colour theory

C o l o u r t h e o r y B o o k l e t 2 I nt r oduct i on Col ouri ses s ent i al l ydi f f er entwav el engt hsofl i ght ,I mpor t ant l yf ordes i gner st her ear et womai n c ol ourmodel st hatr el at et owor kons c r een( RGB) ,andpr i nt edwor k( CMYK) .

Thepr i mar ypur pos eofac ol ourmodel i st of ac i l i t at et hes pec i f i c at i onofc ol our si ns omes t andar d gener al l yac c ept edway .

RGBi sus edf orons c r eeni magesc ons i s t i ngofRED,GREENandBLUE.I ti st hebas i cc ol our model onc omput er sandi sus edf orWebgr aphi c s ,buti ti snotus edf orpr i ntpr oduc t i on!The RGBc ol ourmodel i saddi t i v ei nt hes ens et hatt het hr eel i ghtbeamsar eaddedt oget hert omak e t hef i nal c ol our ss pec t r um.

AnRGBwor k f l owmaypr ov ebenef i c i al i fy ouus eHex ac hr ome,t hi si sas i x c ol ourpr i nt i ngpr oc es sdes i gnedbyPant oneI nc .I naddi t i ont oCMYKi nk s ,Hex ac hr omeaddedor angeandgr een i nk st oex pandt hec ol ourgamut ,f orbet t erc ol ourr epr oduc t i on.

CMYKi saf ourc ol ourPRI NTPROCESS.Cons i s t i ngof

Cy an,

Magent a,

Yel l owandBl ac k .CMYK c ol our swor kby

s ubt r ac t i ngorabs or bi ngl i ghtr ef l ec t edf r om awhi t epi ec eofpaper .

Byv ar y i ngt he amount sofCy an,Magent aandYel l ow,wec anpr oduc eai mmens enumberof

c ol our s ,howev er , notasex t ens i v east hegamutof

c ol our

pr oduc edi nt heRGBmet hod.

Thebenef i t sofdes i gni ngi nCMYK/ /Whendes i gni ngi nRGB,t her ewi l l hav et obeac onv er s i on t oCMYKatac al c ul at edt i meneart hec ompl et i onofades i gn.Somet i mes ,t hec ol our soft he des i gnc anc hangeappear anc eduet ot hi sc onv er s i on.Wher easi fy ouwor kdi r ec t l yi nCMYK, t her ewi l l benos uc hc onv er s i on-andt her ef or e,noc ol ourl os s .

Toens ur eami ni mum amountofc ol ourl os s ,des i gner sus ePMS,ThePant oneMat c hi ngSy s t em.

Thi si sas ol i dc ol ourmat c hi ngs y s t em.I ti sapur c has edc ol our /i nkwhi c hi sbl endedt opr ov i dea c ons i s t entandper f ec tmat c ht ot hec ol our ss pec i f i edi nt hePant onec ol ourgui de.PMSi nk sar e gener al l yus edi nof f s etpr i nt i ng.Amaj or i t yoft hewor l dspr i nt edmat er i al i spr oduc edus i ngt he CMYKpr oc es s ,andt her ei sas pec i al s ubs etofPant onec ol our st hatc anber epr oduc edus i ng CMYK.Ev ent hought heons c r eenc ol our swon' tex ac t l ymat c ht hes wat c h( Whenus i ngRGB) , y ouk nowwhaty ourf i nal c ol ourwi l l l ookl i k e.

C o l o u r t h e o r y B o o k l e t 2 Pant oneCol ourmat chi ngsyst ems/E. g. . .

Whatdot hec ol ourc odesmean?

•P/PMS=Pant one/Pant oneMat c hi ngSy s t em •576=Spec i f i cc ol ourr ef er enc e •C=Coat ed •U=Unc oat ed •PC=Pr oc es sCoat ed Descr i bi ngCol our-Br i ght nes s ,Hue&Sat ur at i on.Thes et er mshel pades i gnert os pec i f yand c ommuni c at ec ol ouri nf or mat i onandhel pov er c omet hepot ent i al v agar i esofc omput ers c r eens andpr i nt i ngpr es s eswher eac ol ouri snotal way swhati ts eems .Ac c ur at ec ol ourdes c r i pt i oni n t er msofhue,s at ur at i onandbr i ght nes shel psades i gnerandpr i nt ermeett heex pec t at i onsofa c l i ent .

Hue/Col our-Theuni quec har ac t er i s t i cofac ol our ,f or medbydi f f er entwav el engt hsofl i ght .Hue r ef er st oas pec i f i ct oneofc ol our .I ti snotanot hernamef orc ol ourasc ol ourc anhav es at ur at i on andbr i ght nes saswel l ashue.

