Crank it up with multiple colors

Color printing is so commonplace that most do not give it a second thought. But for the press operator, a tremendous amount of thought is given.

There are varied techniques to apply color. Process color printing uses layers of basic colors to achieve the final result. You’ve probably seen process color printing as it is used in office and home printers. Here at Highland, we use spot color printing to make our products. This means, the ink colors are pre-mixed before printing and the printed image is a single layer. Each spot (of color) is orientated to form a complete image.

Pictured below is a 3-spot design. The client has chosen 3 custom colors of ink to be used in the design. In the photo, the press operator can see there are timing and alignment problems. He or she will make manual adjustments until all three spots fit perfectly with each other.

This process can take a significant amount of time.

But when it all comes together, it’s a beautiful thing!