photo-chromatic ink

[minch]

This was an actual request today from a marketing agency:

We want a mailer that will appear blank until taken out of the envelope.
We want the ink to then start slowly appearing once the mailer is out of the envelope.
We were thinking of using photo-chromatic inks in different colours.

We thought about this for a bit.
Did they mean that we print photo-chromatic inks in the dark?
Guillotine in the dark?
And finally insert the mailers into envelopes in the dark?

After falling about with laughter we considered what our response should be?

Answers on a post please. . .

 

[gordo]

This was an actual request today from a marketing agency:

We want a mailer that will appear blank until taken out of the envelope.
We want the ink to then start slowly appearing once the mailer is out of the envelope.
We were thinking of using photo-chromatic inks in different colours.

We thought about this for a bit.
Did they mean that we print photo-chromatic inks in the dark?
Guillotine in the dark?
And finally insert the mailers into envelopes in the dark?

Photochromatic inks get darker when exposed to light and then return to their very pale hue in the dark. So, you'll see an image when you're working with the ink and you don't have to work in the dark. The inside of the envelopes should be black. Your ink vendor can give you more info.
Some info here: http://the-print-guide.blogspot.ca/2012/03/inks-beyond-cmyk-hi-fi-and-pantone.html

gordo

 

[CKL]

CTI Inks in Colorado has some different options.
We have run their Thermo ink

 

[D Ink Man]

Trimoinhibitivpalastic inks have been able to do this in silk screen.

 

[Imran520]

Photochromic ink darkens, as the light level increases. Some photochromic inks change colour.