How to Indicate Where to Print White Ink on Your Product Label

When designing custom labels, especially on clear or chrome materials, using white ink is crucial for making colors pop and ensuring your design stands out.

White ink acts as a base that prevents your label from looking transparent or washed out. But the big question is: How do you tell the printer exactly where to place the white ink?

In this guide, we’ll break down how to set up white ink correctly in your design file, whether you’re using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or other design software.

Why White Ink Matters on Clear and Chrome Labels

Before we get into the “how,” let’s quickly recap why white ink is so important when designing labels on clear or metallic surfaces.

For Clear Labels: Without white ink, any areas of color printed on a clear label will look transparent or faded because the background (your product) will show through. Adding white ink behind the design makes the colors look sharp and vibrant.

For Chrome Labels: On chrome or metallic labels, white ink is used to block out the shiny material behind certain parts of the design. This keeps your printed colors looking solid, clean, and professional.

Now, let’s get into how to set up white ink in your design.

Indicating White Ink in Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is the preferred software for label design, especially when setting up white ink. The process is straightforward and ensures the printer knows exactly where you want the white ink applied.

Here’s how to do it in Illustrator:

1. Create a Separate Layer for White Ink
   The first step is to create a new layer in your file dedicated to white ink. Name this layer something easy to understand like “White Ink”. This separates the white ink from the rest of your design and makes it clear for the printer.
2. Make a Custom Spot Color for White Ink
   Next, create a custom swatch to represent the white ink. Since white ink can’t actually be displayed on your screen, you’ll need a placeholder color that stands out. The best choice is to set the swatch color to 100% Cyan and 100% Yellow (100/0/100/0). This will show up as bright green in your design file. Don’t worry—the printer will know that this bright green is where white ink should be printed.
3. Apply the White Ink
   Go to the “White Ink” layer you just created and apply the bright green spot color to any areas where you want white ink printed. This is usually behind your main design elements on clear or chrome labels. For example, if you have text or graphics on a clear label, applying white ink behind them will make sure they stand out.
4. Check Your File
   Double-check that the white ink layer is clearly labeled and that the bright green color is only applied in the areas where you want white ink. This helps the printer easily identify where to print the white layer.

How to Indicate White Ink in Photoshop

While Photoshop isn’t as ideal for label design as Illustrator, you can still indicate white ink using a few extra steps.

1. Create a White Ink Layer
   Like in Illustrator, the first thing to do is create a new layer dedicated to white ink. Label this layer “White Ink” so the printer knows what it’s for.
2. Apply White Ink with a Separate File
   In Photoshop, it’s a bit trickier to apply white ink. The easiest way is to create a separate file just for the white ink. In this file, use black to represent the areas where you want white ink to be printed. Black is used because it stands out clearly, and the printer will interpret this as white ink.
3. Combine Files
   Send the white ink file alongside your original design. The printer will then combine the two files, superimposing the areas where black appears on your white ink file onto the original design. This tells the printer exactly where to apply the white ink.

Using Other Design Software

If you or your designer are using a design program that doesn’t support layers or vector files, don’t worry. You can still indicate where white ink should go, though the process is slightly different.

1. Create a Separate File for White Ink
   Just like with Photoshop, you’ll need to create a second file that shows the white ink areas. In this file, use black to mark the spots where white ink should be printed.
2. Send Both Files
   Once you’ve created the separate file showing the white ink areas, send it along with your main design file. The printer will take the areas marked in black and apply white ink to those spots on the original design.

Key Tips for Setting Up White Ink

Here are some final tips to make sure your white ink setup is perfect:

• Clear Communication: Always label the white ink layer or file clearly, so it’s easy for the printer to understand.
• Spot Colors Are Key: In programs like Illustrator, using a custom spot color like bright green ensures the white ink is correctly applied during printing.
• Test First: If you’re new to using white ink, it’s always a good idea to request a sample before committing to a large print run. This lets you check that the white ink appears exactly where you want it.