WHITE IS NOT A COLOR

This posting sounds a little strange, but in reality it isn't. In printing a full color or a FOUR color brochure we actually use only 4 colors to make all those other colors. And none of those four colors is WHITE!! In most word processing or publishing software programs you will find an option to print the file in either RGB or CMYK. RGB stands for Red, Green and Blue, and is how most ink jet printers work. The process colors ar CMYK which stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, and is how we print your brochure or postcards. Our press is set up to actually print on a piece of paper four times - one time through for each of those four colors. This, of course, is a little bit of an over simplification, but go with me here.

This is where we now need to talk about paper. Most times when you get a four color brochure printed it is assumed that you will print on white gloss paper. That's because this is the only place you get the WHITE that you need. What are clouds without white? Or think about that beautiful smile without white teeth, or wait till you see "the whites of their eyes" would have no meaning. No white without white paper. I will try to illustrate by attaching some pictures. Having said all this about white paper, I must admit that some of the best looking pieces we have printed have been on other than white paper. But those where brochures that did not feature pictures of people or food or similar things - more in the abstract realm, I guess.

All of this is to say that you need to consider WHAT you are going to print ON as well as what you are going to print. The reason a lot of people prefer gloss paper is that it will tend to make the photos POP (to use a technical term). When you print on gloss stock, the ink doesn't soak in like it will on regular paper. When it soaks in, it tends to spread slightly or feather which will make the printing a little less sharp. Anyway, this just accentuates the fact that when you create a 4 color project, you need also to consider what paper you are going to use.

But the bottom line is - THERE IS NO WHITE IN 4 COLOR. Check out the illustrations attached and you will see what can happen when you choose the wrong color of paper, and check us out on the web at http://www.exclamationprinting.com/ for a quote or order.