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July 7, 2024
Question

Overprint packaging question?

  • July 7, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 364 views

I'm trying to set up up an Illustrator file for a packaging artwork. The job is litho CMYK + 2 Pantone spot colours. The Pantones are 419 C and 8641 C (8461 C is metallic). The sequence of printing is (according to the printers repro guide) is K, C, M, Y, Spot, Metallic. My artwork (partial image shown below) is a CMYK image with 419 C as the background colour (basically almost black) with a metallic gold pattern (8641 C). As you can see from the image I've got overprint (0.1mm) set on the 8641 C). My question is what do I do about the shadow from the Karahi dish which is on top of the 419 C and Metallic Gold (8641 C)? I don't think I can use black as that is the first colour printed (So I'd someone have to reverse out). I want to use the 419 C to overprint the Gold, but the gold goes down last. I assume the gold will be quite opaque, so I'm not sure how the shadow (419 C) will come through with the gold on top? I suppose I could leave tiny holes in the gold for the black to come through but how would I set that up. I'm stumped. I suppose I'm hoping the printer could swop the 2 spots so the gold would go down first with the 419 C on top. But I bet this is because the metallic ink doesnt like having an ink on top of it? Any thoughts greatly appreciated. 

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2 replies

Community Manager
July 31, 2024

Hello @richardesignerUK,

We are still waiting for your response. Kindly let us know if it has been resolved or if you need further assistance.

 

Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Thanks,

Anubhav

Community Expert
July 7, 2024

Metallic ink needs to print opaque for the metallic effect to come across. The parts of the artwork where the 8461 C gold ink intersects the shadow of the 419 C ink could be simulated with a gradient made of percentages of only the gold ink. Can the printer outputting the artwork put down a metallic spot color in percentages and keep the result looking smooth? You probably don't want to have a coarse halftone pattern visible.

 

The effect might be easier to produce if the 419 C colored shadow was a CMYK shadow. Generally speaking, it's not good to have spot colors used in gradients, such as one spot color transitioning into another spot color.

 

One other idea: have a CMYK-based gold color under the shadow and a duplicate object set in the metallic gold fading into view outside the shadow.