How to print in white ink

Printing in white ink can be a difficult task and, in most cases, requires specialised printing equipment.

Due to being an achromatic colour, white ink can not be created by the mixing of other colours, which is how printers normally produce their range of shades. To print white onto paper, you’ll need specially created white ink.

Many people want to use white ink to create leaflets, flyers, postcards and even business cards for an elevated print design.

This article will explain the step-by-step process of how to print in white ink, how to check if your printer can print white ink and answer the most common questions.

Want to know the best printers for white ink printing? Keep reading.

Can printers print white ink?

Unfortunately, standard laser and inkjet printers can’t print in white ink. Most standardised printers will mix cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks to create the colours that you print but white has no hue, so it can’t be made by mixing inks.

However, Epson sells white ink cartridges compatible with its inkjet printers. If you want to create small-scale printouts using white ink at home this could be a viable solution, but the cost is much higher than a regular ink cartridge.

Benefits of printing in white ink

Before we get into the challenges, it’s worth pausing to consider why white ink is so sought-after. Here’s where it shines:

• Printing on dark materials. White ink lets you create vivid designs on black or coloured substrates.
• Layering and depth. When layered beneath or between colour, white ink can create contrast and depth, helping images or text stand out.
• Creating translucent effects. White ink can enhance clear materials beautifully.
• Base coat. Special finishes like metallic or pearlescent overlays often use white ink as a base coat to enhance the effect.

While there are many possibilities, white ink doesn’t behave in the same way as standard inks, which can result in a steep learning curve.

Challenges of printing in white ink

At its best, white ink looks crisp and enhances the colours around it. At its worst, it’s uneven, washed out or may not appear at all. Here are some of the most common challenges of printing in white ink and how you can deal with them.

• Separation. As white ink ages, the pigments begin to separate, which results in patchy colour. You can reduce the risk of this by storing your ink in a cool, dark place, making note of the expiration date and replacing it in good time.

• Using the wrong type of ink. Some types of ink are designed to be used for specific types of printers, so you should always check before you buy it.

• Using the wrong type of printer. Not all printers are equipped to print with white ink. You may need to invest in printing systems that specifically print in white ink. You can confirm with your printer manufacturer (if you already own a machine) whether an upgrade is available to enable white ink printing. If not, find a printer that can print in white ink and meets your other needs.

• Clogged printer nozzles. White ink has an oily consistency, which can clog printer nozzles if you don’t clean them. Provided you maintain your printer according to the manufacturer’s instructions, this shouldn’t pose a problem.

• Lack of opacity. White ink sometimes needs to be applied in thicker layers than darker inks to stop it from appearing translucent - but this increases drying time and the risk of smudging. This can be managed if you have a printer which allows you to adjust the ink density. You can also do a test print before running a full batch.

What is the best printer for white ink?

Due to a breakthrough in printing technology, there are many specialised white ink printers. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Epson SureColor SC-V7000

Epson’s first UV LED flatbed, the SureColor SC-V7000 prints onto a wide variety of materials up to 80mm thick, including acrylics, metals, wood and PVC. It offers high-speed simultaneous printing, even when you’re using white, while ioniser is included as standard to reduce static and jetting inaccuracies. The Micro Piezo printhead can be used with 10 original inks, including white as standard.

Canon Colorado M3

The Canon Colorado M3 is part of Canon’s Colorado M-Series of large format printers. The M3 includes hassle-free white, using unique UVgel technology to print documents with high-opacity ink. No maintenance or printhead treatment is needed.

HP Latex 730W

The HP Latex 730W offers the easiest white ink experience, now even faster than previous models. It uses HP Pixel Control and a built-in spectrophotometer to ensure reliable, high-quality output every time. Avoid manual maintenance thanks to automatic recirculation and prevent white ink waste by storing white printheads when not in use.

HP Latex 830W

Deliver exceptional print quality in both colour and white with the HP Latex 830W. HP Latex White Ink is easy to maintain and adapt to your business needs, so you can get on with the job with confidence.

White ink print step-by-step

If your printer uses ghost white toner, it’s important you know how to send print jobs with white ink and if it doesn’t, you probably want to know how you can print using white ink.

There are two main ways that attempt to overcome the struggles of printing in white ink. These are: creating a white ink effect using a substitute colour and manually filling in the blanks left by a CMYK printer.

A white effect can be creating in a design by choosing a substitute colour to replace the pure white shades. By using a slightly different shade, the printer believes the white sections are to be printed as a colour with a numerical value.

Filling in the blanks manually allows you to achieve an almost perfect white finish but relies on printing on coloured paper. Once the design or document has been printed you can then paint on the white areas the printer left blank. However, this may not be suitable for large-scale printouts.

How to print in white ink on black paper

Printing ink is transparent in colour, so, when printed directly onto black paper, the ink does not show through. This is how you can get around the difficulty of printing white on black paper using an at-home printer.

To print using white ink on black paper you need to use a programme that allows you to fill the background of the page such as Adobe Photoshop or Windows Paint.

Choose black as the background colour and white as the foreground colour. Begin to create your design and text in white where appropriate.

Feed the black paper into your printer and print the document.

How to print in white ink on coloured paper

Printing white ink on coloured paper seems like it should be a simple task. Personal printers are unlikely to operate with white ink so here is how you can achieve similar results.

Try editing the colours in your design and swapping out pure white for very pale shades that your printer identifies as colour and can print effectively.

You can also try to create a white surface and add a transparent label on top. The area that is set to print white will be blank on the printout and the white surface will be visible through the transparent label creating the illusion of white text on a coloured background.

Materials for white ink printing

• A printer that’s capable of printing with white ink
• White ink suitable for your printer and the task at hand
• A surface to print on – this could be textiles, film, paper or card

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming white ink will behave the same no matter what material you use. It behaves differently depending on your substrate. Glossy materials, dark textiles, clear films or textured card stocks all interact differently with the ink, impacting both appearance and durability.
  • Always check the substrate compatibility rating when purchasing materials for white ink projects.
  • Experiment with the material before committing to a large production run. For example, white ink on a glossy brochure might require additional UV curing to fully adhere.

• Not taking into account how white affects other colours. White ink interacts with colours differently than standard inks. You need to account for how adding a white underlayer affects nearby colours or how transparent shades can take on the hue of their surface without a solid white base.
  • Use designing software specifically tailored for white ink printing, like Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW, which allow you to layer white beneath certain elements.
  • Develop separate white ink swatch layers in your design file and preview the effects.

• Not factoring extra cost and time into your plans. Using white ink typically increases overall production costs due to higher ink volumes and longer processing times. You may need to train your team to handle specialised setups for white ink, which might initially slow production.
  • Price your services strategically, factoring in the added ink and time costs while highlighting the value of white ink’s applications to your customers.
  • Provide team training or workshops to ensure efficient processes and fewer errors during production.

Adding white ink capabilities is a long-term investment that can significantly expand your service portfolio. For more information about printing in white ink and what white ink printer is best for you, get in touch today.