COMMERCIAL PRINT

Understanding Color and Printing Inks

Mark CupachDirector, National SalesBASICS OF PRINTING

1Todays session addresses another element of the printing process common to all printing and thats the inks used to print images.Different types of printing require specific inks that work best with the way images are printed. To begin with, the application of inks is merely the vehicle used to create a duplication of the image selected.First, you need to have an understanding of what color is and how humans perceive colors thru the inks. Color is light and the human eye is the receptor of that light. The TYPE of light also plays a critical role in how color is perceived. Business Stationery hopes that this session will explain some of the ways the print industry uses ink and how color plays a role in reproducing images.AgendaDefining ColorRGB vs CYMKTypes of InksProcess ColorsPantone Spot ColorsCoatings

2Today, we will explore what color is relative to printing full color pictures as reproductions of photos and the difference between the color we design art with, and, the ink we put on paper.How many times have you seen something on Television, or created art on a computer monitor, just to find out that in real life, the colors were just a little different than you thought they would be. We will look at the different types of inks used in the printing process. When reproducing photographic images, we use a combination of four ink colors of cyan which is a blue, magenta, yellow and black. By using these four colors, we can reproduce virtually any solid color or photo. We will look at the Pantone Matching system, or PMS spot colors as they are sometimes referred to.Finally, we will look at the how ink is protected on paper by the use of chemical coatings.

UNDERSTANDING COLOREMITTED LIGHT COLOR (RGB)RedGreenBlueComputer Screens / TelevisionWhat Designers..Design with.

3The first thing to know about color is that it is different based on how you see it.The first type of color is what you see on your TV or computer monitor. Its called Emitted Light Color---or RGBRGB stands for Red, Green and Blue. Each monitor is filled with millions of small phosphers that illuminate by having a light beam pass thru them in a pre-determined pattern as specified by the image being created. The light goes thru the red, green and blue dots on your screens and directly into your eyes and thus your brain sees the image and identifies what you see.

RGB is what designers create art with. As a test.take a digital photo that you have printed out and put it next to the monitor displaying the same picture. You will note the colors are close..but not an exact match. The same is true for Spot, or PMS colors. The reproduction in RGB that you see on the monitor of your computer is close, but not exact when you compare it to your formula guide. Thats because whats on your guide as printed images is a different process call Reflected light color.

4Here, we see a prepress technician reviewing art and getting it ready to convert over to a type of color that can be imaged onto paper.UNDERSTANDING COLORREFLECTIVE LIGHT COLORUsed to print imagesTransparent InksLight travels through ink and bounces off paper behind back through ink to eyes.

5The type of color we put onto paper is called Reflected light color. When we use RGB on the monitor, we have the RGB phosphers on a black screen. To put those images on paper, we need to convert the RGB color to something we can print with. We convert the RGB images into CYMK, or, cyan, magenta, yellow and black, colors we can physically put down to paper.Reflected light color uses Transparent inks. What that means is that we put the ink down in such a very fine filmlike thickness that light is able to penetrate it.Light travels through the ink we lay down on paper, bounces off the papers surface beneath the ink..back up thru the ink into our eyesand our brain tells us what we are looking at.

Show picture

6Lets say this picture is going to be used as the face of 100,000 postcards being mailed to local area residents advertising a farmers market where you can take your kids/grandkids to select a pumpkin, take a hayride,drink cider..

Great photo.but how do we reproduce it 100,000 times?

Option 1-- 100,000 reprints at dodd camera.too costlyOption 2-- scan it in and do on your laser printer.too longOption 3-- take the original and make 100M copies at Copymax..expensive and not the quality we want

Option 4--print them out using a printing press that will reproduce, as close as possible to the original quality, at a good price.FOUR COLOR PROCESSReproducing Continuous Tone PhotographyCyanYellowMagentaBlacK

7The goal of all printing is to reproduce an original as closely as we can to that original. All photography is produced using continuous tones of color. Try this, take a photo that you have from a film developer and put a magnifying glass, or, as we refer to it in the printing industry, a printers loupe on it. What you will see is continuous tones of color that create the image you see.To re-create that image in printing, we digitize the picture and then convert the image from RGBwhat we see on the monitor, to four color process..orCyan.Yellow..Magenta and black. What this means is that we can reproduce any color photo using these four basic colors.

