Pantone Colours, Metallic Inks and Coated Paper Explained

CMYK

Also known as Process, 4 Colour Process or Full Colour Process - CMYK is the widely used printing method to achieve full colour printing. You can read more about CMYK on our article covering Basic Colour Principles. During the CMYK process, Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y) and Black (K) are printed as a matrix of tiny dots which give the combined the illusion of other colours.

Spot colours

Spot colours, also known as true colours, are colours which are pre-mixed to the colour required before printing rather than achieved through a multicoloured illusionary process. They are often more vivid than colours produced through other processes and can either be printed on their own or alongside other processes such as CMYK to give a broader and more accurate colour spectrum. An unlimited number of spot colours can be used when printing however the labour and time that go into mixing the initial colours make this a relatively expensive process.

Pantone ® colours

The Pantone Matching System is simply an internationally recognised standardised index of spot colours. Developed by the company Pantone ®, they to allow people in design and printing industries accross the world to specify and match specific colours in the printing process. Like many spot colours, Pantone ® colours can simulated using the CMYK printing process but this can lead to slight mismatching with Pantone ® Matching System. Colours printed on different colours of paper or on different finishes also have a tendency to look different from each other. The Pantone Matching System allows designers to avoid colour mismatching issues by providing colours which cater specifically to different types of paper as well as their coatings. This allows companies and designers to achieve a consistent colour result across a range of various products.

Metallic inks

Metallic inks are formed from combination of a Pantone ® spot colour and metallic compounds which give an eye catching shiny finish to the inks.

Coated paper vs Uncoated Paper

The term coated paper is used to describe paper which has been treated or coated with either a chemical or material layer on one or both of its sides. Available in a variety of finishes including Gloss, Silk and Dull or Matt coated papers don’t absorb much ink and reflect the light well which means they can produce a much sharper and clearer image than their uncoated counterparts.

Unlike coated paper, uncoated paper does not have an outer layer of coating and is sometimes favoured by designers for its natural feel. In contrast to coated paper the lack of any barrier between the inks and the paper mean that they absorb a lot more ink. This increased absorption, depending on the quality of the paper used, can cause the ink dots to expand, producing a slightly blurrier image than on a coated counterpart.

It is important to understand the difference between coated paper with a matt finish and uncoated paper since we find that our clients often ask for one when they want the other. If you wish to write on your product after it has been printed, for example on the back or front of invitations, then you are likely to want an uncoated paper. If however you would like a smooth non-reflective, stain resistant surface to your print a Matt coated paper would be more appropriate.

Proofs and Proofing

A proof is a physical or digital representation the finished print product. Proofs allow both the designer and client to check for errors or printing problems before committing to the costs of printing the full job. A digital PDF proof usually shows folds, trims and so on and are quick and easy to approve.

Dummy Copy

A dummy copy is simply a blank version of a proposed product which is produced to demonstrate thethe quality and size of the materials which have been selected for the job.

Lithographic printing (Litho)

Litho is the cheapest and most common process used for printing large runs of printed products. A metal plate inside a printing press machine carries the image to be printed, to which the ink is applied. This is then brought in to contact with the paper as it passes through the press. Litho print presses often operate on a three to five day turnaround so for shorter 24 hour turnarounds or smaller runs printers often use a quicker but more expensive digital print process (see below).

Offset printing

Offest printing is another very common printing method which differs from Litho printing only in that the paper the paper and metal plate do not come into direct contact. Instead the image from the metal plate is transferred to a rubber ‘blanket’ cylinder and then onto the paper.

Digital printing

Digital presses accept the digital data of your design and print straight from it, without the need to produce plates or any other such tools. Generally this method is used for shorter print runs as the set up costs are lower and the quality does not always match Litho standards. The main benefits of using digital printing are the short run costs, the possibility of item by item customization,

Letterpress printing

This is a ‘relief’ method printing where a raised surface is applied with ink and then pressed onto a sheet of paper to create the text or image. This results in the text or image being slightly depressed into the surface. Once a common way of reproducing books, these days it is generally used in craft applications such as high quality invitations or letterheads.

Thermographic printing

To achieve a raised glossy feel in printing (often in business cards) powder is applied to printed ink while it is wet, and is then heated and cured.

Web printing

This is printing using a continuous roll of paper rather than individual sheets. It is used for very high print runs, such as newspapers.

Varnish

Applying a varnish coating to a printed surface can add a glossy, silk or matt finish.

UV varnish

This type of varnish is applied to give a very high glossy finish to printed surfaces. It is often used and referred to as a Spot UV, where it is applied to specific places on the print, such as photographs.

Self cover

Refers to documents where the cover is printed on the same material as the text pages.

Fold formats

There are many different formats and styles for folding smaller documents, but the most common tend to be: 4 or 6 Page Fold, Gate Fold, Concertina Fold and Roll Fold.

ISO standard

Different parts of the world use different standards for paper sheet sizes, but the most widely used system is the ISO standard. This consists of the A series (e.g A4) and the C series for envelopes (e.g C4 envelope for an A4 sheet). There is a B series of intermediate sizes for the A series but it is not so commonly used. RA and SRA (e.g SRA4) sheets are used by printers and are slightly larger than the A series, providing extra grip and trim in the printing process. For more information on paper sizes you can refer to our Common Paper Sizes blog article.

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