Sat ur at i on/Chr oma-Thepur i t yofac ol our ,des c r i bi ngac ol our ' st endenc yt omov et owar dsor awayf r om gr ey .Atmax i mum s at ur at i onac ol ourwoul dc ont ai nnogr eyatal l .Atmi ni mum s at ur at i on,ac ol ourwoul dc ont ai nmos t l ygr ey Br i ght nes s /Val ue-Ref er r i ngt ohowl i ghtordar kac ol ouri s .Changesi nt hebr i ght nes sv al uec an beac hi ev edbymi x i ngac ol ourwi t hbl ac korwhi t e.

Col ourManagement Col ourmanagementi sneededt oens ur eac c ur at eandpr edi c t abl ec ol ourr epr oduc t i on.Eac h dev i c er es pondst oorpr oduc esc ol ourdi f f er ent l y .

Col ourpr i nt i ngs y s t emsc annotr epr oduc et hef ul l s pec t r al c ol ourgamutt hatt hehumaney ec an s ee.TheRGBgamutc anr epr oduc eabout70perc entoft hes ec ol our sandt heCMYKgamutr epr oduc esev enf ewert hant hi s .Asades i gnery ouneedt obeawar eoft hes el i mi t at i onswhen us i ngt hes t andar df ourc ol ourpr i nt i ngs y s t em i nor dert oav oi dt heus eofc ol our st hatc annotbe pr i nt ed.Whenac ol ourgamuti ss ubs t i t ut edf orabes t gues sr epl ac ement ,t heymaybenot i c eabl y di f f er ent . *Thebes twayt oens ur ey ourwor k i ngwi t hi nt heCMYKc ol ourr ange,i sbyus i ngt hef ourc ol our s l i der st omi xas pec i f i cc ol our .

Youc anc hec ki ft hec ol oury ou' v es el ec t edi swi t hi nt hi sc ol our r angebys el ec t i ngt he' c ol ourpi c k er ' ,i fac ol oury ou' v es el ec t edi s n' twi t hi nt heCMYKs pec t r um t henas mal l ex c l amat i onmar kwi l l appearnex tt ot hec ol our .

C o l o u r t h e o r y B o o k l e t 2 Anal t er nat i v ewayt os ol v et hi spr obl em i st ous et he' Gamutwar ni ng' wi t hi nPhot os hop,whent hi s i st ur nedont hei magewi l l pr oduc egr eyar easov ert hes ec t i onsofc ol ourt hatar et oov i br antand outoft hes pec i f i edgamutr ange.Toi nt r oduc ec ol our st hatc anbepr oduc eddur i ngpr i nt ,Youc an us et he' hue/ s at ur at i on' or' l ev el s ' .

SPOTCOLOURS.Gr aphi cDes i gner sus es potc ol our st oens ur et hatapar t i c ul arc ol ouri na des i gnwi l l pr i nt ,of t enwhenac c ur ac yi sdeemedes s ent i al ,f ori ns t anc eac ompanyl ogo.Spotc ol our sar epr emi x edi nk st hatt hepr i nt erl ay sdown,duet ot hi sSpotc ol our shav el es sc ol ourv ar i anc e.Theyal s ohav eal ar gergamutt hanCMYKandc anac hi ev es omec ol our snotpos s i bl ewi t h CMYKs uc hasv i br antor anges .

Asagener al r ul ei fy ouhav eades i gnwi t honl yoneort woc ol our s ,s uc hasonabus i nes sc ar dor c ompanys t at i oner y ,i twoul dpr obabl ybebet t ert ous es potPANTONE® c ol our sasy ouonl yneed t opayf ort woi nk s .I fy ouhav eades i gnwi t hal otofdi f f er entc ol our sorphot os ,s uc hasabr oc hur e,i twoul dbemor eec onomi c al t ous eapr oc es spr i nt i ngt ec hni queasy ouonl yneedt opay f orf ouri nk s .

Col ourCor r ec t i on.Des at ur at i on/Conv er t i ngani magef r om t heRGBc ol ours pac et oCMYKwi l l dul l i t sc ol our sbec aus et hos eout s i det heCMYKgamutwi l l bec omedi s t or t ed,y ouc anav oi dt hi s pr obl em us i ngt hes at ur at i onc ommand.Wi t ht hei magei nRGBMode,des at ur at ei tt obr i ngi t s c ol our swi t hi nt heCMYKgamut ,gi v i ngy ouamor ebal anc edi mage.

Cr eat i vet echni ques/Col ourHal f Tones Thef our c ol ourpr i nt i ngpr oc es spr oduc esc ol ouri magesf r om di f f er ents i z edhal f t onedot sof c y an,magent a,y el l owandbl ac ki nk ,whi c hc ombi net of ool t heey ei nt os eei ngac ont i nuous t onedi mage.Thi si sbec aus et heyar eal i gnedatdi f f er ents c r eenangl es . . .

