From CMYK to Pantone and special finishes, our guide helps you navigate the world of print colour. Learn how different processes, materials, and finishes can affect the final look, and how to ensure your printed materials match your creative vision perfectly.
See why Hartgraph is trusted by clients across the UK!
Trusted by clients across the UK!
CMYK is the colour model used for printing with lithographic and digital presses. RGB (Red, Green & Blue) is the colour model used for devices such as computer monitors or screens, as they can only be viewed with natural or artificial light.
CMY (Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow) are the primary colours used in both lithographic and digital printing. These three colours are used in printing because virtually any visible colour can be created simply by mixing them in various amounts. In theory, when combined, CMY (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow) should produce black. However, due to minor impurities contained in inks, the result is often a muddy dark brown. For this reason, black is added as a fourth printing ink. Black is recognised as a ‘key’ colour, hence it is designated with the letter ‘K”. The pigments of CMYK are printed in small dots and if you were to take a magnifying glass to the paper, you would see that it would mainly be just a bunch of small dots spread out across the sheet.
Remember: Dyes and pigments do not produce as wide a range of colours as light. So, when an image is printed on paper, there is often an unwanted change in tones, and the colours may be more muted than they are on a computer monitor.
Tell us what you need – we’ll advise, quote, and get things moving.
Upload artwork to our studio who will flight-check ready for your approval.
We will print, embellish, cut and finish! Let our factory do the hard work.
Your order is then checked, boxed and shipped to your chosen address.
Watch the video to explore the Rollem Card Slitter and Collator
Perfect Binder and see how it delivers flawless, high-quality brochure binding every time. Click to watch now!
When CMYK process cannot achieve the depth of colour required, a Pantone® colour can be used either as a fifth colour, on its own, or with other Pantone® colours. Pantone® is a standardised colour matching system, utilising the Pantone® numbering system for identifying colours. By standardising the colours, designers, printers and manufacturers in different locations can all reference a Pantone® numbered colour, making sure colours match without direct contact with one another. There are further Pantone® palettes available in addition to the standard solids, such as metallic, neon and pastel. All Pantone® colours are followed by a C (coated paper), U (uncoated paper), or M (mat paper) suffix.
Through our ongoing research and efforts, we are always striving to reduce our impact on the environment and ensure that our green message is a positive one. When you work with Hartgraph, you can be confident in knowing that you are using one of the most sustainable and planet-positive print and packaging companies in the industry.
Call us today on +44 (0)1628 810523
