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itsdarby
Participant
March 5, 2019
Answered

Gradient fill using spot color AND cmyk

  • March 5, 2019
  • 4 replies
  • 5397 views

Hello,

my question is...  In commercial process printing, is it ok to make a gradient using a Pantone spot color swatch and a cmyk separated color swatch?

in this example my  job is 6 colors. the gradient goes from the spot color %100 Pantone 1595 to the cmyk swatch %100 c=3 m=33 y=99 k=0.

will this register/trap or will it be problem?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Danny Whitehead.

    It's doable, but difficult to predict without actually seeing it on press. Pantone solid inks don't always behave like CMYK inks. You'd really need to discuss this with your printer.

    Personally, I don't think that printing 1595 as a spot is worth the extra expense and technical difficulty. It's barely out of the CMYK gamut (at least for FOGRA 51), so I'd just use the closest CMYK match.

    4 replies

    I
    itsdarbyAuthor
    Participant
    March 6, 2019

    Thanks for the feedback everybody 

    Mike_Gondek10189183
    Community Expert
    Mike_Gondek10189183Community Expert
    Community Expert
    March 6, 2019

    For my part you are welcome.

    Lets us know if you have any further questions. If not would  appreciate you updating the post by choosing the answer the best helped you. This marks the post green and  others know they need assist anymore on this post.

    Danny Whitehead.
    Danny Whitehead.Correct answer
    Legend
    March 6, 2019

    It's doable, but difficult to predict without actually seeing it on press. Pantone solid inks don't always behave like CMYK inks. You'd really need to discuss this with your printer.

    Personally, I don't think that printing 1595 as a spot is worth the extra expense and technical difficulty. It's barely out of the CMYK gamut (at least for FOGRA 51), so I'd just use the closest CMYK match.

    Mike_Gondek10189183
    Community Expert
    Mike_Gondek10189183Community Expert
    Community Expert
    March 5, 2019

    To get that color gradient you should instead multiply white to orange gradient on top of a a solid yellow fill.  The yellow fill will act  like a printer does when you paint a wall giving you better solid color with less pinholing. You will get a richer color in the middle rather than a washed out look and screen angles fighting with each other and and less problem with  banding  from mindot.

    I would remove the 3% scumdot in cyan, to get you down to 3 inks. Or better yet use a spot yellow instead of process depending on what rest of art looks like.

      Luke Jennings
      Luke Jennings
      Inspiring
      March 5, 2019

      Your example is 4 colors, C, M, Y, PMS 1595. The printer would need to insure the spot color is output on an unused screen angle (e.g. black) in order to avoid an unwanted pattern in the screening (moiré). Other than that, I don't see any problem.

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