For many years, UV coatings and film laminations have been utilized in printing and packaging. Typically, those printing techniques are utilized for high-end publications and high-quality, high priced products. The higher gloss level is attractive and gives the consumer a higher perceived value for those products.
The key, however, is that most of those products are not necessarily tied to price resistance. For example, cosmetics and alcoholic beverages are two products that have long utilized high gloss coatings in their packaging. Men and women hardly ever base their buying decisions for cosmetics on the price. Price is a low level factor compared to how we think we look and how it makes us feel. The same goes for products such as liquors, whose gift packaging is commonly spruced up with single or multiple coatings, including high gloss and even foil stamping.
These printing techniques cost more per unit produced, whether added in line or as a secondary coating operation. Again, if cost is a low consideration for a particular product, it’s about gaining the attention. But, when cost matters, and it usually does, high gloss coating is the first thing to eliminate from consideration for board game products. There is just no way to recover the cost from the consumer, meaning it decreases profit margins, with the added consideration that the addition of the coating may jump the product right out of a price category.
Furthermore, since almost all board games are shrink wrapped with a semi high gloss film, the consumer will not appreciate the gloss level of UV until well after the buying decision has been made.
