Interesting Facts Behind Color Printing

Color printing is not a new process. It has been studied, experimented, and used by many different civilizations for more than 2000 years. In fact, until today we are continuously learning new things about colors and how they affect our lives.

As expected, most print jobs and materials today are created in color. Black and white printing is only used when necessary because colored materials grab attention more easily. This is especially true when producing advertising materials. A lot of business owners today don’t hesitate to spend substantial amount of money just to get their materials printed in color.     

The following are facts about color printing that you might want to take note of especially if you are hiring commercial printing services to produce your materials:

1. Full color or four color printing makes use of CMKY (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key or Black) to produce full color materials.
2. Full color printing is a subtractive process since putting colored inks on paper deducts brightness from paper.
3. The first book printed in color was produced from the printing press of Johann Fust and Peter Schoeffer.       
4. Halftoning or screening is used to produce thousands of colors through full color printing.
5. Cyan, magenta, and yellow are capable of creating different colors, but they cannot produce the color black.
6. Computer monitors displays images on RGB (Red, green, and blue) colors while printing presses makes use of the CMYK model. It’s best to convert RGB files to CMYK before printing to avoid color shifts.
7. Black in CMYK is called key because the printing plates of cyan, magenta, and yellow are keyed with that of the black toner’s key plate. 

Fast Facts on Paper, Printing, and Ink

Paper

Paper was first used in 105 AD during the Han Dynasty in China and spread slowly to other countries over the years. Centuries later, we still use paper for practically everything—toilet paper, newspaper, receipts, magazines, packaging, and the list goes on. Just image the amount of paper we have used since it was first invented until today and we can probably fill thousands of rooms with them. Here are some facts about paper that you probably don’t know yet:

·         An average American uses 7 trees in a year for paper and other products made from trees.

·         1 ton of paper makes 400 reams, which equals to about 200,000 sheets.

·         Benjamin Franklin is the first American paper merchant.

·         Paper was so scarce during the American Revolution that soldiers had to rip pages from books to use as filling for their riffles. 

·         Based on a Xerox study, U.S. corporations spend $120 billion each year on paper forms.

Printing

Printing remains one of the most effective ways to share and exchange information these days. According to a survey conducted by Doremus and the Financial Times, 60% of senior executives said that they turn to print when they want in-depth analysis. Correspondingly, the 3^rd annual Signs of the Times national survey conducted by FedEx revealed that 61% small business owners consider traditional marketing methods as more effective than web-based marketing methods at bringing in customers. These reveal that print remains effective even if we are highly technical and digital these days. Here are some fast facts about printing:

• Average American office workers print 10, 000 pages per year.
• Printing is considered one of the greatest inventions of China.
• 90% of companies don’t keep track of their printing cost.
• Using Century Gothic instead of Arial font will let you use 30% less toner.  

Ink

Printing companies and individual printers have wide choices of ink these days. Companies like HP, Epson, and Canon each have their own specialized inks designed for their own printers. And despite predictions that the printing industry is waning, home printers have made the ink industry secure for at least the next few years. Here are some fast facts about ink as stated in an article from the San Francisco Chronicle:

·         A typical printer cartridge is more expensive than a Dom Perignon champagne or a Chanel No. 5.

·         In 2003, the ink and toner industry was a $32.5 billion industry.

·         HP spends about $1 billion per year on research and development for imaging and printing.

Infographic: Color Psychology in Purchasing Decisions

Have you ever wondered why McDonalds uses the colors red and yellow on their logo or why Pepsi uses red and blue? These colors were actually chosen after a meticulous research process and were not simply picked because the owners liked them. Both companies looked into the meaning of colors and how they influence purchasing decisions before they were able to decide which color best fit their company. 

If you are going to produce print materials or to design your website, you’d likely be wondering what colors you should use in order to easily influence your prospects to buy. To help you, here’s an infographic from KISSMetrics that explains how colors affect consumer purchases.  

Find the College Humor Poster You Need at The Bazaar

Laughter can be contagious in a grand scale. It’s a feel-good injection that will put a person’s mind and spirit in good shape. No wonder a lot of jokes are sent and exchanged everyday either through text, tweet, or personal message. This is the reason why CollegeHumor, an online entertainment company, put up an online comedy website designed to create original comedic contents. 

Recently, CollegeHumor has made its prints available online through DesignTAXI's marketplace The Bazaar.  Posters available on the store features original satirical comics created by the CollegeHumor staff. These are available for order and can be shipped to over 266 countries. If you want to make a friend laugh, this is the perfect place to look for hilarious posters.  

Here are examples of the posters available at The Bazaar:

"Your Bed" Travel Poster

"Cell Phone"

What YouText vs. What I See