5 ways you can use white ink printing to make your print media stand out
Until the introduction of white ink, anything white on a printed design was simply the card stock left unprinted. This meant all printing began with white or another light card colour such as ivory, beige, or light grey. Consideration had to be taken when using coloured card because it impacts the way in which ink colours appear once printed.
At AHC, we offer digital white ink printing which is very affordable even for a short run. We often run samples of jobs on request too. Whether you are looking for print for your brand, personalised wedding invitations or if you are reselling art prints or handmade products, below are 5 ways you can use our white ink printing service to make your print media stand out and engage customers.
Use coloured card stocks.
Coloured card stocks are simply coloured papers that have all the paper fibres dyed a specific colour. This means the card surface as well as the edges are the same colour. One of the most popular coloured paper ranges is Colorplan which includes 54 deeply saturated colours including the world’s most favourite colour: Marrs Green. We also stock Vanguard by James Cropper, the senses paper range and other stocks that are ideal for white ink printing such as kraft and extract. Our white ink business card range includes all of these card stocks plus more, and these stocks are also available for invitations and stationery too.
Using coloured card stocks is by far the most exciting benefit of white ink. Before digital white ink, if you wanted to print on a coloured card stock you had to use techniques such as screen printing or foil stamping which can be expensive. Now white and full-colour designs can be printed on coloured card digitally which allows for creative play with tints of white, reversing our black and white photos and also printing colour on top of white on dark card colours. Coloured card is popular for business cards and invitations. In addition, designers and brands are increasingly using coloured paper for letterheads too as a way to distinguish themselves. Light colours such as blue, pink, grey, yellow can all be used to craft distinctive letterheads and note cards. Wedding invitations are another popular product we supply. Mixing and matching coloured cards with white ink can really create a high-end wedding stationery set at an affordable price. If you want to learn more, check out our 8 benefits of using coloured card blog post.
White ink on clear transparent stickers and labels.
Printing standard full colour on transparent media makes the colours translucent. Often this isn’t what is needed because the design can get lost if the sticker/label is applied on a dark surface or a clear surface. Digital white ink can be printed underneath colours on transparent media to make colours opaque so they really pop on dark and clear surfaces. We supply a lot of clear transparent stickers printed with white plus colour, as well as waterslide decals and labels. We have a range of sizes and shapes available and can also die cut bespoke sizes on request too.
Decorate products with white ink waterslide decals.
Waterslide decals are ideal for application onto non-porous smooth surfaces such as; ceramics, plates, porcelain, glass, mirrors, candles or soap and are extremely popular for nail art and models. Our white ink waterslide decals give our customers a competitive edge by allowing them to print white underneath colours to create opaque waterslide decal art. We can also print solid white designs by using a special blue backed paper. For customers selling handmade products on sites such as ebay and etsy, this gives them a competitive edge by offering something that others do not.
Translucent media with white ink printing.
White ink can be printed on translucent media and is often used to complement wedding stationery. Whilst black ink on translucent media is fairly common, white ink can really make a design pop, especially when combined with a foil-blocked invitation on coloured stock such as Colorplan. Translucent paper can also have foil effects applied to it along with white ink for an even more high-end invitation set.
White ink on coloured envelopes.
Printing coloured envelopes with white ink is popular with businesses who want their direct mail to stand out when it lands on the floor through the letterbox. Coloured envelopes are also very popular for personalising wedding invitations. Having a personalised invitation with a matching personalised envelope can make a world of difference without stretching your budget. You can supply us with a list of names and addresses and we can print each name/address on a gorgeous coloured envelope using white ink!
Let us know if you have a white ink project. We would love to discuss it with you and answer any questions you might have about the process. Our in-house artwork team can also take care of the file setup too.