How-To: Guide to Color Printing
Jump to Guide:
The First Impressions Guide to Color Printing
There are basically two ways that colors are reproduced in offset printing: as individual spot colors using pre-mixed inks or by process color, which combines four inks together to create a wide range of color. Understanding the differences in these two processes can help you make an informed decision, as well as save time and effort in both the design and pre-press phases of your order.
SPOT COLOR
Spot color printing uses 1, 2 or 3 individual pre-mixed inks to create color. This type of printing offers several advantages. Since the inks are individually mixed, this allows the printer to get a near perfect match of any selected color in the PANTONE© matching system. Spot color printing is also typically less expensive, making it a more economic option. However, there are also some limitations. In most cases, no more than 3 colors can be used at a time, so your available color palette is very limited. Spot color may also require some extra work in the design and pre-press phases.
USING SPOT COLORS IN YOUR DOCUMENT
Setting up spot colors is a very important part of making sure your document prints properly. If your spot colors are not set up correctly, entire portions of your document could potentially disappear from your final printed piece.
There are two basic rules to keep in mind when setting up your document for spot color printing:- Make sure your color swatches are set to "spot color". This is a simple but very important step; It allows the computer to identify and separate the colors that need to be printed. In most graphic design programs, a swatch can be set as a "spot color" in the individual swatch options.
- Make sure there is only one color swatch per color. This can be more difficult than it sounds, especially if you are importing images from other programs. The key is to make sure the swatch name is EXACTLY the same at all times, and if you are importing images, merging swatches together.
EXAMPLE: You create a document in InDesign© using two colors, named "Blue" and "Red". Under the swatch options, you select "color type -> spot" for each color. You create a logo in Illustrator©, creating two color swatches also named "Blue" and "Red" and selecting "color type -> spot color" in the swatch options. After importing your logo into InDesign©, there is still only one swatch named "Blue" and one swatch named "Red".
Spot colors are also supported in Adobe Photoshop©, but work differently than other programs. For more information, see Using Spot Colors with Photographs.
Process color uses cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks together to create a wide spectrum of colors, providing a very large palette to work with. Process color allows your design to have vibrant photographs and other colorful design elements at a reasonable cost. There are, however, some factors to consider when choosing process color printing. At First Impressions, we do our best to get vibrant, pleasing color based on normal press conditions, however, we cannot guarantee your finished piece will match what you see on your monitor, exact PANTONE© color matches, printed proofs, or previously printed samples. This is due in part to varying ways color is managed by both your monitor and other printers, as well the limited color range of process color. For more information on this subject, see Ask the Printer.
USING PROCESS COLOR IN YOUR DOCUMENT
The most important thing to remember when setting up your document for process color printing is to always convert your images and colors to CMYK mode. This is important to keep in mind because most digital cameras and scanners will save your images in RGB mode by default and will need to be converted. This can be done easily in Photoshop© simply by selecting "image -> mode -> CMYK Color". This is a simple step, but important, since images that are left in RGB mode will typically print washed out or gray, or sometimes not at all. By default, most programs create color swatches in CMYK color mode, but if you are importing colors from other files, they may also need to be converted.
EXAMPLE: You import a photo from your digital camera to use in your brochure you've created in InDesign©. You open it in Photoshop© and select "image -> mode -> CMYK Color", save the file, and place it in your InDesign© layout.
Using color correctly is a simple but very important step in the design process. By taking a few moments to consider your options, and then setting up your document accordingly, you can save a great deal of time and effort as well as have confidence in your final printed piece.