Extend Colors to Extend Reach

Advantages and expectations

Extended color printing offers the package designer a greatly expanded palette and the ability to more faithfully reproduce original artwork. In terms of overall image enhancement and packaging "pop," therefore, design considerations are tremendously important and should be well understood by all parties and adapted into the design strategy. There are special considerations, however, as Thomson points out: "Type and keylines need to be managed properly so that registration issues don't occur. Vignettes and other tint areas that may have been one color in the past now need to be created out of two or three colors. These are hurdles, and it is why the design phase is so important. If you want the image and quality enhancements, some give-and-take has to be incorporated so the design is successful on press."