Valentine's Day Red!

Here's a simple Valentine Red 3-color MYK formula you can create for 4-color process printing:

100% Yellow

100% Magenta

 10%  Black

It's an easy Tintbooks' formula that will save you from paying extra to print a custom ink color
Happy Valentine's Day!

Beyond Basic Black

When you produce print design with large BLACK areas, sometimes the black solids can appear a little weak or 'washed out,’ unless the black area is strengthened with the use of "undercolors".

Most printers will add undercolor to your file to enhance (punch up or beef up) black solid areas. As designers, it is of course a good idea to discuss or request this from your print vendor when you submit art files.

Printers do not have a universal consensus on how much undercolor to use. Some will use just a 60% screen of Cyan, while others will use a variety of CMY percentages as the undercolor.

Typical formula combinations are: 40C-30M-30Y or 50C-40M-30Y.

For One or Two color jobs, printers will often substitute a Rich Black for the Process Black used in 4/color printing.

Another benefit of undercolors is that 'hickies' are less obvious. Remember, designs with large blocks of solid black require varnish or AQ coatings to avoid scuffing or offset ink. Check out our previous article in this blog about coatings.

Fashion Color Report - Spring 2012

Tangerine Tango leads the trend in fashion colors in 2012. We recommend using these Tintbooks’ CMYK color guide formula matches to make Tangerine Tango out of 4-color process:

Coated Paper Formula                 80% Yellow + 100 % Magenta

Uncoated Paper Formula             90% Yellow + 100 % Magenta

Finishes to Shine! *Sparkle* (Subdue) ~ Soothe ~ Color...

Colors change dramatically by adding custom coating to your printing projects. Whether you choose a varnish, aqueous coating (AQ is the common term) or UV coating, the effect will enhance the appearance of your finished piece. Coatings protect against fingerprints, scuff marks and ink offset. Commonly used for packaging, covers on catalogues and magazines, and 1-sheet posters or flyers, each coating produces a different look. All coatings are available in gloss, dull or satin finish.

The most-used method for coating is varnish, which can cover the entire surface of a printed sheet, or selected for spot locations.

Coat the entire press sheet using gloss varnish to produce a shiny result. Choose spot gloss varnish to isolate a photograph or select a headline or chart for impact. Gloss varnish will produce more vivid color. The image pops off the page.

Conversely, if text is more significant, choosing a dull varnish reduces glare to make the piece easier to read. Dull varnish softens the affect of your color. You might spec a dull spot varnish for large blocks of type, or to create a subtle background.

Designers often combine spot gloss and dull vanishes to produce a 2-dimensional appearance. The press sheet can be run-in line, or for higher intensity, run the press sheet through separately as a “dry pass.”

Choose satin varnish for a silky, smooth finish with reduced glare. Satin varnish creates a textural finish.

Aqueous coating is a water-based finish, which means it is environmentally safer. Another benefit to adding AQ to your printing job is that the AQ process eliminates drying time. That allows the press sheets to go into bindery quicker, which can enhance meeting deadlines.

UV coating is usually a buy-out process because the coating is produced on special equipment. While UV adds more to the cost of a print job, the result is more protection and deeper intensity than with either varnish or AQ.

Even more creative finishes are available if you have the time and budget. Tinted varnishes and lamination are other examples that you can discuss with your printer. Coatings are a great way to enhance your work, but always be mindful of color changes that can occur. 

Avoid getting the Blues over your Brown!

Beware of blue (Cyan)!! Cyan is the ink color that can produce dull color results on press, especially affecting shades of Brown. This is a common occurrence that particularly impacts facial tones in shadow areas.

For a richer, cleaner Brown, create CMYK color combinations by choosing only 3-color components.   Specify Brown tint color combinations that are built with Magenta, Yellow and Black; choosing from MYK components.

Alternatively, if your design calls for a rustic shade of Brown, then you may want to go ahead and choose a combination that does include Cyan, by selecting 3 or 4-color tint values.

Tintbooks show you the difference between 3-Color Brown color combinations created with and without Cyan. You will notice how the Browns print cleaner when Cyan is not chosen as part of a CMYK formula.

Ink on Paper, How to get simple CMYK Color

We hope to provide solutions and information involved with the puzzle of color-selection so that you have more time for your creativity!

The color tools found in computer applications give you the ability to manipulate and view color on your computer screen, mobile device or laser printouts. These viewing conditions, however, do not accurate represent the final color on a printed sheet.

Many variables directly influence the reproduction and perception of a color manufactured by 4-color process screen tints. Some common causes which affect color reproduction will be described on our blog.