8.

Color separation

Six colors 12 separations

On this page you see six colors
or more correctly there are
12 color patches.

Each of the six colors are

created in two very different
color separations.

1. Chromatic separation
On the left-hand side the colors
are made in chromatic separa-
Chromatic Achromatic Chromatic Achromatic Chromatic Achromatic
tion created in cmy without
using black.

2. Achromatic separation
On the right-hand side the
colors are made in achromatic
separation using black and
a maximum of two of the
cmy colors.

Note: This page is a simulation.

See the color separations correctly
on the next page.

Chromatic Achromatic Chromatic Achromatic Chromatic Achromatic

1
8. Color separation

H T
R I G

N G
W R O

Color settings
When viewed using correct
color settings the colors are
alike.

If you look at this via a brow-

ser or if your color settings are
wrong, the colors might get
inaccurate!

Alternatively, see the correct

To see the colors accurately on your screen,
make sure to activate the color settings
in Adobe Acrobat to ISO Coated v2 (ECI)
or Coated FOGRA39 (ISO 12647-2:2004).
colors in Adobe Photoshop
(see the next page).
Note! There still might be tiny little differences
because of decimals, software versions and
screen quality.

2
8. Color separation

A mix is common sense

Color 1 Color 4 On this page the six colors are
created in three separations.
It is amazing that the colors
are alike when you look at the
very different separations!
L* 82 C 22% C 11% C 2% L* 58 C 52% C 45% C 39%
a* -4 M 14% M 7% M 0% a* 10 M 49% M 43% M 40%
On the left-hand side the
b* 28 Y 49% Y 44% Y 40% b* -20 Y 16% Y 7% Y 0%
colors are with the chromatic
K 0% K 12% K 22% K 0% K 15% K 24%
separation. On the right-hand
side the colors are with the
achromatic separation.
Color 2 Color 5

In the middle the colors are

from the Triangle Colorscale
CMYK GUIDE with a mix
L* 69 C 23% C 9% C 0% L* 72 C 51% C 45% C 40%
of chromatic and achromatic
a* 14 M 40% M 35% M 31% a* -11 M 18% M 9% M 0%
separation.
b* 22 Y 50% Y 43% Y 40% b* -15 Y 15% Y 7% Y 0%
K 0% K 16% K 24% K 0% K 13% K 22%
Experience and technical
considerations tells that a mix
of the separation principles
Color 3 Color 6
is common sense:
Less printing ink is used
(Quicker drying time and
less set-off)
L* 68 C 23% C 12% C 1% L* 70 C 51% C 44% C 39% Better gray balance control
a* 21 M 47% M 43% M 40% a* -17 M 18% M 8% M 0% Less variation through a
b* -5 Y 17% Y 8% Y 0% b* 12 Y 49% Y 43% Y 40% production
K 0% K 13% K 22% K 0% K 15% K 24% More homogeneous colors
using different light sources
The L*a*b* values are the same in all three separations. On www.cmykguide.com under downloads you can get the les
The L*a*b* values are from the Adobe Photoshop LAB color space CMYK GUIDE Color 1-6. Open the les in Adobe Photoshop using
and the rendering intent is set to relative colorimetric. the embedded prole ISO Coated v2 (ECI) to see the colors accurately.
3
8. Color separation

