4-Color Process
Also known as: 4CP, Process Color
Reproducing full-color art using only CMYK halftone dots — the cheapest way to print photographic designs.
4-color process (4CP) uses just four screens — cyan, magenta, yellow, and black — to reproduce any color in the design through halftone dots. It is the analog equivalent of how an inkjet printer works.
Done well, 4CP can produce surprisingly photographic results. Done poorly, it looks dull or muddy. Success depends on having clean halftones in the artwork separation, the right ink density, and a press operator who knows how to register the four screens precisely.
For designs with more than four solid colors, simulated process printing is often a better choice — it uses spot colors arranged in halftones to recreate gradients more vividly than CMYK alone.
Related terms
CMYK
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (Black) — the four-color process used for full-color reproduction.
Halftone
Tiny dots that simulate gradients and shading. The trick that lets two colors of ink look like a smooth fade.
Spot Color
A pre-mixed solid ink color, used instead of building the color from CMYK halftones.
Screen Printing
Pushing ink through a stenciled mesh screen onto fabric — the classic high-volume t-shirt method.