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Email us at citygraphics@swbell.net |
Full color or four color printing is a process that uses four separate colors: cyan (blue), yellow, magenta (red) and black. These four colors (often referred to as CYMK colors) are arranged in a specific dot pattern to give the illusion of thousands of shades of colors. Your printed output can take on a different appearance, depending on a variety of factors. Some of these factors include: variances in the original file interpretation, density and brand of ink, type and color of paper, the lighting under which the printed copy is viewed. The list of factors goes on and on. While every effort is made to produce your job within 95% color accuracy, we print to a "Pleasing Color" standard. Simply stated, your project will look clean, crisp with plenty of "pop". Color monitors are like snowflakes. No two are the same. What you SEE on your monitor is not what you GET. Monitors are all RGB devices, providing with three colors to simulate four colors. Monitors give you color with light. Printing gives you color with ink and paper. RGB and Pantone color files are converted to CYMK. No matter how sophisticated your translation device is, all color conversions are mathematical interpretations and conversions will generally give some differences in the final product. Whenever possible, design your project in CYMK format in order to maintain the highest possible color matching. We routinely provide you with 95% color accuracy. We use the latest color management systems from Heidelberg. If an exact color match is required, please contact us for additional cost and requirements. Resolution. All resolution settings should be made at the beginning of your typesetting project. All submitted material should be at least 300 DPI. Remember that items copied from the internet are generally 72DPI. While these images can be incorporated into your project, they will probably appear fuzzy or grainy when printed. Color Settings. All color settings should be set at the beginning of your typesetting project. All submitted material should be submitted as CYMK. Spot (PMS) colors and RGB colors can be converted to CYMK with varying degrees of success. Color. We hope this mini-primer will help explain color and prevent disasters. RGB is the color you see on your computer monitor. It is an acronym for Red, Green, Blue. When it is viewed on a computer monitor, it gives brilliant colors in millions of combinations. On your computer monitor you view RGB via reflected light. CYMK: We (generally) print in CYMK. Cyan (blue), Yellow, Magenta (red) and Black (K) are the ink colors and we print on some sort of media, like paper. It produces beautiful colors in millions of combinations. BUT, CYMK is not RGB. What you see on your computer monitor is not what you get on a printed piece of paper. It's close but not the same. Can you print RGB? Yes, but the results will not be the same as your monitor. Blacks are often brownish or blueish. This is because in RGB printing, black ink is not used and the color black must be approximated with a combination of red, yellow and blue inks. Can you convert RGB to CYMK? Yes, but it is far batter to start your process in CYMK. All translations of RGB to CYMK can vary and the results may be pleasing but they will not be exact. OK, what about SPOT or PMS colors? SPOT or PMS (Pantone Matching System): These colors can be reproduced in one of two ways: A) By running the SPOT or PMS color as a separate run (5th color); or B) By allowing the SPOT/PMS color to be printed as a four color item. Well, what is the difference? SPOT or PMS colors ran as an independent color can color match to exacting standards. These same colors, when printed in a four color process, will appear very different than when printed as a SPOT or PMS run. So why not run it as a separate run? Cost. It adds significant cost to run a SPOT or PMS color to a four color process job. What about all those other color standards? Trumatch, Adobe RGB, Toyo, SWOP, and the list goes on and on. If you are involved in a project that has unusual color requirements, just give us a call or email us and we will be glad to help prepare your files in the most efficient manner to produce a high quality project. OK, but what about Trapping? This is another subject that volumes have been written about. Simply stated, trapping is the process of manipulating colors (dots) to line up in a certain order os that unwanted white space does not appear. We use Heidelberg's MetaDimensions system to RIP and adjust trapping. It is the best system we have seen and does a great job.
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