Tints can be created digitally by mixing white into various hues in various proportions. When adding more white than expected to any given hue, the resultant tint becomes lighter – with each additional amount of white added, its hue becomes paler and lighter.
Tints are used to lighten colors without making them appear washed out, appearing less vibrant when printed using tints than when using 100% color printing. They can also make pastel colors appear more intense.
Creating a tint of any color starts with printing at 100% ink coverage and adding white until the desired lightness is reached. The amount of white added will determine how light or dark its appearance is.
Tints are often employed for background colors to soften them and make them appear less noticeable. However, foreground applications may occasionally use tints, too. When considering tint usage, remember that lighter tints will have less of an impactful presence in any given setting.
Tints can also help create the impression that a design is moving or energetic, such as using light tints of one color in the background and dark hues in the foreground of your design. Doing this creates an effect similar to watching something move forward.
Tints are essential in printing as they help create more realistic imagery. Adding tints to your printing job brings life to your printed page by making it seem more like real life and increasing legibility for those trying to read text printed pages.