Print Color Guide

Everything Designers Need to Know About CMYK Printing

Five in-depth guides covering the real problems designers face — why colors shift, why prints look darker, what ICC profiles are, and how to prepare a file correctly. No fluff, no assumed knowledge.

5 guides
Free · No signup
50+ glossary terms
Guide 01
What is CMYK — and Why Do Your Print Colors Look Wrong?

The fundamental difference between screens and print, why some colors can never be printed, and how to fix the five most common color problems designers run into.

Guide 02
What is Dot Gain — Why Print Always Looks Darker Than Your Screen

The physics of ink spreading on paper, how much to expect on each stock, which parts of your design suffer most, and exactly how to compensate before you send the file.

Guide 03
What Are ICC Profiles — and Why Does Your Printer Keep Asking for One?

What ICC profiles actually are, which one to use for your paper type, how rendering intents work, and how to embed a profile correctly in every major design application.

Guide 04
How to Prepare a Print-Ready File — Step by Step

Every requirement your file needs — CMYK mode, 300 DPI, bleed, safe zone, black setup, and PDF export — with exact steps for Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Canva.

Guide 05
Print Color Glossary — Every Term Your Printer Uses, Explained Simply

50+ terms covering color science, ink behavior, press techniques, file formats, and ICC standards. Searchable. Bleed, gamut, TAC, dot gain, rendering intent, FOGRA39, PDF/X — all in plain language.

See it in action — upload your design

The CMYK Simulator shows you gamut warnings, dot gain simulation, and ink coverage — all in your browser, nothing uploaded to any server.

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