1. Printing a SPOT COLOUR (5th colour) is added to the print process.
C-cyan (bright blue colour)
M-magenta (bright pink)
Y- Yellow (bright Yellow)
K- key colour (black)
Most forms of full colour printing uses CMYK colour .
(Lithography, gravure, laser & inkjet printers)
Sometimes if a colour cannot be mixed from CYMK
a SPOT COLOUR (5th colour) is added to the print process.
For example- metallic and fluorescent colours

2. Planography Printing
Colour bars
The most common form of planography printing is offset lithography, this is mainly used for commercial printing.
The print work will print with all these important marks.
Registration marks- to line up for die cutting
Crop Marks (used for cutting)

3. Lithography Uses CMYK colour to print
Before printing the file has to be separated into the
4 colours.
Each colour has its own printing plate
-which consists of individual dots to make up the final image.

4. Lithography- this method of printing works on the principle that water and grease don’t mix. The printing plate attracts the grease (oil based ink) and rejects the water. The areas which aren't being printed rejects the grease and attracts the water.
This process is of high speed and enables to print full colour on both sides.
Black is the last colour to be printed as it creates tone.
The process has a printing plate, with the image in relief which is free to rotate. Ink is applied to the printing plate then transfers an inked image onto the rubber blanket cylinder, which in turn presses the image onto the paper or card.
The impression cylinder pulls the paper though the machine and helps to press the image on the paper or card.
Rubber Blanket Cylinder

5. Questions What colours are used in lithography printing?
What is the purpose of the blanket cylinder?
What is the purpose of the impression cylinder?
What type of ink is used in this process?
What is a spot colour?

6. Intaglio printing- Gravure
This again uses CMYK colour
It is an expensive printing process used for stamps, tickets, money and high quality books.

7. Gravure
The printer forms the image by cutting into the plate by machine or by using acids or other chemicals- this creates holes or cells on the plate which make up the image (deeper the cell the darker the colour)
The plate rotates into the ink bath the cells fill-up with ink.
Any excess ink is scraped off by the doctor blade.
The impression cylinder presses the image onto the paper- creating the printed image.