Color Matching Policy

Color matching is a sensitive subject with Gang Run Printing, the method we use. It’s our policy to inform customers that if they have a job that is color critical, like a particular shade of color for a corporate logo or a high-end photographic piece, then gang run printing is not the way to go. We simply can’t guarantee color matching.

For starters, there is the computer screen that you are seeing your design on. It may appear a particular shade on one screen and an entirely different shade on another screen. The rule of thumb is that what you see on screen is generally lighter than how it prints. Another factor is color mode: If the design was done in RGB color mode, it will likely get darker when converted to CMYK, which is the color profile for print work.

Lastly, because all orders are grouped together and printed on a much larger sheet of paper, we lose individual control over every color on every job. Instead we look at the sheet as a whole and try to get colors to be within a certain range.

Overall, the finished product should be within a certain range within the shade of a particular color. Rich black should be C=30% M=30% Y=30% and K=100%.

*ALL FILES WE RECEIVE IN RGB WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY CHANGED TO CMYK*

Something About CMYK

Commercial color printing 101. Four color printing. How do you know it’s four color? Photos, full color illustrations? Good bet it is four color. What do I mean by four color? Four colored inks are used to recreate all the colors we see on a printed page. It is usually referred to as full color printing, four color printing or CYMK printing. Again four colors. So far so good. These are the four colors:

  1. Cyan (blue)
  2. Yellow
  3. Magenta (bright )
  4. Black (known as “K”)

This the most expensive of the printing processes. The cost is higher because each sheet of paper is run through the press four times. The cost comes from the fact that the press has to be set up for each ink. Professional digital printers print CMYK as the inks. Printing can get even more expensive when coatings and vanishes are added but I’ve promised to keep things simple.

Couple of things to keep in mind if you need to save money, two color printing is cheaper, that involves two spot colors (Next post) one is usually black. Don’t print three color, price wise you’re coming into four color price territory so you may as well spring for the four color printing. If it is digital printing, go for the four color, the price will be the same. How do you know how it’s going to get printed?

By lisabelloli