• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Printing for Less

Printing for Less

Satisfaction Guarantee

At Printing for Less, we've offered high quality online printing services since 1996. Shop business cards, booklets, stickers, and more!

800-930-2423
Get A Quote
  • Products
    • Announcements
    • Banners
    • Booklets
    • Booklet Envelopes
    • Bookmarks
    • Branded Box Printing
    • Brochure Holders
    • Brochures
    • Buck Slips
    • Business Cards
    • Calendar Printing
    • Campaign Printing
    • Carbonless Forms
    • Catalogs
    • CD Covers
    • Club Cards
    • Coil Bound Booklets
    • Custom Printing
    • Digital Printing
    • Door Hangers
    • EDDM Postcards
    • Envelopes
    • File Folders
    • Flyers
    • Folded Business Cards
    • Folders
    • Forms
    • Greeting Cards
    • Hang Tags
    • Holiday Cards
    • Invitations
    • Labels
    • Large Envelopes
    • Large Format
    • Large Posters
    • Letterhead/Envelope
    • Magnets
    • Mailer Printing
    • Mailing Envelopes
    • Mailing Services
    • Memo Pads
    • Menus
    • NCR Forms
    • Newsletters
    • Note Cards
    • Notepads
    • Offering Envelopes
    • Packaging
    • Plastic Cards
    • Pocket Folders
    • Postcards
    • Posters
    • Post-it® Notes
    • Presentation Folders
    • Rack Cards
    • Recieipt Books
    • Remittance Envelopes
    • Sell Sheets
    • Signs
    • Statement Stuffers
    • Stationery
    • Stickers
    • Table Tents
    • Tickets
    • Variable Data Printing
    • Vinyl Banners
    • Yard Signs
  • Industries
    • Advertising & Design
    • Real Estate
    • Medical
    • Food & Beverage
    • Non-Profit
    • University
    • Technology
    • Enterprise
  • Services
    • Reseller Program
    • Fulfillment
    • Digital Printing
    • Mailing Services
    • Custom Solutions
    • Design Services
    • Hybrid Experience Platform
  • Resources
    • Marketing & Design Tips
    • Templates
    • Blog
    • Help & FAQs
    • Printing Terms & Glossary
    • Video Library
  • Get Samples
  • My Login
  • Contact
  • About
    • Why Printing for Less?
    • Our Team
    • Sustainable Practices

Custom Printing with Metallic Ink

Make Your Print Shine with Metallic Ink

If you are looking to make a big impression with your next print project, sometimes plain black or colored ink just won’t cut it. When you venture beyond the familiar territory of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, a wide world of color possibilities opens up for you. Whether you’re striving for vibrancy not attainable in process colors, or looking to add some pizzazz to your printed piece, it may be time to consider incorporating some custom printing finishes to add that little something extra—think spot colors, embossing, foil stamping, spot varnish, and of course, metallic inks.


What is a metallic ink?

Metallic ink has reflective metal particles such as copper, bronze, zinc or aluminum suspended within it. When the ink dries, the metal particles reflect light and create a metallic sheen. Metallic inks add color and shine beyond what regular inks can produce, but are less shiny and reflective than the more complicated and expensive foil stamping. They are available in a variety of both pure metallic colors such as gold, silver, bronze, blue and red, and combination tints.

Metal Madness – A Lustrous Add-on

Metallic inks are special inks that create a shine and luster you won’t see in standard inks. Silver and gold metallics are the most common, but metallic inks also come in bright blues, vibrant purples, hot reds and burnished coppers. Metallic inks are perfect for presenting that high-end image because they add attention-grabbing shine to any printed piece without the higher cost of foil stamping. There are a variety of different ways you can incorporate metallic inks into your organization’s print materials. Consider the following ideas:

  • Highlight headlines or important points on postcards, brochures, and flyers
  • Add some elegance to invitations or stationery with gold or silver metallic ink
  • Add some pizzazz to your company name or logo
  • Create an unforgettable business card with subtle metallic highlights
  • Use several different metallic inks together to create a unique image or design
  • Make special elements or lettering on your presentation folders pop

Get it Right: Things to Consider When Using Metallic Inks

If you are thinking of using metallic ink on your next offset printing project, there are a few things you should consider to ensure you get the best possible results.

  1. Do your homework – Not every printer has experience with metallic inks. Before you award a metallic job to a printer, ask to see samples of various metallic projects the shop has produced in the past.
  2. Be forward – Show your design to the printer early in the process. If either of you are concerned about how the metallic colors will read, it may be worth negotiating a small press proof—the gold standard insurance policy for getting the look you want.
  3. Coated is key – If you are aiming for maximum shine, print on a coated stock—the glossier the better. Coated stocks have more ink holdout, which means that less of the ink is absorbed into the paper fibers. It sits atop the paper instead, where it can work up some serious shine.
  4. Protect your piece – Since they’re composed of metal flakes, metallics are somewhat prone to chalking and flaking, so a protective aqueous coating will help keep things in place.

