Think
great color is something everyone can do? Think again. Getting accurate,
high-quality color takes effort. Here is a peek behind the curtain at what it
takes to give you the best color day after day, and job after job, even when
projects are months apart.
1. Define independent color
space.
Your
computer monitors operate in the RGB color space. Our presses operate in CMYK.
The two spaces work very differently, and there is a delicate and complex
conversion process that must take place between them. Adding to the challenge
is that RGB and CMYK are device-dependent. This means that the same colors look
different on different devices.
How
do we get the two in sync? First we define color by metrics unrelated to the devices
themselves — how color looks to the eye. Take the color of a red apple. On your
computer monitor, “apple red” is defined by a set of numbers called CIE L*a*b, which is an objective,
device-independent measurement what the eye sees. That CIE L*a*b value
corresponds to an ICC color profile, which is an objective measurement of how
that monitor “sees” and outputs color.
2. Translate to “press
language.”
Now
that we have an ICC profile that translates color accurately from the eye to
the monitor, we need to be able to reproduce that color on press. Every press
is unique, so the ICC color profile for the RGB monitor is translated into an
ICC profile for the CYMK press.
3. Workflow steps to make it
happen.
Next
is to get that color onto paper. This starts with making choices at the RIP (the
equipment that processes the job before it is sent to the press) to ensure that
the settings match the ones in the software used by your designer. It also
requires regular calibration of our presses to make sure that the color is not
only accurate but repeatable.
Getting
great color is not a magic trick. It requires a lot of craft, science, and hard
work. That’s why you don't want to trust your color to just anyone. We hope you
continue to trust us with your most color-critical jobs.
Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.
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Or visit our website here for more information.
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