Try it yourself on your

C 50% C 50% C 40% own screen
M 20% M 0% M 0% On www.cmykguide.com under
Y 100% Y 100% Y 90% downloads you can get the le
K 0% K 20% K 25% 19. CMYK GUIDE Separa-
L* 68 L* 67 tion sample.tif. Open the le
a* -19 a* -21 in Adobe Photoshop using the
b* 61 b* 56 embedded prole ISO Coated v2
and set the rendering intent to
1. Open the le 19. CMYK GUIDE Sepa- 4. Add the value (20%) to the black channel . 7. Then look at the Lab values: L* is too dark, relative colorimetric.
ration sample.tif in Photoshop. Now the sample is too green and too dark. a* is too green and b* needs more yellow.
Adjust the right-hand side to
C 50% C 44% C 35% create the same color in two
M 20% M 0% M 0% different separations.
Y 100% Y 92% Y 92%
K 0% K 20% K 27% When you print the samples
the colors might not get accu-
L* 68
rate on the paper!
a* -19
b* 61
This is because the practical
2. Activate the right-hand side of the patch. 5. Reduce the green part (c+y) in small steps. 8. It is a puzzle to get the sample accurate! technical world is not always
Then the sample is closer to your target. When you adjust the color, look rst at the 100% in accordance with the
color on your screen and then look at the chromatology.
C 50% C 40% Lab values to create a perfect match. 1% can
M 0% M 0% be the difference between good and perfect! So when your job is going to
Y 100% Y 90% be printed in offset, you should
K 0% K 20% With a little patience you will end up with choose colors from samples
exactly the same color on your screen and printed in offset not from
both samples with the same Lab values! a screen view!

Note! There might be tiny little differences With the Triangle Colorscale
3. Cut out the part with the lowest value 6. Now the sample is too light and you add because of decimals, software versions and CMYK GUIDE you have a very
in cmy (in this sample magenta 20%). more black to get closer to the target! screen quality. ne reference on paper.
4
8. Color separation

From chromatic to
achromatic separation
On this page you have 11 sam-
ples of six colors, separated in
a ow from chromatic to achro-
matic.

On the far left column the six

colors are chromatic.

On the far right column the

colors are achromatic.

In between, the colors are

a mix between chromatic and
achromatic.

If you take a traditional cmyk

color scale you have a lot of
duplicates. For example, the
colors on this page will be
spread out in several chapters
and when it comes to prin-
ting considerations who knows
which one to choose?

In the Triangle Colorscale

CMYK GUIDE you will nd
a color only once with very
print proof separations.

To see the separation go to the channels in Adobe Acrobat.

Use the color picker to read the cmyk values.
5
8. Color separation

Try it yourself on your

ink jet or laser printer
Another way of showing the
same colors in two separations
is to print this and the fol-
lowing six pages in cmyk on
your ink jet or laser printer.

Cut out the six white squares

and move each patch around
the respective color plates on
the following pages to nd
the achromatic colors that
match best.

Six chromatic colors.

6
8. Color separation

Color plate with achromatic separation without magenta.

7
8. Color separation

Color plate with achromatic separation without cyan.

8
8. Color separation

Color plate with achromatic separation without yellow.

9
8. Color separation

Color plate with achromatic separation without yellow.

10
8. Color separation

Color plate with achromatic separation without magenta.

11
8. Color separation

Color plate with achromatic separation without cyan.

12
8. Color separation

TVS tone value sum

The tone value sum (TVS) is
C 65% C 35% C 100% C 84% the sum of all the cmyk values.
M 78% M 61% M 84% M 56%
Y 100% Y 79% Y 60% Y 31% On the left-hand side the sam-
K 0% K 45% K 0% K 50% ples are chromatic without
using black.
TVS 243% TVS 220% TVS 244% TVS 221%
On the right-hand side the
samples are with black.

The Lab values are the same

C 69% C 33% C 100% C 83% but the sum of cmyk values are
M 100% M 84% M 73% M 38% less with the achromatic sepa-
Y 84% Y 51% Y 73% Y 48% ration. When you use black you
K 0% K 51% K 0% K 53% reduce the TVS.

TVS 253% TVS 219% TVS 246% TVS 222% In the Triangle Colorscale
CMYK GUIDE the TVS is never
higher than 300%.

