white vs transparent

[mallokw]

Hello,

I designed a logo and some letters are white (and the client wants it white). I think it will be printed on white label. But if we want to print it on a colored paper, still with white letter color :

- Is it better to put letters in transparent fill ?

- The white Illustrator color does not correspond to paper color in Indesign, so how will the white color be treated on printing if I use my logo in an Indesign/pdf to the printer ?

Thanks for your help

MK

[Mylenium · Accepted solution]

It needs to be declared its own spot color if it needs to stay white. Otherwise it won't produce an extra separation in the PDF, which is ther critical point for any commercial reproduction. Other than that the old rule appliews: Communication is half the success of print work. Talk to the people doing the actual printing about what they require and how it's handled. there's simply no way to just slap a PDF around your client's head and hope it will cover all scenarios for the rest of eternity.

Mylenium

[Steve Fairbairn]

As Mylenium says, you should think beyond your computer screen. Transparency has nothing to do with it. You can either make a white spot colour or, just as good, send your printer the logo in black and ask him to print it in white. Communication is the key.

[mallokw]

Ok thank you, the message is clear and I often "communicate" with printers and other professionnal partners but as I sent a logo to a client that will certainly use it without me, I was asking a few modest technical questions (and not how I have to behave in my job). For example the difference between the "white color" in illustrator and paper color as there is no white ink. but I understand that I can ask my local printer !

Have a great day