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White toner on Colorplan

White becomes ink rather than paper. Two of the three options need no special file setup at all.

Applies to: White Toner on Colorplan, White Toner + laser cut

Ordinary full-colour digital print relies on the colour of the paper underneath, so on dark or coloured stock colours look muted or disappear. A fifth white toner station changes that: white can print as its own visible colour, sit underneath CMYK as a hidden base, or do both in the same piece. Everything here runs on GF Smith Colorplan, so the stock colour is part of the design.

CMYK with a white undercoat is the least forgiving of the three. Soft edges, low-resolution images and rough cut-outs let the white base show as a halo around artwork, so use high-resolution images or vector wherever you can.

Step by step

  1. White only

    Visible white print with no CMYK at all. Every colour value in your file becomes a tonal value of white — anything darker in greyscale prints as a heavier white — and the stock colour stays as the background. Best for white text, logos, line art and photographic effects on dark stock. No special setup: supply a standard print-ready PDF and tell us the job is White Only.

  2. CMYK with a white undercoat

    A white base goes down first so the CMYK on top stays vibrant instead of being tinted by the stock. Best for brand colours on coloured board, dark covers, invitations and premium promotional work. No special setup: supply standard CMYK artwork and tell us it’s CMYK + White Undercoat. We build the white base in production.

  3. Spot white

    You choose exactly where white prints — as a visible colour, a hidden base under selected CMYK elements, or both. Best for layered effects, selective highlights and packaging. The only option that needs file prep: build your CMYK artwork as normal, create a spot colour swatch set to 100% Cyan, name it exactly White, and apply it only where you want white. Keep those elements on clearly named layers. The workflow matches the swatch name exactly, so spelling and case matter.

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