thin plastic film, such as polypropylene, to create a strong barrier against wear and tear. This process provides superior durability, making it an excellent choice for thicker materials or when you want to minimize the appearance of small cracks. Lamination comes in both matte and glossy finishes, with matte giving a smooth, refined feel, and glossy adding a vibrant shine. Most rigid boxes include lamination unless they are kraft boxes.

Key Points About Lamination:

• Provides robust protection
• More durable
• Higher cost
• A plastic film layer

The short answer

• Choose varnish when you want a light, water-based coating at a lower cost.
• Choose lamination when the box will be handled a lot, or when you want stronger protection against scratches, cracks and tears.

Side by side

• What it is: varnish is a thin water-based coating. Lamination is a thin plastic film.
• Protection: varnish gives lighter protection. Lamination gives stronger protection.
• Cost: varnish costs less. Lamination costs more.
• Durability: lamination is more durable, and it helps hide small cracks on thicker materials.

How the finish looks

• Matte: a smooth, non-reflective surface with a softer look.
• Glossy: shiny and reflective, and it tends to show fingerprints more.
• Satin: semi-glossy, a balance between matte and glossy.
• Soft touch: looks like matte, with a velvet-like feel.

The coating protects the print and the finish sets the look, so you choose both. Request samples to see and feel the difference before a full order.

How to choose

• Think about handling. A box that is picked up, stacked and shipped often is a good fit for lamination.
• Think about budget. Varnish is the budget-friendly choice and still protects the ink.
• Think about the look. Matte is calm and refined. Glossy gives bright, vibrant color.
• Think about the material. Most rigid boxes include lamination unless they are kraft boxes.

Other finishes you can add

Coatings protect the print. Other finishes add detail. We offer foil stamping, embossing and debossing, spot UV and window patching. Ask us which finish suits your box.

Common mistakes

• Choosing a finish for the look alone, and not thinking about how the box is handled.
• Expecting varnish to give the same protection as lamination.
• Not looking at a sample first. Colors and finishes look different in person than on a screen.

What to do next

Order a Standard Sample Kit to feel the finishes yourself, or get a free quote and tell us which finish you are considering.