EXTENDED GAMUT VS. CMYK

Extended color gamut printing expands the traditional 4-color CMYK model by adding Orange, Green, Violet, and sometimes Red inks into the process palette and ink delivery system of your DTF printer. These additional colors significantly expand the printable color space over the traditional CMYK model. Using an extended color gamut will allow you to match roughly 90% of the Pantone spot colors compared to 50% to 55% achieved using standard CMYK colors.

Why CMYK Falls Short

The standard four-color process relies on white space to simulate hues. When mixing two process colors to create a bright secondary color (yellow and magenta to make orange), the resulting hue becomes dull and muddy. The standard CMYK gamut limits vibrancy, particularly in bright reds, oranges, greens, blues, and greys.

How Extended Gamut Works (CMYK + RGVO)

By introducing specialized Orange, Green, Violet, and Red, the profile that is created to reproduce color in your RIP software eliminates the need to rely on weaker 2-color blends, and utilizes more colors to fill, rather than using white space. Here is how the expanded gamut colors affect your profile.

• Orange: Drastically improves the preproduction of vibrant reds, browns, and warm yellows

• Green: Fills the gap in rich, natural greens and teals

• Violet: Allows for deep purples and precise blues that typically fall flat in traditional CMYK.

• RED: Significantly increases your ability to reproduce highly saturated, warm-toned colors. (by bypassing magenta that would have otherwise made the color washed out or muddy) (adds 20%-30% to your overall color gamut)

RIP Software

In order to utilize an extended color gamut for accurate Pantone color replication you will need a RIP software designed for extended gamut printing with greater color control over stock and/or more basic DTF RIPS. If you don’t know if your software is capable, has spot color management, and an easy color profile management profiler with independent color channel control, then talk to your supplier. If your supplier doesn’t know, feel free to reach out to me directly.

CONS of Extended Gamut Printing

There are some downsides to utilizing extended gamut printing. Here are some for you to think about:

• Not all printers are capable of running extended gamut inks

• Most DTF printers running extended gamut will run slower than the four-color version (you must evaluate wither the slower run speeds are worth the extended color gamut benefits for you clientele)

• You can’t switch back and forth between extended and four-color printing

• Not all RIP software’s have the necessary tools or good enough tools for high pantone matching

• Color management training will be needed for operators who are trying to match pantone colors

Final Thought

As DTF printing becomes more standardized and excepted. The demand to create accurate, repeatable, pantone colors, will continue to increase. Especially if your decorating niche is the corporate community. The business community demands that you can accurately hit the corporate branding colors. (close enough, is no longer acceptable to most companies). We started to see this in screen printing a while back, and that is why most ink manufacturers now have a pantone matching system for blending colors. Your clientele will expect the same thing in DTF.

Also, as the two technologies begin to merge, and DTF begins to feel a lot like screen print, the decorator must be able to accurately reproduce the same colors that they can screen printing, and the only way to do that is with a printer with extended gamut inks.