färgavgränsning

Färgavgränsning, or color separation, is a pre-press process used in color printing. It involves the division of a full-color image into its constituent primary colors, typically cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK). Each of these primary colors is then reproduced on a separate printing plate. When these plates are inked and pressed onto paper in precise registration, they combine to recreate the original full-color image.

The process begins with a color image, which can be a photograph or a graphic. This image is then scanned or digitized. During scanning, filters corresponding to the primary printing colors are used to capture the amount of each color present in the original image. For instance, a red filter would capture the absence of cyan, while a green filter would capture the absence of magenta, and a blue filter would capture the absence of yellow. Black (key) is often generated through a combination of the other colors, known as undercolor removal (UCR) or gray component replacement (GCR), to enhance detail and reduce ink consumption.

Once separated, each color component is converted into a series of dots or lines of varying size and density. This is known as halftoning. The density of these dots determines how much ink is laid down for that specific color. When viewed from a distance, the human eye blends these dots together, perceiving the original colors and tones. Färgavgränsning is a fundamental technique that enables the reproduction of vibrant and detailed color images in commercial printing, from books and magazines to packaging and posters.