White Ink Usage
If you read our last post, 2 Reasons for White Ink on Clear Decals, you know that white ink on clear decals adds opacity and contrast; two important elements in ensuring a readable finished product. Now that you know why you should add white ink, let’s discuss how you can incorporate it into your design.
Discover the three ways to use white ink on clear decals below:
1. Flood the entire background of the decal in white ink. The flooded white ink helps your copy stand out for better readability. Choose this option when you need window decals with face adhesive or decals applied to the inside of a window with the message “facing out.” See the photo below.
Stouse Insider Tip: If you want this look with a back adhesive (placed outside of the window), we suggest you save a little money and switch your material to white vinyl. It will look the same and print one less color.
2. Back up the artwork itself in white ink. When using this method, the white ink is not visible from the decal face, but it adds opacity helping the printed colors look rich and vibrant. It works well with big bold copy. Sometimes small text or art elements are too thin to allow this method. While the opacity of the printed colors is improved, the contrast might still be an issue if dark ink colors are used as shown in the picture below (best seen when applied to a tinted window.)
The photo below shows the decal on the liner prior to application. The middle photo shows the back of the decal. Note how the white ink only backs up the artwork. The photo on the right shows this decal applied to a tinted car window. The red ink is vivid, but there is poor contrast between the black ink and the tinted window. It may not be an issue if the decal will always go on a light-colored surface.
3. Apply a white halo effect to the printed artwork. This method achieves the two main objectives of white ink on clear decals. First, it backs up all of the artwork, which increases opacity, making the colors intense and bright. Second, the white halo provides contrast around the artwork for greater visibility when applied to a dark surface. See an example of this method below.
Using white ink on clear decals doesn’t have to be a mystery. Simply consider one of these three options along with the ink colors on the decal as compared to the color of the surface it will be applied to when designing the decal.
Need samples? We are happy to provide samples of the methods described above. Contact us to request samples.
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