Metallic inks not only look nice, they will also help take your marketing materials to the next level by defying the status quo. Oftentimes, the spotlight of attention is on the layout and colors of the piece and the use of ink sometimes gets neglected. If you incorporate metallic inks, you create a shiny and glossy effect that will make your full color postcard, business card, catalog or brochure stand out from the pack.

Metallic Ink Printing Samples

(Photos do not adequately capture the effect. Request printed samples to see the effect first hand.)
Catalog Metallic
Catalog
 
Need creative or technical advice on incorporating metallic inks into your next printing project?
Give our helpful experts a call at 800-924-2041.
RELATED MARKETING & DESIGN TIPS

Image Resolution for Printing

The higher resolution, the sharper the image will be. PrintingForLess recommends resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) for crisp, clear results. Lower resolution images appear fuzzy, jagged and blurry.

Read More >


Marketing & Design Tips

Need print marketing tips or advice? We have a variety of print marketing articles with everything you need for a successful marketing campaign. Learn more.

Read More >


Business Forms and Invoice Form Samples

Read More >


Perfect Binding

Get Perfect Binding done on your high page count catalogs and booklets for added durability and class

Read More >


Repurposing Your Website for Print Marketing

Make your website content work for you and Learn how to effective repurpose your existing website content into you print marketing strategy. Learn more.

Read More >


Color in Process Printing

Choosing between CMYK or RBG for print? Learn which you should use for printing and how the color quality of printed materials are affected by RBG and CMYK.

Read More >


About RGB and CMYK

How to convert RGB to CMYK in Adobe photoshop, illustrator, and more graphic design programs for commercial printing. Hint: Printing for Less converts RBG to CMYK for free!

Read More >


Wire-O® Binding

Get the many advantages of Wire-O Binding for bound booklets, manuals, workbooks and other documents that need to lay flat. Assorted colors are available

Read More >


Graphic Design Layout Specifications for Printing

Read More >


Brochure Design Tips for Business

Brochure design tips to help you choose the right paper, paper size, and coating for your brochure. Learn how to take your brochure design to the next level.

Read More >


Point of Purchase Displays

These patented easy to erect custom point of purchase displays can complement your literature graphics and communicate your brand messaging better

Read More >


Using Die Cutting on Brochures

Get unique die cut brochures printed that will cut through the clutter in the mailbox and get your message noticed.

Read More >


Custom Printing of Diplomas, Awards, and Certificates

Read More >


Newsletter Design Idea Example

Read More >


How to Create a Small Business Marketing Plan

Need help creating a small business marketing plan? We created a detailed step by step guide to get your marketing out into the world. Learn more!

Read More >


Plastic Self-Mailing Snap-out Postcards

Get printed custom plastic postcards that can be customized for many different purposes, from snap-off membership and loyalty cards to special discount cards and more

Read More >


How to Design Print Materials for Foil Stamping Effects

We share the top best practices for designing for foil stamped or metallic printing effects to insure that you get the best printed piece possible

Read More >


Green Printing Recycled Paper

Printing for Less offers a variety of recycled papers on all of our products. We’re also always happy to accommodate requests for 100% recycled printing paper.

Read More >


Complete Guide to Creating Press Ready Print Files

We put together everything you need to know about creating a successful commercial print ready file. Learn about bleed, color, image formats, folds, & more.

Read More >


Edit PDFs in Adobe Illustrator

Read More >


Graphic Design Help
Marketing & Design Tips

Guides
Jumping into the world of printing? We’ve put together these handy resources to help you get your footing.

Explore >

Templates
Templates

Templates
Pre-made templates are a great way to springboard your creativity and make sure everything is laid out exactly the way you need it. Utilize one of our printing templates and speed up the printing process even more.

Explore >

Printing for Less services the technology industry.
Blog Articles

Blog Articles
We’ve compiled a list of our best blog posts to help you dive into custom printing

Explore >

Footer

Printing for Less

info@printingforless.com
100 P F L Way, Livingston, MT 59047

800-924-2041

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • Products
  • Industries
  • Services
  • Get Samples
  • Resources
  • Guides
  • Templates
  • Blog
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact
  • About
  • Why Printing for Less?
  • Our Team
  • Careers
  • Login

Copyright © 1998-2023 PrintingforLess.com. All Rights Reserved.

logo
  • 866-501-7488
  • Products
  • Industries
  • Services
  • Resources
  • Get Samples
  • Get a Quote
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • My Login