Ink CategoriesStandard InksWeb Offset Non HeatsetWeb Offset HeatsetQuickset InksSheet-fed InksSoybean InksWater based Inks Flexo and GravureLaser InksUV Inks

8Inks come in two basic categories. The first is called Standard Inks. Within the category of standard inks are several different types of inks based on the printing process. Each ink type has its own specific formulation that best fits how the ink is going to be put on paper.Long run web presses, presses that are fed by large rolls of paper, come into two different types. The First are forms webs or newspaper webs where the ink used dries by absorbtion into the paper or by the oxidation process.For larger web presses used for magazines and commercial collateral work, inks need to be dried by heat, thus, the inks are referred to as heatset inks.Some inks, used on uncoated papers, need to dry quickly so Quickset inks were formulated.Regular sheetfed presses, those where individual sheets of paper are fed thru the press one at a time, use sheet-fed formulated inks with specific drying capabilities.For those interested in environmentally friendly inks, soybean based inks were developed. Soybean inks do not use the traditionally petroleum bases used in other inks.Water based inks are used in the Flexo and Gravure printing processes.Laser inks have a heat resistant quality formulated into them to withstand the thermal imaging process of laser printers.And UV inks are special inks made to dry instantly upon exposure to ultraviolet light.Ink CategoriesSpecialty InksNon-porous InksMetallic InksMagnetic Inks MICR for checksFluorescent InksEdible InksScratch and sniff InksSecurity Inks Document Security

9The second category of inks are the Specialty inks. Specialty Inks includeNon porous inks that are used to print on plastics, glass and other non-porous materials.Metallic inks that have a fine metallic powders incorporated into the ink that results in a metallic look when dried.Each of us uses checks or deposit slips that have account and bank routing numbers printed in magnetic inks. Magnetic inks have an iron oxide formulated into them to make them readable and is known as MICR inks.Fluourescent inks are made to give a distinctive look and is used many times on safety and hazard poster warnings. These types of inks fade quickly in the light so they have a short shelf life.Edible inks are just that. Approved for human consumption and used on foods or packaging that comes in contact with food.Scratch and sniff inks used in magazine advertising. These inks contain micro capsules of fragrances that are released when broken by fingernails rubbing against the surface.Amoung others are security inks. These inks are used for printing documents that require a tamper proof assurance like checks and securities.Types of InkTransparentLithographyLight reflected from paper thru inkOpaqueScreenprintingLight reflects off surface of inkTonersDigital Print Engines

10In General, inks come in 3 major familes.Transparent Inks are used in Offset printing. The inks are laid down so thin that light is able to penetrate the inks and bounce off the paper they are laying on, bounce off the surface and back up thru the inks into your eyes.

Opaque inks are used in the Screenprinting process where light is needed to reflect off the surface of the ink.

Toner Inks are special powders or liquids used in the digital process.Ink ProblemsSetoff (Offsetting)

11One very common problem in using inks to print is what is commonly referred to as Setoff.or offsetting. This occurs when the ink does not dry properly and a reverse image in created on the backside of the page in front of it on the pile.Ink ProblemsInk AdhesionMottling uneven appearanceFill-in muddy look in halftones/screens

12Although there are many other inks problems that can occur, three specific issues cause more problems than the others.First is ink adhesion, where the ink is put on too heavy and causes the sheets of paper to stick together.Second is called mottling. Mottling is an uneven appearance in solid areas of ink cause by an uneven drying of the ink.Fill in issues concern a muddy look to the image in areas of screens or in the reproduction of photos in one color, usually black, and these are referred to has halftones. Some areas of fine detail in the photo can be lost as inks muddy the look.Printing Four Color ProcessStart with scanned image or digital imagePlace image into printed layoutRIP the documentCreate dot map of each process colorImage dot map to printing platesOne to One relationship

