drukkleur

Drukkleur is a term used in the printing industry to denote a color used in the reproduction of images and text on printed materials. The word literally means "printing color" in Dutch. It can refer to a specific ink color used on a printing press (spot color) or to one of the inks in a multi-color process such as CMYK.

In four-color process printing, drukkleur typically corresponds to the process inks cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. These colors are combined in varying proportions to reproduce a wide range of colors. Many print jobs also specify additional drukkleur for spot colors—single inks laid down to match brand colors or colors outside the CMYK gamut, often standardized using Pantone or similar color references.

Prepress workflow for managing drukkleur includes color management, separations, proofs, and ICC profiles to ensure color consistency across devices and substrates. Designers select drukkleur with regard to printer capabilities, substrate, and cost. Proofs, such as soft proofs or color-accurate printed proofs, are used to verify the intended drukkleur rendition before batch printing.

Historically, drukkleur has evolved from hand-applied pigments to modern lithography and offset printing; the term remains in use in the Dutch printing industry to distinguish ink colors from paper and coatings. Limitations include gamut restrictions, ink properties, paper whiteness, and lighting conditions affecting perceived color.

See also: CMYK, Pantone, color management.