When Should You Choose Four Color Process Printing?

Four color process printing is more commonly referred to as CMYK printing. C stands for cyan, M is for magenta, Y is for yellow and K is for black, sometimes called key, as it references the black key involved in the printing process. CMYK printing can be a bit more expensive than standard two-color spot printing, but it is less expensive than commercial-grade toner cartridges, and there are a number of scenarios where this might be the right choice for you.

Printing Photos

If you are looking to print photographs and want good quality that won't break the bank, CMYK is clearly a better choice than other types of printing that only use two or three colors (like spot printing or RGB printing). Printing with the four color process dramatically increases how accurate the photograph will look compared to what it looks like on your camera or computer screen.

Graphic Design 

If you are printing out graphics work that you intend to use for a professional project such as your business or perhaps for a school project, you will again want the colors to look as realistic as possible. The more accurate and vivid your design is, the more likely it is going to impress your boss, client or professor. Printing with fewer colors might result in a design in which some colors appear to be washed out or too dark, as the ink will be trying to compensate for the fewer possibilities it has available to create the image. There are more expensive options available than CMYK, but again, the quality to cost-effectiveness ratio can't be beat.

Screen Printing

Are you looking to mass produce a lot of t-shirts? Four color process printing is the gold standard when it comes to screen printing. CMYK printing works great for mass production as it's cheaper than printing with something like a toner cartridge, but it will still give you t-shirts that look far more vivid than a standard two-color spot process would provide.

If you are looking for a high-quality way to print a certain item but at the same time don't want to break the bank, stop and take a look at the benefits of printing with the four color process, otherwise known as CMYK. CMYK is less expensive than printing with a toner cartridge but will still give you the results you desire. If you are looking to print some photographs, a graphic design project or some new t-shirts, you can't go wrong by reaching out to a company that offers the four color process.

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