13When we want to reproduce a photo in a printed piece, we start with some source images. These images can be either a hard photo taken with film, or, as is done more and more today, with a digital photo. In the end, our goal is to digitize the image so we can see in on our computers in RGB.We place those images into a layout and perform graphic color corrections as needed.When we have completed our design, and the customer has approved a proof, we then run the images thru a piece of software called a RIP, or Raster image processor. This RIP translates our RGB pixel images into a map of dots in our four color process inks of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. These maps of dots are imaged onto printing plates to be inked and printed onto paper.Remember, there is always a one to one to one relationship when it comes to process color printing. One color..to one printing plate.to one position on a printing press.

14Here is a full color sheet of various images.

How did we get here you ask?

We took those RGB images off the monitor and ran them thru the RIPor Raster Image Processor.The RIP takes the RGB image and creates a map of dots for each of the four color process colors of cyan yellow magenta and black

Cyan Dot Values

15Here is what the Cyan image values of our pictures look like.if you put your glass on these images, you will see that they are made up of millions of dots on the plates surface

each image dot is receptive to ink where the non-image areas are not.

These dots on the cyan plate will pick up cyan ink in the print tower dedicated to the color cyan..

Yellow Dot Values

16Here are the Yellow dot values of our images...

Magenta Dot Values

17Here are the magenta dot values.you can see in the photo that depicts fruit and veggies that the red pepper image is heavy with magenta dots while the yellow pepper next to it has very few.

Black dot values and type

18The black dot values are on this sheet as well as the type that is exclusively black text. Black is the color that contributes contrast and shadows as well.

Yellow and Cyan

19The color changes as you perceive the combination of Yellow and Cyan dots together..images appear to take on a greenish tone because yellow and cyan are the main color ingrediants of Green.

Magenta and Yellow Dot Values

20Here, we see the combination of just Magenta and Yellow. The orange hue is a result of this color combination. The coloration of the peppers, with these two colors alone is almost complete. The only thing missing in them is the black which would add depth and light contrast.

Magenta, Cyan and Black Dot Values

21Combining Three colorsMagenta, cyan and black, give you a dulled image by leaving out the yellow dots. A purplish hue permeates the image without yellow.

Full Four Color Process Proof

22Here we are back to all four colors being printed. The richness of the photos is now complete.SPOT COLOR - PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM Pantone Matching System (PMS)Pantone is the standard of spot color inks3 ways to createBuy from Ink ManufacturerMix Inks using Base InksCreate using Four Color Process Building

23There is a second type of inks that exist and those are the solid, or spot colors. The Pantone Matching system is the worldwide standard for color matching. There are three ways to create these colors. First is to purchase the ink from ink vendors. Second is when printers mix their own ink which occurs in most large printing companies. Third, is to build the spot color using the four color process printing method.

When colors MUST be exact, like in company logos or in colors that cannot be reproduced accurately, you must use PMS inks.

24This is a photo of what a printers ink Wall looks like. Its simple the storage area for all the ink the printer has purchased and stored for use.PMS Base ColorsMixing PMS 1986 parts (37.5%) Rubine Red 2 parts (12.5%) Yellow 8 parts (50%) Trans. White

25The second way to create a spot color is to mix the color. All PMS inks have a formula to create them based on 11 BASE inks.Here is the formula to mix spot color PMS 198 red.We use 6 parts of Rubine Red, 2 parts of Yellow and 8 parts of Transparent White.If we mix these inks in the proper measurements, we should come up with PMS 198 red.

On Staff Ink Technician26Here is an ink technician mixing a batch of ink. All colors on the formula guide have a given formula made up of a combination of standard inks. Measured correctly, every color in the guide can be reproduced.

27This is the formula guide which displays spot colors both on coated paper and uncoated paper. Why? Because in many colors, there can be a big difference in the color. On coated paper, the ink lays on top of the paper and the light bounces cleanly off the paper giving one perceived color. On uncoated stocks, the ink seeps into the paper and when light goes thru the ink and bounces back out through the inkit scatters and gives another perceived color value to your eyes. If you have the guide.pick several colors out and match them together from both the uncoated and coated sections to see the differences.

