Värierotulostus

Värierotulostus, often translated as color difference printing or color separation printing, is a pre-press process used in the printing industry. It involves breaking down a full-color image into its constituent primary colors, typically cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK). Each of these color components is then reproduced on a separate printing plate.

The process begins with scanning the original color artwork or digital file. Specialized software then analyzes the colors within the image and determines the appropriate percentages of each CMYK ink required to recreate that color. This is often achieved through a process called color separation. For instance, a bright red might require a high percentage of magenta and yellow, with little to no cyan or black.

Once the separations are created, each color channel is transformed into a halftone screen. This screen consists of tiny dots of varying sizes and densities. When viewed from a normal distance, these dots merge to create the illusion of continuous tone and a wide spectrum of colors.

Each of these screened separation films or digital files is then used to create a printing plate. During the printing process, each plate is inked with its respective color (cyan, magenta, yellow, or black). The paper passes through the printing press multiple times, once for each color plate. The precise overlaying and mixing of these halftone dots of different colors on the paper ultimately reconstructs the original full-color image. This method allows for the reproduction of complex and vibrant colors in commercial printing.