C 84% C 58% C 78% C 54%

M 100% M 82% M 65% M 38%
Y 69% Y 36% Y 100% Y 79%
K 0% K 50% K 0% K 49%

TVS 253% TVS 226% TVS 243% TVS 220%

13
8. Color separation
Maximum of chromatic separation.
Separation of picture
When it comes to separation
of color pictures it is more com-
plicated.
If the separation is very chro-
matic the amount of printing
ink is too high and the dark
areas are not really dark.
If the separation is very achro-
matic some tertiary color loose
their glow and some of the
colors can become grainy.
The answer is a mix of using
the best from both principle
and creating an icc-prole.
Then you apply the icc-prole
to your Photoshop.
In general you can use the
icc-proles from ECI, European
Color Initiative. www.eci.org.
Get the les under downloads.
Even though the proles from
ECI are de facto you always
should conrm with your prin-
ting house there might be
exceptions!
Maximum of achromatic separation.
14
8. Color separation

Only the tertiary colors

It is only in the tertiary colors
there is a difference between
chromatic and achromatic
separation.

The primary and the secondary colors. The tertiary colors.

15
8. Color separation

Black and white in cmyk

Black and white pictures sepa-
rated to cmyk bring you more
depth in the tones but it
also bring you problems!

A black and white picture (in

cmyk) only consists of neutral
gray tones and therefore it
is very sensitive to print varia-
tions even inside the tole-
rances of the ISO standard!

Black and white pictures (in

cmyk) are also very sensitive
to different light sources.
See more in 10. CMYK
GUIDE Metamerism.pdf
on www.cmykguide.com
under downloads.

The test form shown here

consists of the same black and
white picture separated with
four different proles.

1. ISO Coated v2 (ECI)

2. ISO Coated v2 300% (ECI)
3. Heavy
4. XHeavy

Test form with four different separations.

16
8. Color separation

The upper part

The upper part shows the
picture in large size.

The lower part

The lower part shows the sepa-
ration forms of the picture.

Test form
Download the test form
15. CMYK GUIDE TVI test
form 1020x720.pdf or
16. CMYK GUIDE TVI test
form 720x520.pdf on
www.cmykguide.com under
downloads.

1. ISO Coated v2 (ECI) 2. ISO Coated v2 300% (ECI) 3. Heavy 4. XHeavy

17
8. Color separation

1. ISO Coated v2 (ECI)

On this and the following three
pages the left-hand side of the
upper pictures is in black and
white.

The right-hand side of the

Black and white. Separated to cmyk. upper pictures is separated
in cmyk. On this page with the
ISO Coated v2 (ECI).

The left-hand side of the lower

sample show the cmy part of
the separation.

The right-hand side of the

lower sample is the black part
of the separation.

The cmy part of the separation. The black part of the separation.
18
8. Color separation

2. ISO Coated v2 300% (ECI)

This page shows separation
with the ISO Coated v2 300%
(ECI).

This icc-prole uses less cmy

and a bit more black than
Black and white. Separated to cmyk. ISO Coated v2 (ECI).

The cmy part of the separation. The black part of the separation.
19
8. Color separation

3. Heavy
The separation here is created
in Photoshop using a lot of
GCR gray component remo-
val.

See more about the gray com-

Black and white. Separated to cmyk. ponent in 9. CMYK GUIDE
Gray component.pdf on
www.cmykguide.com under
downloads.

Neutral gray and light source

The neutral gray colors created
with achromatic separation
are more homogeneous when
viewed using different light
sources.

See more about this in

10. CMYK GUIDE
Metamerism.pdf on
www.cmykguide.com under
downloads.
The cmy part of the separation. The black part of the separation.
20
8. Color separation

4. XHeavy
The separation here is created
using very little cmy and a lot
of black.

Black and white. Separated to cmyk.

The cmy part of the separation. The black part of the separation.
21
8. Color separation

The cmy and the black

Here you have the cmy parts
(upper) and the black parts
(lower) of the four separations.

When you go for the heavy

achromatic separations you
should conrm with your
printing house.

Maybe they have the right

solution for you!

1. ISO Coated v2 (ECI) 2. ISO Coated v2 300% (ECI) 3. Heavy 4. XHeavy

22