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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?
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.
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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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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.
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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.
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Thanks for the feedback everybody
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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.