CMYK Color Shifting

Note the shift in color balance between disc and paper:

Disc is on the left, the paper on the right, using the same CMYK colors values on both.

Designing full color (CMYK) artwork for CD-ROM can be tricky. Since a disc is made of plastic it has different printing and ink absorption properties than paper. It is near impossible to exactly match CMYK colors between your inserts and labels.

Since CMYK colors on the CD label can shift dramatically CDman cannot be held responsible for color deviations due to the limitations of the silk-screen process. Unfortunately, even film-based proofs for the label artwork are not guaranteed.

For technical reasons colors can shift from the start of your run to the end, so no color match warranty is ever expressed, written or implied by CDman with regards to CMYK CD label printing color matching.

When do you use CMYK and when to avoid?

As you can see on the left, a design with solid colors using CMYK mode looks pixilated and odd due the line frequency of the meshes used in screen printing.  It is much better to screen at 100% solid colors using Pantones when you have broad areas that need coverage. 

Tips to avoid disappointment  

• The easiest way to ensure color accuracy is to use PMS spot colors
• Keep your design simple.
• Use CMYK for image based designs where Spot colors are not practical. 
• Unfortunately, there are no totally accurate means for viewing what the actual printed surface of a CMYK label will look like before you begin production. Even seasoned professionals cannot anticipate many of the undesirable effects that may occur from time to time while trying to color match. CMYK Proofs are to be used only as guidelines.