Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between process and spot color?

Process Color: This method of achieving color in printing is referred to as CMYK or four–color process. To reproduce a color image, a file is separated into four different colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. During separation, screen tints comprised of small dots are applied at different angles to each of the four colors. The composite image fools the naked eye with the illusion of continuous tone. Four-color process is the only method used by digital presses but can also be used in offset printing. 

Spot Color: Colors created without screens or dots are referred to as spot or colors. From a palette of 14 basic colors in the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM (PMS), ink is mixed according to its own unique formula to create a wide range of colors. Spot colors are used in offset printing but not in digital printing. Due to the gamut of the 14 basic colors, some spot colors will be cleaner and brighter than if they were created in the four-color process. 

What is the difference between vector and raster graphics?

Vector: Vector graphics are the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves and shapes or polygons—all of which are based on mathematical expressions—to represent images in computer graphics. Because vector graphics don't use dots/pixels to represent color, they are infinitely scalable with no increase in file size. They also work great with logos and simple graphics as well as selecting and printing spot color jobs.

Raster: A raster image is made up of thousands of tiny dots/pixels. Raster images work great for rendering rich, full color photographs. One major drawback to using raster images is they don't resize well. If you want to blow up a raster graphic that has been sized for the web or a small print job, it will look blurry and you will see the individual pixels.

What is the difference between
high-resolution and low-resolution images?

High Resolution: High resolution images contain more than 300 dots per inch (dpi). If you were to take a magnifying glass and look at a picture on a piece of paper, you can see the actual dots or specs of color information that create the image as a whole. The higher the resolution, the harder they are to see because they are tight and concentrated thus creating a very clear picture. High resolution graphics are a must for printed pieces.

Low Resolution: Low resolutions images are any images less than 300 dpi. This basically means that if you were to take a magnifying glass to your image, you would see fewer specs of color in it making the picture very grainy looking because the dots are so much more obvious. Internet browsers display images at 72 dpi because the file sizes are much smaller and load faster. This is why low resolution images should be used for the web only.

*You cannot convert a low-res image to a high-res image. You must have access to the original high-res image in order to use it for print. However, you can convert a high-res image to a low-res image (sometimes called saving for web).