subject: Colour Printing Do's And Don'ts [print this page] Colour printing is really a matter of getting some fundamental processes done properly. If you've seen some of the very strange things that colour printers can produce, you'll know what we mean. There are ways of avoiding these horrors, and getting good prints every time. Getting the right ink cartridges is the first step.
Colour printing basics
Colour printing is a really a combination of software, hardware and your printer. A good printer and good software, with a good graphics card, will give you great prints.
You need:
Good graphics software: Top of the line software is much better in terms of productive graphics.
A current generation graphics card
A current model printer
Good quality inks or toner
A multi core computer with about 2GB of RAM
Do: Make sure your equipment and software is up to current standards. Some older computers can't handle modern printing and graphics software.
Do: Use good quality inks and materials. The best tools produce the best results.
Don't: Forget to keep your printer properly maintained and cleaned. This is the cause of most colour printing problems.
Don't: Use excessive amounts of colour, unless you can replace the colour cartridges afterwards. Low ink levels in one colour can cause real problems in your next prints.
Colour balance
Colour balance is now a science in printing. These are two of the most common colour management systems:
CMYK
The famous four tone CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, key black) is now a popular standard for colour balancing. This is an extremely accurate, ratio-based formula.
Hexachrome
Six tone printing is called hexachrome, adding orange and green compound colours. Some CMYK schemes include half tones which add more colour matching capabilities.
RGB
RGB colours (red, green and blue) are the traditional colour methodology. RGB is used in digital cameras, cell phones, LCD and plasma TV. RGB is a "device dependent" colouring method, so called because each type of rendition is different, depending on the type of medium used.
Important: Remember that the printer's default settings are always available. These settings are the baseline print standard. The printers are designed to use these ready made colour balances.
Test prints, always
Always run a colour test before printing.
Pay close attention to the preview screen, because you need to see where any colour mismatches, lines, or splash.
Check your print for gaps in colour.
Do: Be aware of any issues in colour rendition.
Don't: Ignore slight problems in a print, if you're intending to do more prints immediately. Test the printer before proceeding.
Colour printing and media
Media like industry standard printing paper, photo paper, fine card and good quality handmade paper are the best choices as colour print media.
Printed media should produce:
Good line rendition
Clearly proportioned shades in accordance with the original
No splash or uneven colour areas
No colour mixes which aren't in the original
You'll find that your colour ink or toner cartridges will be able to do any print job you need with the right media and practice.
