Continuing the previous post’s theme of specialty inks used in the printing industry, today, we’ll talk about fluorescent inks.
What are Fluorescent Inks?
Fluorescent inks (also known as DayGlo™ colors) are formulated using pigments that absorb ultraviolet energy and immediately radiate the energy back within the visible spectrum. This re-radiation of the absorbed ultraviolet light makes colors seem to glow and appear very bright in daylight conditions.
How are Fluorescent Inks Used?
In the printing realm, fluorescent inks are used widely in product packaging, signage, decals, labels, posters — anywhere where it’s advantageous or desired to have colors that are easily/readily visible, draw attention, and are hard-to-miss. Fluorescent inks work best when printed on a white substrate and when applied in two or more layers.
Fluorescent Inks in 4-Color Process
One advantage of fluorescent inks is they can either be mixed-in or swapped-out with standard CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) inks to add additional vibrancy and zing to printed pieces. Although fluorescent inks are about 20% more expensive than standard inks, the additional cost can be spread across the entire scope of the entire print project, which makes their usage more affordable.
There are a couple of disadvantages to using fluorescent inks: 1) fluorescent colors can’t be proofed in pre-press — the inks must be printed and seen on press to properly assess their effectiveness; 2) fluorescent inks or colors, once printed, do not have a long shelf life — the glowing effect diminishes over time. Hence, fluorescent inks are best used for promotional pieces not intended to last.
If you have any questions about Fluorescent Inks, give us a call at 330-597-8560. We’re happy to help you get the most out of your printing project.
Photo by Joyce Hankins
