5% tone the lightest?

[nazzamataz]

Hello all,

Im asking around to see what other people do, I've heard that 5% tone is the minimum press will recognise, what does everyone else use?

Basically Im trying to get the lightest possible tone without having to use white

Also a couple of questions:
Is the 5% tone the total across the 4 plates, (i.e C=1% M=1% Y=1% K=2%)

Or is it 5% across all plates?

Thanks

[KR1156]

i've always had 3% minimum on just about all presses i printed with, but that's a question for your production person, or press, and it's 5% total, not 5% per plate.

[SilvaFox]

Cyan 3%, Magenta 2%, Yellow 2%, Black 0% is pretty much standard for most applications and paper stocks.

5% was the minimum dot that a gravure press could hold, but that was years ago and has probably changed.

[nazzamataz]

Thanks to both,

It would be too easy to ask the printer but as these images will be downloaded by various people and each using a different printer I wanted to be sure of a standard minimum.

Looks like 5% it is,

Thanks again

[nazzamataz]

Forgot to ask, if I did want to ask a local printer for their minimum printing tone, what should term should I use, i.e is there a standard description that everyone uses?

[SilvaFox]

You say..."Hey Mr. Printer. What highlight dot can you hold?"

Now "spectral" highlights are different. (Like sparkles in glass or shine on cars, etc.) They should be paper white. A "minimum dot" there will look dirty.

If everybody punches a 3/2/2 highlight in their whites, you should be safe.

Good luck.