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naturamed
Participant
October 2, 2017
Answered

Printing white background in Illustrator

  • October 2, 2017
  • 4 replies
  • 5515 views

Hi there,

I'm new to Illustrator and would very much appreciate your help.

I'm trying to create a file with a logo to be print on an aluminium board with white background colour. What do I need to set in Illustrator that the white background is printed on the board?

Cheers,

naturamed

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Dynamic Office

I’d just use the rectangle shape tool and fill with White (Hex #FFFFFF) than save as PDF, be sure to tell the printers you want the white background.

4 replies

D
Dynamic Office
Legend
October 2, 2017

I'm not arguing with you, use JET's advice and over-engineer an easy job.

My advice is not poor whether you agree or disagree I'm stating a fact. as are you.

B
Bexigallio
Inspiring
July 9, 2018

I think you are offering advice that works for you, rather than advice that is correct. I agree with JETalmage , the advice given on those posts is correct. Using Hex values in any print job is very confusing (and naive in my opinion). I think you underestimate the amount of work your printer does after you provide artwork, to ensure the jobs you supply them with output correctly. And I beg to differ, you are arguing with someone who clearly knows a lot more about the subject that you do. We are all here to seek advice and offer it. I think a little bit of decorum and respect can go a long way, particularly when people who are obviously very experienced and knowledgable are providing robust and correct advice based on what appears to be solid real-world experience.

D
Dynamic Office
Legend
October 2, 2017
No, it's up to the designer to build a file correctly. Unless you want to pay for the printer to "play designer" (modify the files).

We've established this though, white background match #FFFFFF

Nonsense. A printing house would be perfectly justified in bouncing the file back to the designer and stating it contains no white. If Naturarmed was to set up the file the way you recommended and send it to a printing house, there would be no white ink in the output, and any resulting cost would be upon  Naturarmed (or his customer).

Sorry, if I'd requested a white background and provided artwork that has a white background via a rectangle (illustrator by default looks like it's a white background but actually contains no background colour) and it came back with no white background i'd refuse to pay and the printers would know this, Infact i've sent 1000s with the above white rectangle and I've never been asked to do it any other way, plenty of printers used too.

It most certainly does. White objects are commonly created all the time. White text in front of other colored objects is a most common example. But that just assumes a white paper. That doesn't magically cause an offset press to suddenly have an opaque ink in one of its printing heads. Print such a job on a brown bag, and your "white" will just be bag-brown.

This has gone massively off point, I understand that a brown paper bag is brown and not white, one would not assume that but one would also know what they're printing on.

JETalmage
JETalmage
Inspiring
October 2, 2017

Charles,

Naturamed never stated that the "white background" is just a rectangle.

Infact i've sent 1000s with the above white rectangle...

I don't care. I've been at this since before anyone ever heard of Illustrator. My clients assume I know how to build files correctly. That's why they pay me.

Your advice to Naturamed is very poor. It begs for error.

JET

    D
    Dynamic OfficeCorrect answer
    Legend
    October 2, 2017

    I’d just use the rectangle shape tool and fill with White (Hex #FFFFFF) than save as PDF, be sure to tell the printers you want the white background.

    JETalmage
    JETalmage
    Inspiring
    October 2, 2017

    Merely filling a rectangle with white (whether you define it with hex values or not) will not cause it to print in normal color separation. There is no white ink in normal offset printing (nor in most composite printers). White in normal process color separation and in Illustrator means "no ink." To print something white, the swatch will have to be defined as a spot color, and a spot color can be defined using any values. Saving as PDF does not change any of that.

    Whenever designing for print (of any kind), think inks, not colors.

    That's why one needs to specify the printing method when asking such questions.

    JET

      D
      Dynamic Office
      Legend
      October 2, 2017

      This is down to the printers in my opinion,

      If you tell the printers you want the background white as per the artwork, then it's their job to match it - White does not mean 'no ink' unless it's printed on white material, then, of course, you don't need the ink as the material already holds that white - However, if it's printed on aluminium (like the OP) the colour white is the colour white (However they decided to create that colour)

      JETalmage
      JETalmage
      Inspiring
      October 2, 2017

      How is it going to be "printed"? (Screen printing? Adhesive sign vinyl?...)

      JET

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