Colour Models + Artwork
Contents
CMYK RGB Spot Colour PANTONE Document Set up + Pre-flight + Mock ups Proofs + Wet proofs
Contents
Contents
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CMYK
CMYK
M C Y K
CMYK printing works by separating the colours, for example, from a photograph into 4 separate coloured inks using individual printing plates. When four coloured plates are printed onto a sheet of paper, they create an optical effect that to the viewer, looks like the original image.
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CMYK
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CMYK
M C Y K
Commercial print, be it magazine, newspaper, brochures, etc. uses a four-colour printing process called CMYK. CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (Black).
RGB
RGB
R G B
RGB (red, green and blue) refers to a system for representing the colours to be used on a computer display. Red, green and blue can be combined in various proportions to obtain any colour in the visible spectrum. Levels of R, G and B can each range from 0 to 100 percent of full intensity.
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RGB
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RGB
R G B
It is important to remember RGB is for web/digital design and should be converted or thought about before designing for print.
It is important to understand that though combinations of CMYK inks can produce a wide variety of colours - enough to reproduce a photograph quite well, they can’t produce every colour. For this reason, and others, designers often turn to spot colours.
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Spot Colours
Spot Colours
Spot colours are non-processed inks that are manufactured by companies for example PANTONE. Though printing is based on the four process colour - CMYK, it is not limited to them.
Spot Colours
Spot Colours
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Pantone
Pantone
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Pantone Matching System(PMS) is a spot-colour standards system that is widely used throughout the graphics and textile industries. The idea behind PMS which is based on formulas for mixing inks and dyes is to allow everyone in the chain of design and production to match specific colours among different devices, equipment, and substrates. Since most manufacturer and mills also use this system you can simply provide the colour numbers you are using rather than sending physical swatches.
Pantone
Pantone
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Colour Mode - make sure your document is set up in CMYK. IF you are using spot colours you need to make sure you have got the colour PANTONE codes on hand for the printers. You should ask if they can print these spot colours too. By adding more spot colours the final price will be higher.
File formats, inquire with the printers what format they require as they might not have the latest version or your version of software; compatibility issues may delay your print time. PDF is a safe option to use as generally every printer has this software.
Fonts - should include a folder containing all the fonts you have used especially if you have downloaded fonts which the printers probably won’t have installed on
Spell Check - Spelling mistakes can cost you a lot of money if the document needs re-printing. Make sure everything is spell checked by you and someone else who can cast their eyes over it and proof read it.
Printer marks -If your project uses four ink colours (this would be called 4-colour or 4-c job), you would need to include registration marks so that the pressman could exactly align the printing plates on the press. A calibration bar would be needed to measure colours exactly. The edges of the brochure and any folds would need to be indicated with crop marks.
Document set up
Document set up
Resolution - make sure your document DPI is set to 300. This is the minimum requirement for print.
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Preflight-check is the process of checking a document for potential printing issues before printing. InDesign includes a preflight function. Press and printers will use a much more robust preflight system like Flight Check, Preflight Pro, Pit Stop Pro etc...
Mock Ups - “Thou shall assemble a full scale mock-up of any packaging/dimensional project” “Building a house on your computer screen is a long way from planting a shovel and moving earth. On a smaller scale, the same is true about designing anything dimensional, especially packaging.What looks like it might work structurally doesn’t bend as planned, lock together, or even stand up straight. Even after you have made adjustments and tested out the very core structure, you find the more nuanced aspect of designing in this way. How does a small piece of type read now that you know it will sit back a little on the shelf? Should the name of the product bend around to the point that you can’t see all of the letters unless standing in a specific spot? How does the design work at the folds and seams? Where does the legal copy sit?”
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Pre-flight + Mock Ups
Pre-flight + Mock Ups
By leaving your preflight entirely to your printers is a serious, potentially costly mistake. Designers should never leave press operator to find common errors and mistakes with documents, alienating a designers best friend - his print and press providers. It will also cost more currency because printers generally charge more money to fix these common, easily preventable problems that are squarely within the designers sphere of responsibility.
Proofs
Printing proofs are used for checking that all text and graphics and colors come out as expected before going to press.
Proofs
It is a good practice to print a proof from your desktop printer to send along with your digital files to your service bureau or commercial printer. They can be black and white or in colour but a good PostScript laser proof is ideal. If the file won’t print properly to a desktop printer, chances are it won’t come out on the printer.
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Expensive
A Wet proof is a print that is created from the actual printing plates.This is the most expensive form of proof but what you see is what you get; colour and paper on which your final item will be produced.
Wet Proofs
Wet Proofs
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