High-Impact Graphics

Metallic inks

Traditionally added as decorations more or less after the fact, metallic inks are now an integral part of the printing process, thanks to the introduction of technologies that take the time, labor, uncertainty, and associated expense of working with spot metallics out of the production equation. One example is MetalFX®. This universal process and spot metallic color system, recently acquired by Ciba Specialty Chemicals, reportedly allows millions of metallic colors to be printed by adding only the one base silver ink to the CMYK mix. MetalFX licenses are available to printers and prepress houses around the world.