In professional printing, reversing is a technique whereby ink is used to surround and outline graphics and/or text, while the paper itself provides the “color” of the item. It is a way to present light text and/or images on a darker background. In the above image the logo and bold headline have been reverse printed using a medium blue ink.
Why Reverse Printing?
Inks are semi-transparent — they are not opaque. Thus attempting to use a light colored ink on a dark substrate won’t work. In contrast, for instance, paint is opaque. You can easily cover dark wood or other materials with light paint. But ink sinks into paper as opposed to sitting on top of paper and the color of the paper (other than white) both mutes and distorts the color of the ink that is applied. Dark colored paper would render applied inks very hard or impossible to discern. So when you want light or white text or imagery in a printed piece, the workaround is to apply ink around the image or text and letting the paper itself provide the color.
Reverse printing is not recommended for thin text or images with fine details, especially on uncoated paper stock. A coated stock may give you more leeway as ink won’t penetrate and spread to the degree it will on uncoated or minimally coated paper but best results are obtained using relatively simple shapes and bold lettering using sans-serif fonts.
What about Thermography?
Thermography is a printing process that applies ink on top of the surface of the substrate, raising it. You can pass your fingers over thermographic printing and feel the raised areas. Thermography is the one way light inks can be applied over a darker substrate. Thermographic printing provides a specific effect that is typically used in small doses. Learn more here.
Reverse printing opens up a slew of design options. Prime Business Solutions can help you take advantage of the possibilities! Call us at 330-597-8560 to learn more!