28At times, your customers may require a piece that prints in metallic inksmany times on label type products. Metallics have their own color guide book and show the colors with and without the look of a protective varnish.

One rule to always follow.

If you are using metallic inks, use them on coated stocks to give their best presentation. Metallic inks lose their luster when printed on uncoated stocks.

Ink Color Spectrometer

29To insure that the inks meet the Pantone quality standard, mixed inks are subjected to a spectral analysis with the resulting measures requiring to fall in the acceptable standards range.

30The Third way to reproduce spot colors is to build them with four color process printing. Why? Let;s say we are printing a brochure with several photos in it which will require four color process printing to reproduce. In the design of the brochure, we have several header lines in spot colors. Lets say there are 4 different spot colors depicted on the brochure. If we were to print the job using the four specific spot colors, we would have an 8 color print job..Cyan, magenta, yellow and black because of the photo reproductions, and four different spot colors. Because the header lines are not color critical, like in a companys logo or product presentation, we can incorporate those four spot colors into the four color process part of the job and reproduce them that way. This chart shows the actual spot color.right out of the cannext to what the color would look like if we used four color process color build instead. Some are close..many are quite different.COATINGS AND COVERAGEVARNISHSPOT AND FLOODAQUEOUSBEST FOR INK JET IMAGINGUV (ULTRA-VIOLET)SPOT AND FLOODHIGHEST QUALITY AND COSTLAMINATING

31After the ink is on the paper, some jobs require a protective coating on the stock/ink combination. There are several options for this.

Varnish is the simplest and is very effective. It is typically applied during the inking process, usually as the last plate on the press. Varnish can be applied as a flood coatusually to protect large areas of ink coverage, or spot coverage where the varnish is applied to specific image areas. Varnish comes in three types.high gloss..dull gloss and matte.

Aqueous coating can only be applied by presses with a coating tower attached to it. It is a water based coating with good protection and image enhancement qualities. It is good to use when ink-jetting info onto the printed document.Ultra-violet is the high end of coatings. It is a chemical that is applied, either with flood coating or spot, and is instantly dried by subjecting the chemical to a UV light. Only presses equipped with a UV coating tower can apply this type of coating.Then ultimate protector is Lamination typically used in book covers and products like book marks and packaging projects.Color and PrepressCritical Quoting VariablesDefine Colors needed to printCYMKPantone Spot Colors(with numbers)Define Coating and CoverageVarnish, Aqueous or UVSpot and/or FloodProofs-- Type and Who will approve

32As you continue down the path of selling commercial printing, its critical to match the job to the right print vendor. Some factors that will determine which print vendor you send your jobs to include not only the basics of quantity and print configuration for example, are they business cards, or a brochure, is it a book? If so, how many pages and in how many ink colors..Are there any coatings specified or needed? Is it just Varnish that almost any printer can do, or is it an Aqueous or UV coating that only printers with that specific equipment can produce?What types of proofs are needed and WHO will be approving them.These are all critical variables to define for your printer to supply you with an accurate and complete quotation.Color and InkRecapRGB vs. CYMKTypes of InkFour Color ProcessPantone Matching SystemCoatings

33Lets recap what we learned today.There are two types of color..emitted light or RGB,that you see on your monitors..and reflective color or, CYMK that we print with.There are many types of inks used in the printing process and they are all dependent on the printing process being used.All Photos can be reproduced using the Four color Printing process in colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. We can also reproduce any SPOT color using 4CP as well in certain situations.

The Pantone Matching System is the worldwide standard for solid colors. There are also standards for Metallic inks as well.

As part of the design, or for protective purposes, we can coat stock/ink combinations with either Varnish,that most all printers can apply, or Aqueous and UV that require special coating towers on the end of the press.Business Stationery is proud to be able to present these educational seminars to distributors and their staffs as we continue to build effective relationships that assist you in growing your business.