Neenah Cobalt Blue 100# Cover
HP White 1 HP White 1
FL Pink 2 FL Pink 2

Feather

Neenah Classic Crest Cobalt Blue 100# Cover

HP White 1 + FL Pink 2

Feather Sample 10

Printing fluorescent pink on colored stock requires white ink as a base layer. HP White 1 creates an opaque foundation that allows FL Pink 2 to achieve full vibrancy against the deep cobalt blue substrate.

Credit: Black Birch Design Studio

About FL Pink on Colored Stock

Printing fluorescent pink on colored stock presents a unique challenge. Without a white ink base layer, the cobalt blue substrate would show through and dramatically alter the appearance of the FL Pink 2 ink, resulting in a muddy, desaturated color.

The solution is a two-layer approach: HP White 1 prints first, creating an opaque white foundation. FL Pink 2 then prints on top of this sealed surface, achieving the same brilliant, eye-catching fluorescent pink you'd expect on white paper.

Best Practices

File Setup

Gallery

Download Sample Files (PDF)
Adobe Illustrator

Dual Spot Color Setup

HP White 1 (base) + FL Pink 2 in Adobe Illustrator

Step 1 of 12
Illustrator Swatches Panel

Open the Swatches Panel

In Adobe Illustrator, go to Window > Swatches to open the Swatches panel. You'll create two spot colors here: HP White 1 (base) and FL Pink 2 (top).

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You can also use the keyboard shortcut F5 to toggle the Swatches panel.

Select White Ink Artwork

Select White Ink Artwork

Select all artwork elements that should print with white ink. This layer creates an opaque foundation on the colored substrate, allowing the FL Pink to achieve full vibrancy.

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The white ink should cover at least as much area as the FL Pink - usually matching shapes.

HP White 1 Swatch Dialog

Create HP White 1 Spot Color

Click the Swatches panel menu and select New Swatch. In the dialog:

  • Swatch Name: HP White 1
  • Color Type: Spot Color
  • Color Mode: CMYK
  • Set Magenta to 100% (for visibility)
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Critical: The name must be exactly HP White 1 with correct capitalization and spacing.

Apply HP White 1

Apply HP White 1 to Selection

With your white ink artwork selected, click the HP White 1 swatch to apply it as the fill color. The artwork will appear in the preview color but will print as opaque white ink.

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White ink creates an opaque seal over the colored substrate, blocking the blue from affecting the FL Pink.

Select FL Pink Artwork

Select FL Pink Artwork

Now select all artwork elements that should print with fluorescent pink ink. This layer prints on top of the white ink base for maximum vibrancy.

FL Pink 2 Swatch Dialog

Create FL Pink 2 Spot Color

Create another new swatch for the fluorescent pink ink:

  • Swatch Name: FL Pink 2
  • Color Type: Spot Color
  • Color Mode: CMYK
  • Set a preview color (e.g., Magenta 100%)
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Critical: The name must be exactly FL Pink 2 - the "2" triggers a double hit for maximum fluorescent intensity.

Apply FL Pink 2

Apply FL Pink 2 to Selection

With your fluorescent artwork selected, click the FL Pink 2 swatch to apply it. The artwork will appear in the preview color but will print as vibrant fluorescent pink.

Both Swatches in Panel

Verify Both Swatches

Your Swatches panel should now show both spot colors:

  • HP White 1 - Base layer that seals the colored substrate
  • FL Pink 2 - Fluorescent layer that prints on top
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Both swatches should show the spot color indicator (white triangle in corner).

Open Attributes Panel

Open the Attributes Panel

Go to Window > Attributes to open the Attributes panel. This panel controls overprint settings which are critical for both spot colors.

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Important: The next step is critical for BOTH spot colors!

Enable Overprint Fill

Enable Overprint Fill for Both

Select ALL artwork using HP White 1 or FL Pink 2 spot colors. In the Attributes panel, check the Overprint Fill checkbox.

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Critical: BOTH HP White 1 AND FL Pink 2 must have Overprint Fill enabled. Without this, spot color areas will knock out underlying layers.

Illustrator Layers Panel

Verify Layer Order

Open the Layers panel (Window > Layers) and verify your layer order. Both spot color layers should be positioned correctly:

  • Top: Spot color layers (HP White 1, FL Pink 2)
  • Bottom: Any CMYK artwork (if applicable)
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The order of spot colors relative to each other doesn't matter, but they must be above any CMYK.

PDF Output Preview

Verify in PDF Output Preview

Export your file as PDF and open in Adobe Acrobat. Go to Print Production > Output Preview. In the Separations list, verify you see:

  • Process Plates: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black (if used)
  • Spot Plates: HP White 1, FL Pink 2
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If either spot color is missing from the list, go back and verify the swatch was created correctly with exact naming.