5 things you need to know about White Ink

What is White Ink? White Ink is the extra exceptional fifth colour in our printing process which will take your designs to a whole new level of creativity. Here we explain the five things you need to know about White Ink and how you can get the most out of it.

How is White Ink different to normal print processes?

The entire spectrum of printed colours is made up of cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK), but not white. This elusive beast used to be rarer than a genuine yeti sighting until now.

The kind of White Ink printing we offer is ‘spot white’. This means that the ink appears as a colour in a design, like printing a white flower onto a coloured paper stock, for example. Because white is a light coloured ink, we need to layer the ink up and get a stronger colour, which means the finished effect won’t be transparent against the coloured card.

By adding white as the fifth colour in the CMYK printing process, you can use vibrant, brightly coloured paper stocks and still get white colour in your artwork. Without White Ink, the elements you colour white in your design will simply show as the colour of the paper underneath.

What paper stocks are perfect with White Ink?

This sophisticated and striking finish doesn’t just offer you the exciting new challenge of designing for White Ink printing, it offers you a range of five uncoated, highly-pigmented coloured papers with it! Introducing…

Cosmo Pink Uncoated

For designs that need to bring the sass, this punchy pink number is definitely the right shade to pick.

Guardsman Red Uncoated

A regal red with a princely pigment that work for both up-market and every day styles.

Black Uncoated

This timeless classic shade suits luxury brands and those that love a dash of darkness with their designs.

Urban Grey Uncoated

Edgy, sophisticated and classic, this paper works for both out of the ordinary and chic designs.

Navy Blue Uncoated

This pigment is ideal for those that need something dark and sumptuous to complement white ink, but wants to avoid black yet still exude quality.

What can I use White Ink for?

White Ink is the perfect way to stand out in a sea of generic marketing materials. You will find White Ink available on…

Leaflets & Flyers

Make your mark with luxurious leaflets, perfect if you’re a graphic designer destined to be noticed; and great for retailers, hoteliers and event organisers who want to make their presence known. Basically anyone who wants to catch the eye with bright, pigmented paper flyers with a clean and crisp finish.

Postcards

Whether you’re creating portfolio handouts or promotional direct mailers, striking white postcards will help set the standard impossibly high. If you fancy showing off some artistic flair or need something rather seasonal, white ink is the graphical greatness you need on your postcards.

Business Cards

Become a business card big shot with white ink. There’s no better way to make your card stand out, and with the choice of coloured paper stocks, suddenly your business card goes from a small calling card to striking design.

How do I upload my artwork ‘White Ink’ ready?

On each product page we have information in our white ink artwork video guides to help you set up your artwork perfectly. Just choose between Business Cards, Postcards or Leaflets & Flyers and head to the Support tab. If you need any further assistance, you can also speak with Customer Services.

Is there anything else I need to know about White Ink?

White ink is classed as a fancy finish, and therefore it takes five days to be processed.

Who has already tried their hand at White Ink printing? Will you be utilising this exciting print process? Let us know by commenting below! 

Inspired by White? Read more about this show stopping print superstar here!