Question 1

Can you also print RGB data?

Accepted Answer

RGB data cannot be printed. They must be converted to CMYK before printing. If Lab or RGB colour spaces are used, colour deviations may occur.

Question 2

Can you print HKS and Pantone colours?

Accepted Answer

In digital printing the colour space is limited by the 4 basic colours, no spot colours can be printed, but in conventional printing it is possible. To reproduce special colours in digital printing, they are simulated in 4C Euroscale. In offset printing we use HKS + Pantone, in flexo printing, however, only Pantone.

Question 3

What does HKS and Pantone mean?

Accepted Answer

HKS and Pantone colours are ready-mixed colours and are also called spot colours, solid colours or special colours. Spot colours are used to represent colours that are outside the colour gamut of four- or multicolour printing. Furthermore, spot colours are clearly defined depending on the substrate.

Question 4

How do I create a special colour?

Accepted Answer

Special colors must be created as a solid color in the corresponding layout program. Taking into account the material properties, the special colours must have a correct HKS or Pantone colour designation. They should therefore be defined as "Coated" or "Uncoated".

Question 5

How does printing with the spot colour gold work?

Accepted Answer

Gold ink can only be printed in conventional printing. In digital printing, there is the alternative possibility of getting gold elements with foil embossing on the label. For this, the elements to be embossed must be defined as a special colour.

Question 6

What is the difference between scale colours (CMYK 4-colour) and Pantone/HKS (spot colours)?

Accepted Answer

Scale colours are created from the four basic colours (cyan, magenta, yellow, black). Special colours are colours that are outside the colour gamut of four- or multicolour printing.

Question 7

Should I use colour profiles?

Accepted Answer

We use the ICC profile ISOcoatedv2 for printing.
For printing, the data must be created in CMYK colour mode. With print data that are created in Lab or RGB colour spaces, colour deviations may occur when converting to CMYK, as not all RGB colours can be represented in the CMYK colour space. On the website of the ECI (European Color Initiative) you can download these colour profiles free of charge.

Question 8

Why do the colours look different on my print product than on the screen?

Accepted Answer

It is possible that the colours on your screen look different from those on your printed product, because the screen is in RGB colour space, whereas we work with the process colours cyan, magenta, yellow and black. This can lead to deviations in the conversion. For this purpose we offer you a colour binding proof, which is produced by us and counteracts these effects. Alternatively, a sample proof can be produced for you on original material.

Question 9

What can I do if 4 colours are not enough for me or I want a colourful print product?

Accepted Answer

On HP Indigo, HP indigo technology digitally enables us to achieve an extended colour gamut of up to 7 colours, representing up to 97% of the PANTONE® colour space.