What is CMYK?
CMYK stands for the four process inks used in printing: cyan, magenta, yellow and black (key). The inks are printed as tiny overlapping dots that mix into a wide range of colors. The result never matches screen color exactly. It is the standard color system for most printed packaging.
Screens emit light and work with red, green and blue (RGB). Print relies on ink reflecting light off paper, so the bright blues, vivid greens and neon tones of a screen come out duller in CMYK. Approving a design on screen is not the same as approving the printed result.
The same CMYK value looks different on different paper. Coated paper keeps colors lively, while uncoated paper absorbs ink and mutes the color. Matte or soft-touch lamination can darken a color slightly. If color matters, ask your printer for a print proof.
Fine text and small logos built from all four inks are risky: if registration slips, color fringing shows at the edges. Small type is usually set in a single ink. When a brand color must stay identical on every print run, or a tone cannot be reached with CMYK, a spot color comes into play.
The color mode in the file must be what your printer asks for. Which color profile is used and how the CMYK separation is made depend on the printer's workflow, and the final color approval is given with the printer.
How you do this in Grapxo
In Grapxo's print-face file, CMYK separation and color approval remain the printer's job. Write your color expectation into the brief and ask your printer for a proof before printing.
On labels the stock color changes the result; for more, see CMYK, spot color and white ink on labels.
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