CMYK Color Printing - Set

The most common method of color printing is known as CMYK, which is an acronym for the basic colors that, when combined, create the full range of hues. Combining the correct amounts of Cyan (blue), Magenta (pink) and Yellow in the printing press makes it possible to achieve most of the colors needed to print stamps. Theoretically, the color black can be made by combining all three of these basic colors, but in order to achieve a clear and uniform shade of black, it is customary to print it as an additional color, known by printers as Key. In exceptional cases when a very specific hue is required, or when incorporating a metallic color such as silver or gold, an additional color will be utilized in the printing process, but most stamps are printed using only the four basic colors.
Before printing, during the “color separation” stage, four printing plates are prepared, one for each of the colors.