A method of hot-melt printing, characterized by: printing a melt of an opaque material and at least one translucent pigmented material, by ejecting droplets of the melt, onto a nonwhite substrate, the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material being supplied from different printheads, wherein the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material mix on the substrate, the printing further comprising: selecting a number of print layers; and printing at least one desired color comprising multiple printed layers of the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material, the multiple printed layers comprising: at least a first layer comprising the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material, the first layer having a predetermined first ratio of opaque material to translucent pigmented material being less than or equal to 1:1, an amount of the opaque material being less than or equal to an amount of the translucent pigmented material; and at least a second layer comprising the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material, the second layer having a predetermined second ratio of opaque material to translucent pigmented material being less than or equal to 1:1, an amount of the opaque material being less than or equal to an amount of the translucent pigmented material; and varying the first ratio and the second ratio as a function of the number of layers, wherein the first ratio and the second ratio are equal, and wherein a sum of the first printed layer and second printed layer produces the desired color being optically indistinguishable in the visual spectrum from the same color printed onto a white substrate using opaque color inks. printing a melt of an opaque material and at least one translucent pigmented material, by ejecting droplets of the melt, onto a nonwhite substrate, the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material being supplied from different printheads, wherein the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material mix on the substrate, the printing further comprising: selecting a number of print layers; and printing at least one desired color comprising multiple printed layers of the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material, the multiple printed layers comprising: at least a first layer comprising the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material, the first layer having a predetermined first ratio of opaque material to translucent pigmented material being less than or equal to 1:1, an amount of the opaque material being less than or equal to an amount of the translucent pigmented material; and at least a second layer comprising the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material, the second layer having a predetermined second ratio of opaque material to translucent pigmented material being less than or equal to 1:1, an amount of the opaque material being less than or equal to an amount of the translucent pigmented material; and varying the first ratio and the second ratio as a function of the number of layers, wherein the first ratio and the second ratio are equal, and wherein a sum of the first printed layer and second printed layer produces the desired color being optically indistinguishable in the visual spectrum from the same color printed onto a white substrate using opaque color inks. selecting a number of print layers; and printing at least one desired color comprising multiple printed layers of the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material, the multiple printed layers comprising: at least a first layer comprising the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material, the first layer having a predetermined first ratio of opaque material to translucent pigmented material being less than or equal to 1:1, an amount of the opaque material being less than or equal to an amount of the translucent pigmented material; and at least a second layer comprising the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material, the second layer having a predetermined second ratio of opaque material to translucent pigmented material being less than or equal to 1:1, an amount of the opaque material being less than or equal to an amount of the translucent pigmented material; and at least a first layer comprising the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material, the first layer having a predetermined first ratio of opaque material to translucent pigmented material being less than or equal to 1:1, an amount of the opaque material being less than or equal to an amount of the translucent pigmented material; and at least a second layer comprising the opaque material and the at least one translucent pigmented material, the second layer having a predetermined second ratio of opaque material to translucent pigmented material being less than or equal to 1:1, an amount of the opaque material being less than or equal to an amount of the translucent pigmented material; and varying the first ratio and the second ratio as a function of the number of layers, wherein the first ratio and the second ratio are equal, and wherein a sum of the first printed layer and second printed layer produces the desired color being optically indistinguishable in the visual spectrum from the same color printed onto a white substrate using opaque color inks.