Color Variation in Short-run Printing

Answered by Suzanne Morgan


Question:
One of my biggest challenges is to print short-run jobs. We print offset on board stock and the quantity can be as small as 20,000 pieces. The challenge we face is managing color variations. I understand that variations are inherent in printing, particularly on short runs. My printers assure me that they are doing everything they can to minimize variations, but we are still seeing inconsistencies in our four-color process jobs that we consider unacceptable.

Can you help me understand how I should determine an acceptable range of variation when viewing "pleasing color"?

Answer:
I would be concerned about the variation of color, too. You should expect more consistency than you seem to be getting.

Here's what you can do next time:


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