In the printing industry, there are what can be considered standard inks used in the majority of print applications. Chief among these are the CMYK inks (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) and the inks used to in spot color applications. However, there are also specialty inks available that can bring a little extra zing to your printed projects. Today, we’ll talk a little about metallic inks.
What are Metallic Inks?
Metallic inks are formulated with actual flakes of metal to emulate the appearance of metallic foil. Unlike standard inks, metallic inks are more opaque so as to lessen any diminishing effects of transparency from the paper substrate. Metallic inks are available in three basic colors: gold, sliver, and bronze.
Do Metallic Inks Look Like Metal?
Generally, when applied as a large block of color, a metallic ink will provide a metallic appearance to a piece, particularly if finished with a high gloss coating. Genuine shiny metallic surfaces (like those provided by foil stamping) reflect a great deal of light. Metallic inks can’t quite match the level of reflectiveness provided by metallic foils, but they can provide some extra glimmer and shimmer.
How to Use Metallic Inks
As mentioned above, its best to use metallic inks over broad areas of a printed piece as in a background flood color. Applying a metallic ink to a text headline will be less effective unless the headline or letterforms are quite large or also receive a spot, high gloss coating.
What About Cost?
Like custom-mixed spot ink colors, using metallic inks are more expensive but not as costly as using metallic foil.
If you have any questions about Metallic Inks,give us a call at 330-597-8560. We’re happy to help you get the most out of your printing project.
