White ink adds an opaque layer underneath your design so colours print solid rather than semi-translucent - here's when you need it and when you don't.
Do I need white ink on my stickers?
Standard print inks are semi-translucent - on their own, they let a little of whatever's underneath show through. On plain white vinyl that's not a problem, since the material itself is already opaque and white. But on anything that isn't - clear, metallic, holographic, glitter, kraft or any darker material - that translucency becomes visible in your finished design.
How does white ink work?
White ink adds an extra, fully opaque layer printed underneath your design, between the material and your artwork's colours. It effectively blocks out whatever's beneath it, giving your colours a solid, opaque base to sit on top of - similar to how you'd prime a canvas before painting on it.
Seeing the difference
Rainbow Holographic Vinyl has a reflective metallic surface that shimmers with a rainbow effect as it catches the light - a striking finish before any print is even added.
Without white ink, a design is printed directly onto the holographic material. The rainbow effect shows straight through the inks, giving colours a more translucent look and a metallic shimmer across the whole design. This works well for bold, darker artwork, but lighter colours and fine detail can start to fade into the effect.
With white ink backing, a layer of white is printed underneath the design first, blocking out the holographic material beneath it. Colours come out brighter, more solid and closer to how they look on screen - while any areas left unprinted still show the holographic effect through.
When does this matter?
It's most relevant on materials that aren't already a plain opaque white:
- Holographic & specialty finishes - Rainbow Holographic, Holographic Mosaic, Glitter, Metallic, Mirror and Brushed vinyl all have a reflective or patterned surface that shows through unprinted inks
- Clear materials - Clear Waterproof Vinyl and Clear Laminated Stickers are designed to be see-through, so anything printed without white ink will also be semi-transparent
- Coloured or textured paper - Kraft and Antique paper have a natural brown/cream base, which will tint any colours printed directly onto them
On our standard opaque materials - Waterproof Vinyl, Block Out Vinyl, White Laminated Stickers, Biodegradable and Premium Paper - this isn't something you need to think about, since the base is already solid white.
Our recommendation
If your artwork uses light colours, white text, pastel shades, fine details or delicate linework, we'd recommend adding white ink backing for the best result. Without it, a reflective or coloured material can overpower lighter or more intricate designs, making them harder to read. If you'd rather the material's natural effect show through your artwork - for a bolder, more translucent look - you can leave white ink off.
Quick summary
- White ink is an opaque layer printed underneath your design, so colours don't pick up whatever's beneath them
- Matters most on holographic, metallic, glitter, clear and coloured-paper materials
- Add it for light colours, fine detail and text; leave it off if you want the material's effect to show through
