What Commercial Printing Customers Should Know About Colors
Any company that's paying for commercial printing services will want to see excellent results. Color plays a key role in many commercial printing projects, and customers should understand the basics of color in a print environment. As a customer, you should know these four things about how a print store will deal with color.
Processes
Foremost, you should understand how color processes work. In printing, a color process represents the combination of colors that create the images and texts. The most common four-color process, for example, is CMYK. This stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Using the CMYK process, a commercial printing services business can replicate an impressive range of colors.
Notably, more colors in a process tend to bring the work closer to photographic quality. Most people in the industry consider six colors or higher to be the standard for photo-grade printing.
Projects don't inherently get better with more colors, though. Some projects work best with spot color. This is the use of a single dominant color, usually against black-and-white forms. Unsurprisingly, red is a popular spot color. Properly employed, spot color tells the viewer to focus on one or two elements.
Substrates
A substrate is whatever material the ink will sit on. Paper is the classic substrate. Fabric is an option at many shops, too. Some companies also print on plastics and other materials.
Every substrate interacts with the ink differently. The paper will absorb more of the ink, and the ink will slightly bleed. Conversely, ink rests on the surface of plastic without interacting much with the substrate.
Gamut
Inks and processes have inherent limits. Gamut refers to the limit on which colors and tones will come from a combination of inks within a process. The substrate also affects the gamut. If you've ever noticed the difference between a matte and glossy photo, then you've seen the gamut in action.
You should note that your digital devices have gamut issues, too. This can affect the color perception between your monitor during the design process and the finished product. A print shop will use proofs and digital color profiles to help you achieve as close of a match as possible.
Color Codes
Finally, every color has a code. There are numerous systems, although Pantone's is among the most respected. Color codes matter a lot if you're dealing with brand standards. A local franchisee for a major fast food brand, for example, has to tightly match the franchisor's color codes in all of its signage, print ads, menus, and uniforms.
To find out more, contact a commercial printing service today.
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