Summary | Page 3

No method of reproducing color can produce the range of colors our eyes can detect. Each color reproduction system is capable of producing a certain range of colors, or color gamut. For example, computer screens (which use the additive process) display a larger gamut of colors than can be produced on press or by most color printing devices. This is important to know when using the computer as a design tool. The limitations of the offset printing process are due to the screening process used to make the image ink-printable and the type of paper on which the image is printed. A color proof is useful as a tool to predict what an image will look like when printed. It can serve as a communication and quality control tool at many steps in the reproduction process.