Professional printing is practically a must in today’s business world. It’s more cost-effective in the long run, and it also gives your business an overall polished look when it comes to your marketing materials. Another reason businesses of all sizes like using a professional printing service is the wealth of available options.
Whether you’re looking to spruce up your signage, add a little sparkle to your business card, bind that massive employee handbook, or make eye-catching company apparel, a professional printer can do it all. With that said, if you’re looking for a way to make your marketing materials stand out among the pack, metallic inks are key. Of course, if you’re not too familiar with these inks, you can read more about metallic ink printing here as well as below. Here’s a quick synopsis of metallic inks and everything you need to know about printing with them.
What’s Metallic Ink?
In the most basic sense, metallic ink is custom printing ink with reflective metal particles that give a metallic sheen or unique look. Generally, these metal particulars consist of zin, bronze, copper, or aluminum. The ink itself can come in several pure metallic colors like silver, gold, bronze, red and blue, or a combination of different colors and tints. This kind of ink is a spot color, i.e., it’s often pre-mixed and uses a single printing plate, instead of the traditional four plates used for printing on a press.
That said, once the ink is dry, the desired effect is enhanced color and shine. Items or materials that often benefit from the little extra shine this ink gives off include branding logos, apparel, signs, packaging, cards (place, game, business, etc.), and labels. Note that metallic ink and foil stamping are two different processes that produce similar results. However, metallic ink is more subtle, comes in more color variations, and is often the more affordable option.
Colors and Types
As briefly mentioned, this ink comes in your standard shades, but the shimmering possibilities don’t stop there. The truth is you can add a little shine to just about any color or at least 500+ colors. Plus, Pantone makes approximately 300 metallic colors for printers.
Furthermore, since this particular type of ink has reflective metal particles to give it its luster, most colors can be turned into metallic ink—at the hands of an experienced professional. Color customization is also one of the many perks of working with a professional printing company. Printers have the skill set to create the perfect color for your needs, an expert design team, and possess the necessary equipment to make it all happen.
Metallic Ink Screenprinting
The screenprinting process actually works very well with metallic inks for several reasons. For starters, this specific type of printing is widely used for its ability to produce vibrant colors on dark fabrics. Moreover, designs can be reproduced with ease via the screenprinting process. These two things alone make the screenprinting application ideal for metallic ink.
In other words, to truly make a metallic color pop, it should be set against a darker fabric or background. The intense coloring that’s possible here means your design or brand becomes that much more attention-grabbing without the use of foiling. Screenprinting also makes it easier to add amazing metallic textures to items or fabrics.
The Benefits
The benefits of choosing screenprinting are pretty straightforward—you can achieve custom results on more than just t-shirts and standard cotton fabrics. As a result, the possibilities become almost endless. Combined with all the colors and design options, it’s no wonder that so many businesses choose to use metallic ink and screenprinting to reinvent or highlight their brand.
Overall, metallic ink can take a common logo or design and make it stand out among competitors. Sure, it might be difficult to believe that a simple shine and glossy effect can change so much. But then, ask any marketing guru; presentation matters. Thus, taking your marketing materials and apparel to the next level via metallic inks is sure to have a positive impact on your bottom line.
When to Use
Obviously, by now, you may have a good idea of how and when you want to use metallic ink. Still, if you need a few suggestions, that’s perfectly understandable. Stepping outside of one’s comfort zone, especially with a brand logo or design, can be scary. The good news is it doesn’t have to be. Just decide what your end goal is early on.
For instance, if you want to entice a certain demographic, say the millennials, an updated look may be just what you need to grab their attention. But then again, if you like the overall look that comes with metallic colors, but don’t want to spend extra on foil stamps, then choose the more cost-effective option. Likewise, if you have a specific color in mind, you may want to consider metallic ink to offer a subtle shine to your custom color.
Still Trending
Thanks to metallic ink’s ability to be easily customized, items that utilize this kind of ink typically have more staying power. In general, metallic prints offer image clarity and vibrancy without losing the finer details. Just look at any tee that uses metallic colors; you can rather quickly discern the design even from far away.
Moreover, people love the lightweight and sleek feel to these inks. Think about it. Shirts, hoodies, and hats don’t feel weighed down by their metallic colors and ink designs. Likewise, signages look stylish and sophisticated. Plus, these inks are durable and can be cleaned with ease and without fear of ruining the item or sign. These are just a few reasons why businesses will continue to use metallic inks.
Thinking Outside the Box
Speaking of trends, metallic colors and inks have made their way on more than just fabrics and signages. Now, companies are adding eye-catching details to packaging. Adding stand-out colors and vibrancy to packaging not only increases the likelihood that consumers will notice your product, but it will also give you that competitive edge you’ve been looking for all along.
Remember, people have a history of being drawn to objects that are bright and shiny. As a result, you should consider using metallic colors and inks on your packaging if you don’t already. Using ink on packaging still gives that foil stamp look, but saves time and money. Plus, it’s more environmentally friendly than using foil stamps.
What to Know
What do you need to know about metallic inks that hasn’t already been covered? Well, just a few minor details. For instance, this particular kind of ink works best on smooth surfaces. Furthermore, metallic colors and inks work better in bulk, i.e., in big areas of color, text, or graphics. Though this ink is great at bringing attention to details, fine lines of ink or text are harder to make out or read.
Therefore, you want to make sure that you utilize metallic inks to not hinder your message. Another tidbit to be mindful of is that these inks aren’t generally laser-safe. Remember that fact during the design process. Of course, a printing professional will advise you of this as well, but it helps to know beforehand so you can brainstorm more effectively.
Things to Consider
Last but not least, there are several things to consider when moving forward with a metallic color and ink printing project. The first thing you should do before deciding on a color, ink, or design is to do your homework. You want to make sure you’re working with a printer that knows what they are doing, so don’t be afraid to ask for samples of previous work or a mockup to ensure your project’s success.
Secondly, as briefly touched upon, you should be upfront and clear about your design plans. There’s nothing worse than having to start from scratch when you thought the project was almost done. You should also keep in mind your coating options. Protection is vital to the longevity of your apparel, sign, item, etc., so don’t try to cut costs here.
Final Thought
Ultimately, the wonderful world of metallic colors and inks can work for you if you know how to utilize it. As you can see, there are many things you can do with these vibrant colors and inks. Thus, whether it’s a bland marketing material, company apparel that needs a little something extra, a brand logo that lacks pizzazz, or a business signage that you want to make pop, metallic inks can do all of these things and much more.
However, you don’t have to take our word for it just yet. Do the research online, and find out more by speaking with an experienced screenprinter or with a knowledgeable design/ink specialist near you.