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How to Print White Ink on Promotional Items

Frequently Asked Questions ❯ Artwork & Printing

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Decisions, decisions! You have so many you need to make when buying promotional items. Perhaps the biggest decision, however, is which imprint color to use.

White is one of the most common colors to use in your printed design. It shows up clearly on dark products and is easy to decipher at a quick glance.

Are you using white to customize your promotional items? Here is what you need to know!

What to Know About Printing in White

You will always get a clean, crisp print when you use white to decorate your promotional items. White is a popular color for screen printing, so the good news is, it's almost always in stock.

Here's what to keep in mind when printing in white!

White ink may not print as solid white on fabric.

Printing on fabric is a little tricky. You may experience dye migration, which is when the ink bleeds and ends up saturating the material around it.

This is a common occurrence with custom shirts, bags, or blankets, especially if they're made from polyester.

Keep in mind, dye migration on white prints occurs most frequently when using flexographic ink. Here's how the final product may look!

Imprint chart

Do you notice how the white ink looks kind of gray on the fabric swatches above? The flexographic ink is transparent, which is why there will be a slightly colorful tint.

Of course, dye migration and bleeding may occur with other types of ink as well. Ask your sales rep ahead of time, so you can get the best possible final product.

Sun exposure may yellow the ink over time.

You know you should wear sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat to protect your skin from the sun. If you don't, you may turn red as a lobster! Weirdly enough, that same color change could happen with the white ink on your promotional items.

White products are prone to yellowing in the sun. Limit your swag's exposure to UV rays to preserve the print for as long as possible.

Keychain

White imprints look best on dark colors.

You need a contrast between your printed design and the item's color. For that reason, you should use white ink to decorate dark items.

White imprints look best on promotional products in these colors:


  • Black
  • White
  • Blue
  • Violet
  • Dark Green
  • Maroon
  • Burgundy
  • Hot Pink
  • Dark Gray
  • Brown
Yellow Bag

Some products have more than one color. In that case, pay attention to the imprint area. This is listed at the bottom of the product page, so you know exactly where your design will be printed.

It's easy to read text when it's printed in white.

White text on a dark background provides high value contrast. As a result, you can easily read the words that are printed.

This is important since you want your custom design to be easy to understand.

Red tumbler

Most of the time, you can ONLY use one color in the design.

With screen printing, you only get one free color to use in your design. White, of course, isn't your only option, but if you do choose to use it in the print, that's the ONLY color you can use. You'll have to pay extra for every additional color used.

Good news! You can get promotional products that are printed in full color. Ask your sales rep if you're interested in printing a colorful design.

We Are Here to Help!

You're not doing this all by yourself! Even if you order online, you will get connected with a real human sales rep. They'll let you know if anything looks weird with your white imprint.

Reach Us Any Time!

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