Job print with 4 Pantone colours

[monq]

Hello, I have just read the following in an online article: "Very rarely are jobs printed with more than 5 pantone colours, and more often than not with only 1-3. Presses can only hold so many inks at once, and the expense for using higher quantities of pantone colours is enormous".

Now - I am trying to move from our current setup of printing CMYK + 3 Pantone colours (totalling 7 plates which gives lots of grief to some of my suppliers), and my intention was to produce a similar output with 4 Pantones, no CMYK. However - the above statement has left me confused...

Would I still be receiving grief from suppliers because I am asking for 4 Pantone colour jobs? Obviously - I do not want to switch for a setup that is already problematic to start another one with no obvious gains?

Thanks in advance!

 

[gordo]

Hello, I have just read the following in an online article: "Very rarely are jobs printed with more than 5 pantone colours, and more often than not with only 1-3. Presses can only hold so many inks at once, and the expense for using higher quantities of pantone colours is enormous".

Now - I am trying to move from our current setup of printing CMYK + 3 Pantone colours (totalling 7 plates which gives lots of grief to some of my suppliers), and my intention was to produce a similar output with 4 Pantones, no CMYK. However - the above statement has left me confused...

Would I still be receiving grief from suppliers because I am asking for 4 Pantone colour jobs? Obviously - I do not want to switch for a setup that is already problematic to start another one with no obvious gains?

You won't be getting any grief from suppliers because they will be making even more money on your jobs.

There are two ideas here:
1) most multi-color presses are set up for 4/C process printing with possibly an additional one or two extra units available for spot colors.
2) spot color use require a press unit wash-up to switch from using one ink color to another - process or spot - with associated production down time..
So, specifying a job as 4 spot colors means 8 press unit washups - 4 washups to change to whatever spot colors you want to run and then 4 washups to go back to their standard ink sets.

So the manufacturing costs, and hence the job costs, will be increased.

best, gordo

 

[monq]

Thanks Gordo - this was exactly what I did not want to hear of course... I always assumed that reducing from 7 colours (CMYK + 3 Pantone Colours) to 4 Pantone Colours would simplify things... I was obviously mistaken :/

When I mean receiving grief, what I mean is that "extra costs or inability to print in 7 colours by suppliers" costs me grief internally at my company... Especially the money bit. But if this will be even more expensive - heck, I am definitely not going this way!!!

Thanks again!

 

[Stephen Marsh]

monq, what type of work do you do - Packaging? What print process (litho, flexo, gravure)?

What four spot colours would you select to print with instead of using CMYK? Could you achieve a similar range of full colours as with CMYK using these alternate spots? Do you have practical experience or is this just conjecture?

Do you print photos/images that would usually be separated into CMYK (with or without bump/touch plates or spot swap outs for process colours etc). If so, what colour separation software will/would you be using to convert to four spots instead of CMYK?

Is your work lacking full colour photos, and is just solids/tint panels or blocks of colour?

Have you talked to folk further down the production chain, such as a prepress trade house or a converter/printer?


Regards,

Stephen Marsh

 

[monq]

Hi Stephen.

- Yes, I am dealing with packaging
- My understanding on the process is that it's litho
- We are currently using images but this is not required, because I can easily convert these to a single Pantone colour with a few tints of that same colour (so it's plain stupid to be using images in the first place)
- I am currently in discussions with various of our 3rd party suppliers, which I think is the best way forward to make sure that there are not misunderstandings / but I also like to receive feedback from people unrelated to our business to get a clearer picture ...

Thanks

 

[rich apollo]

4 colors will be less expensive than 7, but not as inexpensive as 4-color process. Gordo stated most of the reasoning. Another thing to keep in mind is that spot color inks vary widely in cost, so that will effect your final pricing.

Can you post an image of one of the projects in question? I'm sure it would improve the quality of the feedback you receive.

 

[monq]

Hi Rich, thank you very much for your feedback. As for the image - I am afraid I cannot (not because I am possessive of my masterpieces BUT because all our artwork is of quite a confidential nature and printing it in a public forum would not be the best way to proceed).

I have also got further feedback direct from some of our suppliers, and all of them confirm your words (basically - our current setup of CMYK+Pantones is quite nasty / 4 Pantones would be a much cheaper and safer option).

Again - thanks all for all your help on this