LINE, TONE, INK & COLOR CONSIDERATIONS
IN GRAPHICS & PRINTING

Getting Line and Values on the Printed Page
• Line -solid ink /vector (includes type), reverse, line art
• Hard Tone -spackle, etching, dots, pebble, Xerox tones
• Screen tints -Flat tones -measured in % from 100% (solid) to 2% (white)
line screens, zip-a-tone, vector-gray, blends, patterns

• Halftones -conversion of continual tones to dpi &/or lpi
--->Dpi/ppi -dots - pixels p/inch for the computer monitor and other screens-TV, Kiosk, DVD
--->variables of quality is determined by bit (bits of information and ranges of gray per pixel) and image resolution (amount of dots per inch)

• lpi -lines p/inch -for printing -from 65 to 85 (newspapers), 95 (MOST laser printers),
133 to 150 (midrange printing) to 200 to 300 (high end offset/gravure/ waterless printing)
--->line screens -mezzo tints, pebble, line, circular, etc.

• Duotones/tritones -overlayed lpi at different angles and densities

Color Systems & Modes Used by Graphic Designers:
Primary - RBY (Vermillion Red, Ultramarine Blue, Yellow)
Additive - light - RGB (Red, Green, Blue)
Subtractive - 4-color Printing Process - CYMK (Cyan, Yellow, Majenta, Black)
Index Color Options - Web hues in 216 color "tiles", 72 dpi/antialiased
Lab Color - 3 channel mode to keep RGB consistent between operating systems
ICC - International Color Consortium (matching color management systems)
Gamut = range of colors in any system compared to the range the eye can perceive

Inks in Printing:
Pantone Matching System
Metallic
Toyo
Soy
Watercolor
Hexachrome Optimal
Foil
Varnish
Dayglow - add reflection by absorbing more black
Digital printing: toner - graphite/plastic resins, ink jet, dye sublimations, wax, plotter inks

Color Components in Printing
Spot color = flat color
Tints/grayscale/tonal range - measured by % - 100% being solid color
Knockouts - top color knocks out color underneath
Traps - when 2 colors touch, one must overlapp slightly to avoid misregistration
Overprint - 2 colors over lay each other creating a 3rd color
4 color process - "full color" / 4-color conversion (from spot to CYMK)
Duotones/Tritones - 2 or more plates to one halftone to enrich
Hexachrome colors - 6 pantone optimal color components - CYMKOG
Stochastic/Hi-Fi - 7 color separation printing -CYMKOGV

Important Considerations when Printing Color on Various Printers
Lpi/Dpi -resolution needed -consider device output when creating scans
(dpi = 2xlpi)
Total Value Range -usually 15% to 85% gray
Total Area Coverage -85% for one color to 340% for 4-colors
(avoid full solid colors)

Image Options and Color
What to do and how to modify picture:
• Modes: RGB, CYMK, Grayscale, Duos, Index

• Adjust color: levels (brightness and contrast in dark, medium and light areas)
....contrast
....balance
....variations
• Enlarge/Reduce - Image and Canvas - watch your resolution
• Crop - Rectangle, eclipse,
• clipping path - through masking or lasso -
• isolate from background - make work path>click on path and name>make clipping
path>click on name>save
• create special effects with layers - shadows, etc.
• Flop - horizontal - watch for names and reverse problems on images
• Duplicate
• Layer and transparencies - collage
• Filters
• Change color to gray
• Invert / Threshold/ Posterization
• Change gray to duotone or tritone or quatone - in cymk or Pantone colors
ALWAYS SHARPEN LAST