White ink

White ink is an opaque pigment that reproduces the color white in print. Unlike standard CMYK inks, which are transparent and rely on the paper’s surface for brightness, white ink provides its own opacity. This allows printers to create white elements on colored, metallic, or dark stocks where a standard white background is unavailable.

In digital and offset printing, white ink is often used as a base layer to ensure that subsequent colors print with maximum vibrancy and consistency on non-white substrates. It can also be printed as a top layer to create specific design elements, such as logos or text, on dark backgrounds. Because it is opaque, it effectively covers whatever is beneath it, making it a critical tool for full-coverage designs on specialty papers.