Pro tip: Weird ink trick for matte posters that actually works

I was skeptical about using a spray bottle with isopropyl alcohol on printed posters. Read it in a zine forum last month. Tried it on a test print, 50% alcohol mix, light mist before it dries fully. The matte finish looked deeper, colors popped more. Now I do it on all my poster runs. Anyone else mess with post-print finishes like this?

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thompson.xena5d ago

Oh wow, I gotta jump in here because I've been messing with this exact thing and there's one little catch you might be missing. The alcohol trick is real for sure, but you gotta be careful with the mix ratio. I found that anything above 50% alcohol can actually eat through the ink on some cheaper prints, leaving this weird cloudy residue that totally ruins the look. Also, you really want to do it in a well-ventilated space, not just for fumes but because the mist settles weird if there's any humidity in the air. It's a great hack though, I've saved a ton of posters that looked washed out straight from the printer. Just test it on a corner first, that's my honest advice.