RGBdot sr epl i c at et hos eofac omput ers c r eenwhi l eCMYKdot sr epl i c at et hos eus edi npr i nt i ng.

Anyc hangest ot hehal f t onedot st her ef or eneedt obemadei nt hedi f f er entc ol ourc hannel sof t hec ol ours pac eus ed. . .

Us i nghal f t ones/Col ourpr i nt i ngus ess epar at epl at est hatc ont ai nhal f t onedot sf ordi f f er ent pr i nt i ngi nk s .Youc anmani pul at et hes edot si nor dert oc hanget heappear anc eoft hepr i nt ed i mage,us i ngt her adi usoft hedot sandt heangl esofeac hc ol our . * Thes ec anbeal t er edi ndependent l yi nt hedi al oguebox" Col orHal f t one"ForCMYKi mages ,al l f ourc hannel sar eus ed.

Si ngl ec ol ourj obsus eas c r eenangl eof45degr eesf orhal f t onedi magesandc ol ourt i nt s .The45 degr eeangl ei st hel eas tnot i c eabl eandof f ens i v et ot hehumaney ewher easanangl eof90degr eesi sv er yobv i ousanddr awsat t ent i ont ot hedot sr at hert hant hei magedet ai l ( t hepi c t ur e)

C o l o u r t h e o r y B o o k l e t 2 Mul t i pl ec ol our edi mageshav eal way sc r eat edpr obl emsf ort hepr epr es st ec hni c i ansandpr i nt er s .

I deal l yeac hc ol ouri namul t i c ol our edhal f t onepi c t ur emus tbe EXACTLY30DEGREESapar t .

But90degr eesdi v i dedby30equal s3s owehav eapr obl em wi t haf ourc ol ourpr oc es s( CMYK)

Pr oc es s esands pec i al c ol our sc anbec ombi nedus i ngt i nt sandov er pr i nt i ngt opr oduc emanydi f f er entc ol ouref f ec t s . . .

•Ti nt s /Cr eat edbyus i ngCMYK/RGBpr oc es sc ol our sorSpotc ol our s .Us i ngt hes ec ol our s ,y ou mi xi twi t haper c ent ageofwhi t et oc r eat eal i ght erv er s i onoft heor i gi nal .Todot hi sdi gi t al l y ,y ou woul dmak ey ours pec i f i cc ol oura' Gl obal Swat c h' ,t hi swi l l al l owy out oedi tt hes wat c hc ol ouras at i ntt hr ought hec ol ours l i der .* I fy ou' r el i mi t edt oac er t ai namountofpr i nt i ngpl at es ,i nt r oduc i ng t i nt si sagoodwayofi nt r oduc i ngdi f f er entc ol our s .

• Ov er pr i nt i ng/Whenonei nkov er l apsanot hert opr oduc eadi f f er entc ol our .Toov er pr i ntef f ec t i v el yy ouneedt ounder s t andt heor deri nwhi c ht hepr oc es sc ol our spr i nt .

•Per c ent ages /Bec aus eCMYKi saf ourc ol ouri nkpr oc es s ,eac hi nkc anbeappl i edwi t ha v al uer angi ngf r om 0t o100perc ent .Ther ef or eeac hc ol ouri sex pr es s edasaper c ent age.THE TOTALOFTHESEVALUESSHOULDNOTEXCEED240bec aus et hi swi l l r es ul ti namuddy c ol our .

Mul t i t one. . .

Mul t i t onei sapr oc es sc ompos edofei t herone,t woort hr eei nk s .Fors uc hapr oc es sy ou' l l be us i ng' s pec i al i nk s ' i ns t eadoft hes t andar df ourc ol ourCMYK.Us i ngone,t woort hr eec ol our smay r educ et hec os tofpr i nt i ngasy ourmi ni mi s i ngt heamountofpr i nt i ngpl at es .Ther ear e3 Mul t i t one t ec hni ques .

Monot one-Si ngl ei nkpr oc es s Duot one-Twoi nkpr oc es s Tr i t one-Thr eei nkpr oc es s Us es :

Bec aus epr i nt i ngpr es s esc anpr i ntonl yabout50gr ayl ev el speri nkc ol or ,duot onesand mul t i t ones— whi c hus et wot of ouri nk s— ar eus edt oi nc r eas et her angeoft onesofgr ay s c al e i mages .Duot onesandmul t i t onesar eof t enc r eat edbyus i ngbl ac kands potc ol or s( pr emi x ed i nk s ) ,al t houghy ouc anal s ous epr oc es sc ol or s .