From postcards, to brochures, flyers, book covers, magazines, posters, business cards, vinyl album covers, cd inserts, catalogs, etc., 4-color process printing can be seen practically everywhere you look. But what, exactly, is 4-color process printing? Today, we’ll attempt to answer that question.
Is 4-color process printing different from CMYK printing?
No! 4-color process and CMYK refer to the same printing methodology: the use of four different ink colors to reproduce a full range of color as found, for example, in color photographs.
What does CMYK mean?
CMYK is an acronym (i.e., shorthand) for the names of the four inks used in 4-color process printing, namely cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. In 4-color process printing, these standardized ink colors, which are semi-transparent, are overlaid as halftone dots invisible to the naked eye. A full range of colors are perceived as the eye blends the colors of the dots together. With the aid of a magnifying lens — commercial printers use a specialty magnifying device called a loupe — these dots (called a rosette) can be made visible to the naked eye.
Why is it called 4-Color Process?
Unlike a spot color ink where the color perceived is the color of the ink itself and can be applied in one press pass, the creation of a 4-color printed piece involves multiple steps or, in other words, a process. First, the document to be printed (e.g., a postcard), is separated (digitally, via computer) into the four separate CMYK colors. Then, the four ink colors are applied in succession on the press.
Can the 4-Color Process reproduce all colors?
No. The full range or spectrum of human color perception cannot be reproduced by the 4-color printing process, nor any printing process for that matter. However, with the availability of multi-color presses today, the 4-color process can be extended or enhanced by printing additional spot ink colors during the same press run.
Does WYSIWYG apply to 4-Color Process Printing?
As we talked about in our first post discussing color and color printing, the range or spectrum of colors your computer monitor is able to show and how we perceive those colors differently than the color we perceive from a printed piece (i.e., additive color and subtractive color respectively) means What You See on your computer screen is NOT precisely What You Get when the piece is printed. Thus, it is always a best practice to be aware of this difference and pay particular attention to the colors you chose or designate during the design process. Thankfully, the Pantone corporation provides swatch sample “books” showing how PMS (Pantone Matching System) colors will appear when printed as process to make the choice of colors more predictable.
If you have any questions about 4-color process printing, give us a call. We’re happy to help you get the most out of your printing project.
