Creating a Spot-UV Design
Posted by: tangoprint on: February 27, 2010
Spot UV coated printing is a great option for creating a special effect on certain parts of the design that need to stand out!
This technique applies the glossy UV coating only to chosen areas of the printed card to create a striking first impression. In addition to the effect of highlighting and drawing attention to that part of the design, Spot UV coating also provides the additional visual stimulus of having varied textures on a single printed surface.
Spot UV can add a lot of interest, and can identify the printing as a premium piece of sales and marketing literature in the perception of the reader.
When creating a Spot UV design, you must include a Spot UV template/mask file along with the regular artwork. If your design requires spot UV on the front only, then submit a regular file for the front and back and a spot UV template for that side. You can submit two spot UV template files if the postcard or business card has spot UV on both sides. The Spot UV template file is used to show where the UV will be placed.
Use 100% K to indicate where you would like the UV. White will indicate no UV. It will be a matte or silk finish as per order.
UV coating and spot UV coating is offered on all our 14pt, 15pt and 16pt UV coated business cards and postcards and on round corner glossy business cards. It is also now available on presentation folders .
Process & Spot (PMS) Colors
Posted by: tangoprint on: February 26, 2010
Process color uses translucent CMYK inks laid on top of one another to fool your eye into seeing other colours. To reproduce a color image, a file is separated into four different colors: Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y) and Black (K). During separation, screen tints comprised of small dots are applied at different angles to each of the four colors. The screened separations are then transferred to four different printing plates, one for each color, and run on a printing press with one color overprinting the next.
A spot color ink is a specially-mixed hue that is not made by combining two or more inks, but instead is a single ink of a specific color. Use spot color when few colors are specified and color accuracy is critical. Spot color inks can accurately reproduce colors that are outside the gamut of process colors. The colors can be brighter or more saturated than process colours, or have special properties.
So what should you use?
In general, 1, 2 or 3 spot colors can sometimes cost less than 4-color or process color printing but when you use full-color photos, process colors may be your only option. You also would use PMS colors when you want to assure consistent color for corporate logos, etc, or if you want amazing BRIGHT colors which exceed the capability of CMYK Process Colors. Spot PMS colors should also be used when designing a logo with the intent of maintaining a consistent brand image. But we’ll save that discussion for another time. Tango Print offers 1 and 2 spot color printing on the carbonless forms and stationery where you only need to print a black and white or 1 or 2 color logos, and where you want the colors to match previously printed pieces as much as possible. All flyers, postcards, business cards and folders are printed in process full color.
Picking PMS Spot Colors
The most popular spot color system is the Pantone Matching System (or PMS). You choose the colors from a Swatchbook. Then you use the number corresponding to each color. The colors look different on coated or uncoated paper so each material has a different PMS number per color.
Difference between RGB & CMYK
Posted by: tangoprint on: February 25, 2010
RGB & CMYK (what we print in) are two different color models, and understanding the difference can mean producing a great-looking insert rather than a faded, disappointing one.
The RGB color mode is used by light emitting monitors (including cameras, TVs, etc) . A monitor uses very small bands of red, green, and blue light to generate color. RGB is additive because when you add all three colors together, you get white light; when you turn off all three lights, you get black. By mixing varying amounts of red, green, and blue light, you can create most other colors.
Paper on the other hand can’t generate light. It relies on reflected light, and the subtractive color model CMYK. When you add cyan, magenta, and yellow together (CMY), you get a color close to black, and when you don’t lay down any ink, you get white-that is, the white of the paper. A fourth color, black, is added for economical and practical reasons, and is referred to by ‘K’ so as not to be confused with blue. By mixing varying amounts of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks, you can create most other colors. All commercial, full-color printing uses CMYK inks.
Most colors created on the RGB monitor can be duplicated using CMYK inks, but not all. As your RGB monitor is generating light, it can create some bright colors that can’t be duplicated on any CMYK printing press. Paper can only reflect light, so if you print the super-bright RGB colors in CMYK, they get a lot more faded and dull.
If you’re designing artwork in an RGB color space, we’ll have to convert it to CMYK to print. Depending on your artwork, the colors might shift a little or a lot.
When sending artwork for printing to us, you must provide all your images in CMYK. This way, if there are any color shifts, you’ll be able to see them and take steps to correct that as best as possible. If you supply RGB images, they will be converted to CMYK and color changes will likely happen. Most likely the converted artwork will not be as good as the original . It’s much better for you to supply CMYK files up front.
Stay Tuned!
Posted by: tangoprint on: February 24, 2010
Welcome to Tango Print’s Blog! Stay tuned for news about specials, new products and design and print advice.
