Working on your images and graphic design using a design software can be an easy start. However, understanding how you can faithfully and ideally maintain the right resolution with pixels and image sizes can be quite tricky, especially for four color printing projects.

Remember to use these points when making your own design for your prints, whether these are small business cards tor large format poster prints. Note too on some customization that may be entailed in your printing project if you are not well versed in the identification and use of colors, necessary to fulfill your print jobs.

Four Color Printing Reminders for Beginners

1. It is cheaper to print with two colors than four is erroneous.

• If your prints are run using small presses, the prints will be printed in only two solid colors of any variety. Like black and red or blue and yellow. However, if you think the limited colors or inks use will save you money, that is an error many clients make.

• The inks used for such jobs are pre-mixed and are not composites of CMYK. Thus, it requires the same treatment such as spot colors that are custom jobs.

2. Four color printing and using spot colors

• Four color printing is the default printing set-up. It uses the process inks of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black to recreate your designs and colors. By layering these inks, the printers does it best to capture the original colors of your designs.

• However, if you do not know how to distinguish spot colors from CMYK, especially when designing your own print, you might accidentally go into spot color treatment for your prints which can be expensive.

• At the same time, if you don’t know that you are using a spot color for your design, you may compromise the quality of the colors you chose if you do not want to obtain the spot color treatment.

• Spot colors, also identified as Pantone colors, are specific and special ordered colors. This is a custom order that is more expensive than the standard four color or cmyk print because the inks are ordered separately. Additional color merits additional costs, specially since these inks will be solely used for your print job.

• Also, when you print with pantone colors, the print job is treated separately. Your printing job already assumes the cost of setup and plates. The amount of colors you use contributes directly to the print job as well.

3. Remember that a rich black is different from just black.

• The former can be achieved by combining certain hues of the darkest colors of cyan, magenta and yellow so that when your design are printed out, you have a rich and deep color. Do not mistakenly just use the hue black on your color palette as that may not be enough.

• Black is used to define the shadows and give contrasts or highlights necessary to bring out the detail of your prints. Make sure to fully use the advantages presented by four color printing to give you life like images and colorful prints which have different values.

Consult with a color printing company just what your options. To what lengths are the strengths of CMYK and when you need to use Pantone colors. There are online printing companies who can give you assistance and answer your queries through the help of graphic designers. Be resourceful and make full use of the services provided by online four color printing companies.

By: Joel Owens

Poster printing is a great way to advertise your business. Posters are very versatile, and they can be used to hang up as an advertisement or passed out directly to your clients. If you want a way to make your posters stand out from the rest, consider using four color printing.

One-of-a-kind design

Four color posters are one-of-a-kind. They are eye-catching to look at, and the posters can be used nearly anywhere. Larger posters can be displayed in shop windows or hung up for trade shows. Smaller posters can be used as gifts with purchase or souvenirs from an event.

This is generally designed to give you high-quality prints of a larger size. Printing is usually larger than 11″x17″. Depending on what you plan on using the posters for, you can also enhance their appearance by laminating them or mounting them for display.

The printing process

Large format poster printing is often performed on a special inkjet color printer by a professional poster printing company. The printers are large enough to print extra large posters and banners, and they use ink that creates quality images ideal for both indoor and outdoor printing. For clear images, 1200 dots per inch is how the color is applied, allowing for vibrant images. The printers can also handle a wide variety of materials, including paper vinyl, poster wood, photo satin, and more. Some poster printing companies may even print on fabrics and fine art canvasses.

Designing your poster

For the most effective four color poster printing, you will need to use software specifically designed for it. Software simplifies the process by making sure that the graphics and fonts are appropriate for the larger scale of poster printing. If you do not have the applicable software already, talk to your printer. Many printers will offer design services to create a beautiful poster based on your specifications.

Just like with smaller printing jobs, you should always be sure to proofread your final product before starting the poster printing process. Make sure that the colors are what you expected and that everything is spelled correctly, contact information is visible, and the design looks exactly how you want it. Remember, once printed, the only way to correct your poster is with a second printing.

Choosing your colors

When commissioning four-color poster printing, you will want to choose colors with meaning. If you are using photographs, then you want prints that look realistic and life-like. If you are using your company’s logo, then you need to make sure that the final product matches your logo. Keep in mind that the colors you see on your computer screen may vary from the final product. Because of this, it is important to talk to your printer about their color options. Ask for samples if possible to help find the color that is right for you.

Four color poster printing is a great way to create a lasting impression with your clients. If you want something that is larger than life and impressive to your customers, this is an excellent choice.

By: Frank Salsa

Be warned, many people commit mistakes in poster printing, especially if it is their first time. It is only natural of course to make mistakes, but it is a good idea to be forewarned as to what the most common mistakes are. The more you know early on about the wrong kind poster printing, the fewer mistakes you will commit when it is time to send those designs to the poster company. So, for your reference, below are the worst printing mistakes people commit in poster printing.

The wrong paper

The poster paper is an important property of color posters that some people just ignore. They do not know that the poster paper directly relates to their posters durability and endurance against weathering factors. Choose the wrong kind of paper and your posters will deteriorate and tear easily within a few days, to the detriment of your poster printing campaign. So if you are planning on using outdoor posters, or posters for public viewing, it is best to choose the right paper that is tough and resistant.

The wrong size

Size also matters in printing posters. Choose the wrong size and you will not be able to spread your message easily. Many people commit the common mistake of printing posters that are just too small. They may look alright once you print them, but when you post them in public, usually it is just too small for all people to see. The technique though in deciding the correct size, is simply by observing what size posters usually are in a location. With that as your guideline you can try to match or at least enlarge your own posters a bit for maximum impact for those locations.

The wrong color

Many people also print their posters with the wrong color style. Some, to save money, only use black and white posters, or spot colors to only a few areas of the design. This is not really recommended since a poster is a very visual medium. Full color is really the only way to make a poster work. Otherwise, it will always look simple and ineffective.

The wrong printer

Next, the great big mistake that some people do is to print with the wrong poster company or printer. Some printers are better than others and if you do not do your homework correctly, you might get stuck with a printer that has almost no special printing skills, with no eye for quality. That is why it is important to research and analyze a printing company before you really hire them to do work.

The wrong price

Finally, the worst mistake of all is if you pay for a color poster with a wrong and expensive price. The price of printing posters should be well affordable to most people and businesses. Paying the wrong price is just uneconomical and of course unfair for most people. Try to compare all current poster printing prices across printers by looking at online prices. This should give you a nice idea of the prevailing printing prices and the firms that offer the best affordable price.

So there you have it. The common mistakes in poster printing and some suggestions on how to avoid them. Hopefully you will not be those people who waste money and time with the wrong kind of poster printing.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit: Poster Company

By: Janice Jenkins