In this article, you will learn
- which additional colors play a role in the profiling project,
- what differences exist between the specialty inks, and
- how they are processed within the profiling project.
1. Introduction
In addition to the standard process colors of a color configuration – namely Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black – a printing system may use additional inks. Some of these are part of the color configuration itself and are therefore included in color management, while others are used as additional inks and are consequently excluded from color management.
The inks that are part of color management include light inks (Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Light Yellow, and Light Black) as well as gamut-extending colors such as Orange, Violet, or Green. In specific cases, Neon Pink and/or Neon Yellow can also be included in color management.
Colors used outside of color management are specialty inks that are used either for substrate preparation – for example, Primer or Permeo – or as additional colors for effects – for example, Neon Pink or Neon Yellow – or to apply a barrier layer, such as White. Within the $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW application, these specialty inks are divided into three categories:
- Additional Colors – these include additional inks that are not taken into account by color management. They are used in printing to reproduce brand colors – such as Ferrari Red – but also as effect colors – such as Silver, Gold, Neon Pink, or Neon Yellow.
- Additional Fluids – these include colors applied across the full surface that are output as their own separation, for example White or Varnish.
- Predefined Colors – these include all inks used for priming or preparing the substrate to be printed – for example Primer or Permeo.
The assignment of the respective color or ink ultimately determines how that color is processed within the profiling project.
2. Colors within Color Management
Light inks and gamut-extending colors are part of a printer's color configuration – for example, CMYKcm or CMYK-OVG – and are therefore processed together with the process colors during the linearization and characterization stages of the profiling project. Consequently, no separate step is required for these colors within the profiling project.
2.1. Light Inks
Light inks – for example, Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Light Yellow and Light Black – are usually diluted versions of the respective process colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black). In practice, they are used to reproduce fine color gradients in light image areas with less graininess – for example, in photorealistic images or skin tones in photo printing.
The following properties apply to light inks:
- Light inks are part of the color configuration and are processed together with the process colors during the Linearization step, in the "Transition" tab.
- Linearization of light inks cannot be disabled if the color configuration contains light inks.
- The transition between a light ink and its associated process color can be modified at any time afterward, provided that the color angle (hue) of the two colors is identical.
2.2. Gamut-Extending Colors
Gamut-extending colors – such as Orange, Violet or Green – extend the reproducible color gamut beyond CMYK. In practice, they are used to reproduce vivid, highly saturated colors that cannot be achieved with CMYK alone.
The following properties apply to gamut-extending colors:
- Gamut-extending colors are part of the color configuration – for example CMYK-OVG – and are processed together with the process colors during both the Linearization and Characterization steps.
- A color such as Neon Pink or Neon Yellow can also be classified as a gamut-extending color, provided it has been defined accordingly in the system. If it is not included in the printer's color configuration, Neon Pink and Neon Yellow are classified as additional colors.
3. Colors Outside of Color Management
If a color or ink is not used within color management, it is assigned to one of the following three categories. This classification directly affects how the color or ink is processed within the profiling project – in particular, whether and when linearization is required, and whether a linearization profile must be applied to the subsequent steps of the profiling project.
3.1. Additional Color
Additional colors are gamut-extending colors that, unlike Orange, Violet, or Green, are not part of color management. In practice, additional colors such as Neon Pink or Neon Yellow are used to achieve fluorescent effects that cannot be reproduced within the standard color gamut – for example, in safety and warning signage or sportswear.
The following properties apply to additional colors:
- If an additional color is enabled when creating the profiling project, a dedicated step is provided for it within the profiling project. If multiple additional colors are enabled, each one is processed individually and sequentially.
- A linearization profile can be created for additional colors, but measuring one is not mandatory.
3.2. Additional Fluids
Additional fluids are colors that are applied across the full surface. In practice, White, for example, is used as an opaque underprint on transparent or dark substrates to ensure that the process colors printed on top are reproduced accurately. Varnish is commonly used for finishing applications – for example, for selective gloss or matte effects, or to protect the printed image.
The following properties apply to additional fluids:
- If an additional fluid is enabled when creating the profiling project, a dedicated step is provided for it within the profiling project. If multiple additional fluids are enabled, each one is processed individually and sequentially.
- A linearization profile must be created and applied to the subsequent steps within the profiling project.
3.3. Predefined Colors
Predefined colors are colors that are already provided in advance – for example Primer or Permeo. In practice, Primer is used to improve ink adhesion on difficult-to-print substrates, such as untreated films or glass.
The following properties apply to predefined colors:
- The profile of a predefined color – usually a limitation on the ink coverage to a fixed percentage value – is generated in an upstream, separate step and must always be applied to the downstream steps within the profiling project.
- As with additional colors and additional fluids, predefined colors are processed in a dedicated step within the profiling project.
Article Update: $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW 2.3.0 – 08/2026