What is white underprint?
Printing inks are translucent. On a white substrate, light passes through the ink, bounces off the white and returns to the eye: the colors look accurate. On a transparent or colored substrate, that bounce does not exist, and the same artwork comes out washed out and ghostly.
White underprint solves the problem: the machine first prints a solid layer of white ink, then the artwork on top. This undercoat gives the colors the white base they need.
When do you need it?
- On a Acrylic transparent, so that the visual stays dense without blocking all the light around it.
- On a translucent adhesive of an illuminated sign, to control what lights up and what stays opaque.
- On a backlit vinyl backlit, where the balance between transmitted light and colors is what makes the final result.
Conversely, going without it is a design choice: without white, a visual on acrylic becomes semi-transparent, an effect sought after for signage and decoration. That is why our product pages offer it with or without : the option is selected when placing the order, and the PRINT PROOF lets you approve the final result before printing.