Printing on Dark Paper

[Virgo Nightingale]

So I'm about to get my wedding stationery printed, and I'm getting nervous. I bought a fairly dark paper (French Paper, Poptones Gumdrop Green, 100# uncoated cover stock (http://www.mrfrench.com/results.asp?image=7009&wwwflag=3&imagepos=9)) and I want to print a dark purple Pantone ink on top (in the area of PMS 269). But I'm worried that the Pantone ink won't be opaque enough and will mix with the green and make a maroony-brown kind of color. :eek: Not what I'm looking for.

So will a metallic purple Pantone ink (like 8805) work better? I know metallic inks don't show up so metallic on uncoated stock, but will the metallic aspect help make it opaque enough to look purple? Or am I just royally screwed? :confused: :confused:

I'm using a relatively simple, low-end printer. In general, they don't do special stuff like special inks (a metallic Pantone is about as special as they get). They offered to print for free, and it's hard to turn that down.

[longboy]

You could run white ink first (same plate as the purple ink), then your purple ink on a 2nd printer head. Is that a possibility?

[Virgo Nightingale]

I think opaque white might be more special than they're capable of. Perhaps they have the transparent white (to make other PMS colors), but I have a feeling that won't work well enough.

[balou]

Can your printer do a test wipe on the paper with the inks?

[longboy]

A test wipe or some ink draw-downs would help, good idea.

[BJMRGTIVR6]

I agree, ask for a draw-down. it will help you decide.

I know sometimes they need a double print of metallic on dark paper but registering it.

[doubting_thomas]

That link doesn't work for me (because that's the way today is going to be :mad:)
but I think the idea of a Pantone ink not being opaque enough is right on target.
They aren't and it'll mix colors (you'll probably wish you chose black). Metallics
might help, but the best way to make it opaque is to use foil. Pretty expensive
though. I agree that a draw down is probably the way to go, but keep your
expectations low.

I'd suggest that you flood a white sheet with the green color, and print the
purple in the same pass. That way the colors will look a bit more true, and the
dark purple will trap pretty well with many greens (since I can't see the link).
The printer might not do it for free, but that may be the best way to achieve
what you're looking for.

[PrintDriver]

Have you considered silk screen? Some of those inks can be fairly opaque.
How many of these are you making?

edit: oh wait, you said free. Forget it.

[WadeVC]

Ouch....tough color combination there. I would most definitely get a test-wipe first. I would personally consider foil instead of ink if these are the colors you are considering.

More than likely there will be a need for an opaque white, or at the very least more than one pass through the printer.

[Virgo Nightingale]

I talked to the printer late Friday. He agrees that the ink probably won't work on that paper. He actually could do a pass of opaque white, but he can't guarantee he'll be able to register the passes well enough to pull it off well, especially with tints. :(

He said the metallic might help, so he's going to test it for me on Monday. If that doesn't work, I might just buy another color paper. Probably will cost less than trying a more expensive printing technique.

Anyone want some green cardstock? 100 lb. uncoated, from the French Paper Company!!! Would work well with black ink and foil stamping!! Free drop off within a 20 mile radius of Paterson, NJ!!! :D