PHAT Prints DTF UV Fluorescent Artwork Guidelines

Available UV Fluorescent Colours

UV fluorescent printing is available in four colours. These inks can be used individually or in selected areas of your artwork to create a strong UV-reactive effect when viewed under UV / black light.

UV Fluorescent Yellow
UV Fluorescent Orange
UV Fluorescent Pink
UV Fluorescent Green
Important: These are UV fluorescent inks. They are designed to react and glow when exposed to UV / black light. Under normal lighting they will still appear as coloured inks, however the fluorescent glow effect is activated by UV light.

What Does UV Fluorescent Mean?

UV fluorescent ink reacts to ultraviolet light. This creates a bright glowing appearance when the transfer is exposed to UV or black lighting.

Under UV / Black Light

  • Fluorescent areas become highly vibrant
  • Selected colours appear to glow
  • Ideal for events, clubs, nightlife and special effects
  • Creates a strong UV-reactive visual effect

Under Normal Lighting

  • Ink appears as a normal printed colour
  • The UV glow effect is not active
  • Colours may still appear bright depending on the design
  • The fluorescent effect requires a UV light source
Please note: UV fluorescent ink is not the same as glow-in-the-dark ink. The fluorescent effect is visible when exposed to UV / black light and does not continue glowing after the UV light source is removed.

UV Fluorescent Spot Colour Setup

Any part of your artwork that you want printed using UV fluorescent ink must be set up as a Spot Colour.

VERY IMPORTANT: Simply making an object look yellow, pink, green or orange on screen does not make that area UV fluorescent. The areas that need to print with UV fluorescent ink must be assigned the correct Spot Colour, and the Spot Colour name must match exactly as shown below so our printing software can recognise the correct fluorescent ink channel.
UV Fluorescent Colour Required Spot Colour Name
UV Fluorescent Yellow Spot Color 1
UV Fluorescent Pink Spot Color 2
UV Fluorescent Green Spot Color 3
UV Fluorescent Orange Spot Color 4
The Spot Colour names must be entered exactly:

Yellow — Spot Color 1
Pink — Spot Color 2
Green — Spot Color 3
Orange — Spot Color 4

Do not rename them, add extra wording, change the spelling or use alternative names such as "Fluro Pink" or "UV Green". If the Spot Colour name is incorrect, our software may not recognise that area as a UV fluorescent ink channel.

How To Set Up Your Artwork

Follow the steps below to make sure the correct areas of your design are recognised for UV fluorescent printing.

1

Prepare Your Artwork

Supply your artwork at the final required size wherever possible. Vector artwork is preferred for logos, text and solid-colour graphics.

2

Select The UV Areas

Select the exact areas of the design that you want to print using UV fluorescent Yellow, Pink, Green or Orange.

3

Apply The Correct Spot Colour

Assign the required Spot Colour to each fluorescent area. Use Spot Color 1 for Yellow, Spot Color 2 for Pink, Spot Color 3 for Green and Spot Color 4 for Orange.

4

Check & Upload

Check that the Spot Colour names are correct before uploading. Incorrect naming may prevent the fluorescent channel from being recognised by our printing software.

Colour Appearance Does Not Control The Ink

The Spot Colour name is what tells our software which fluorescent ink channel to use.

✕ Incorrect

  • Changing an object to bright RGB pink
  • Using a neon-looking CMYK green
  • Naming a swatch "Fluoro Yellow"
  • Naming a swatch "UV Orange"
  • Using an incorrectly named custom Spot Colour

✓ Correct

  • Yellow area assigned to Spot Color 1
  • Pink area assigned to Spot Color 2
  • Green area assigned to Spot Color 3
  • Orange area assigned to Spot Color 4
  • Spot Colour names entered exactly as required

Artwork Checklist

Before uploading your artwork, check the following to help avoid artwork delays or incorrect UV fluorescent printing.

✓ Recommended

  • Vector artwork where possible
  • Transparent background
  • Artwork supplied at final print size
  • High-resolution raster artwork where required
  • UV fluorescent areas clearly identified
  • UV fluorescent areas set up as Spot Colours
  • Spot Colour names entered exactly as required
  • Clean edges and readable text

✕ Avoid

  • Low-resolution screenshots
  • Unclear fluorescent colour instructions
  • Using RGB or CMYK colours instead of the required Spot Colours
  • Renaming Spot Color 1, Spot Color 2, Spot Color 3 or Spot Color 4
  • Artwork with unwanted backgrounds
  • Very small or pixelated graphics
  • Assuming the colour shown on screen determines the fluorescent ink
Screen colour disclaimer: The fluorescent colours shown on this page are for visual reference only. A standard computer or phone screen cannot accurately reproduce the appearance of physical UV fluorescent ink or how strongly it reacts under UV / black lighting.

Not Sure How To Set It Up?

No problem. PHAT Prints can assist with preparing your artwork for UV fluorescent printing, including setting up the required Spot Colours. Artwork setup charges may apply depending on the file supplied and the amount of work required.

Contact Us For Artwork Help