Process Colors

[gordo]

 

[Stephen Marsh]

I remember special color days at at least one franchise printer. You could go in and get a pms color added to your job for 'free' if it was the color they had in their press on that day. Nowadays, it seems like most printers have the same four colors in their presses every single day, and they always want to charge you for them.

Free of being charged a washup, or free plate and ink too?


Stephen Marsh

 

[intryck]

"4 colors? But I want a picture!"

Ain't always easy.

/Rikard
Intryck Reklam

 

[MailGuru]

Out of curiosity........I get C,M,Y. But, why is black called "k"?. I know.......stupid question, but, inquiring minds want to know.

 

[gordo]

Out of curiosity........I get C,M,Y. But, why is black called "k"?. I know.......stupid question, but, inquiring minds want to know.

K is blacK because if it was "B" it might be confused as Blue.

 

[arossetti]

Out of curiosity........I get C,M,Y. But, why is black called "k"?. I know.......stupid question, but, inquiring minds want to know.

I always thought it was because black = (k)ey.

 

[kansasquaker]

I remember special color days at at least one franchise printer. You could go in and get a pms color added to your job for 'free' if it was the color they had in their press on that day. Nowadays, it seems like most printers have the same four colors in their presses every single day, and they always want to charge you for them.

I don't know what you're talking about. We're in this business to give stuff away for free. We're really good at it!

 

[gordo]

I always thought it was because black = (k)ey.

That is also correct.

 

[gordo]

Here's another one:

Why list the order as CMYK, when the printing order on press is always KCMY?

Obviously because it's more confusing that way.

 

[claude72]

... the printing order on press is always KCMY?

Not always: I've seen a 4-colors press printing KMCY.

And all printers do not have 4-colors presses: some are working with 2-colors, printing most often CM-KY, and some still use single color presses and most often the printing order is CMYK.

 

[aqazi81]

Most press operators here say Blue and Red instead of Cyan and Magenta.

Most common sequence is KCMY but I have used KCMY/KMCY/YCMK on presses with 4 or more print units and CM & YK / CY & KM on 2 color presses..... depends on the nature of the job.

 

[bdenitto]

When I was breaking into the separation trade about 40 years ago on some of the first drum scanners- Hell 299, 300A/300B Crosfield, & D/S etc, we used to always speak in CMYK because the separations were built off of the Cyan gradation- H/Ls 5/3/3, Mids 55/45/45/25, etc. Black was Key as mentioned above and always the least amount of ink in the sep until the UCR took over.
Also always checking "color in color" based on proper amounts of cyan in yellow, reds etc. Now seps are all color managed to GCR for maximum black (cheaper ink) and easier grey balance

 

[D Ink Man]

How about sexy Hexachrome Black-Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Green-Orange. A short run offset label printer's dreamboat. Make it a stochastic too, for ultimate repros.

 

[maas]

K as in Kelvin, absolute black, depending on your inkset offcourse but we run CMYK on our coldset and KCMY on our heatset press

 

[Dan Korn]

The camera that took the picture in the first place...
And the monitor on which the document was created...
And the monitor on which the consumer views the digital proof:
Red, Green, and Blue.

 

[chad.trent]

How about sexy Hexachrome Black-Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Green-Orange. A short run offset label printer's dreamboat. Make it a stochastic too, for ultimate repros.

Let's not forget that new system Pantone has that takes Hexachrome and throws violet into the mix...