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    Curated CMYK blues

    The builds most often specified badly. A blue made of heavy cyan and heavy magenta goes purple on press and muddy on uncoated; ours keep the magenta honest.

    Every swatch here is an on-screen APPROXIMATION of a four-colour build. Screens emit light and paper reflects it — no monitor can show you what ink on your stock will do. Ask for a proof.

    15 tonal runs · 105 builds

    Dark → light, left to right

    PPC-027

    85/100/0/3021/25/0/1

    PPC-062

    80/80/0/5020/20/0/6

    PPC-097

    55/45/0/6514/11/0/10

    PPC-024

    100/65/0/3025/16/0/1

    PPC-059

    80/40/0/5020/10/0/6

    PPC-099

    45/55/0/6511/14/0/10

    PPC-026

    100/100/0/3025/25/0/1

    PPC-061

    80/65/0/5020/16/0/6

    PPC-096

    55/35/0/6514/9/0/10

    PPC-023

    100/50/0/3025/13/0/1

    PPC-063

    65/80/0/5016/20/0/6

    PPC-098

    55/55/0/6514/14/0/10

    PPC-025

    100/85/0/3025/21/0/1

    PPC-060

    80/50/0/5020/13/0/6

    PPC-095

    55/30/0/6514/8/0/10

    Every value

    PPC-023

    100/50/0/5

    Base build

    PPC-023.1

    100/50/0/80

    Base + 75K

    PPC-023.2

    100/50/0/55

    Base + 50K

    PPC-023.3

    100/50/0/30

    Base + 25K

    PPC-023.4

    75/38/0/4

    75% ink

    PPC-023.5

    50/25/0/3

    50% ink

    PPC-023.6

    25/13/0/1

    25% ink

    PPC-024

    100/65/0/5

    Base build

    PPC-024.1

    100/65/0/80

    Base + 75K

    PPC-024.2

    100/65/0/55

    Base + 50K

    PPC-024.3

    100/65/0/30

    Base + 25K

    PPC-024.4

    75/49/0/4

    75% ink

    PPC-024.5

    50/33/0/3

    50% ink

    PPC-024.6

    25/16/0/1

    25% ink

    PPC-025

    100/85/0/5

    Base build

    PPC-025.1

    100/85/0/80

    Base + 75K

    PPC-025.2

    100/85/0/55

    Base + 50K

    PPC-025.3

    100/85/0/30

    Base + 25K

    PPC-025.4

    75/64/0/4

    75% ink

    PPC-025.5

    50/43/0/3

    50% ink

    PPC-025.6

    25/21/0/1

    25% ink

    PPC-026

    100/100/0/5

    Base build

    PPC-026.1

    100/100/0/80

    Base + 75K

    PPC-026.2

    100/100/0/55

    Base + 50K

    PPC-026.3

    100/100/0/30

    Base + 25K

    PPC-026.4

    75/75/0/4

    75% ink

    PPC-026.5

    50/50/0/3

    50% ink

    PPC-026.6

    25/25/0/1

    25% ink

    PPC-027

    85/100/0/5

    Base build

    PPC-027.1

    85/100/0/80

    Base + 75K

    PPC-027.2

    85/100/0/55

    Base + 50K

    PPC-027.3

    85/100/0/30

    Base + 25K

    PPC-027.4

    64/75/0/4

    75% ink

    PPC-027.5

    43/50/0/3

    50% ink

    PPC-027.6

    21/25/0/1

    25% ink

    PPC-059

    80/40/0/25

    Base build

    PPC-059.1

    80/40/0/100

    Base + 75K

    PPC-059.2

    80/40/0/75

    Base + 50K

    PPC-059.3

    80/40/0/50

    Base + 25K

    PPC-059.4

    60/30/0/19

    75% ink

    PPC-059.5

    40/20/0/13

    50% ink

    PPC-059.6

    20/10/0/6

    25% ink

    PPC-060

    80/50/0/25

    Base build

    PPC-060.1

    80/50/0/100

    Base + 75K

    PPC-060.2

    80/50/0/75

    Base + 50K

    PPC-060.3

    80/50/0/50

    Base + 25K

    PPC-060.4

    60/38/0/19

    75% ink

    PPC-060.5

    40/25/0/13

    50% ink

    PPC-060.6

    20/13/0/6

    25% ink

    PPC-061

    80/65/0/25

    Base build

    PPC-061.1

    80/65/0/100

    Base + 75K

    PPC-061.2

    80/65/0/75

    Base + 50K

    PPC-061.3

    80/65/0/50

    Base + 25K

    PPC-061.4

    60/49/0/19

    75% ink

    PPC-061.5

    40/33/0/13

    50% ink

    PPC-061.6

    20/16/0/6

    25% ink

    PPC-062

    80/80/0/25

    Base build

    PPC-062.1

    80/80/0/100

    Base + 75K

    PPC-062.2

    80/80/0/75

    Base + 50K

    PPC-062.3

    80/80/0/50

    Base + 25K

    PPC-062.4

    60/60/0/19

    75% ink

    PPC-062.5

    40/40/0/13

    50% ink

    PPC-062.6

    20/20/0/6

    25% ink

    PPC-063

    65/80/0/25

    Base build

    PPC-063.1

    65/80/0/100

    Base + 75K

    PPC-063.2

    65/80/0/75

    Base + 50K

    PPC-063.3

    65/80/0/50

    Base + 25K

    PPC-063.4

    49/60/0/19

    75% ink

    PPC-063.5

    33/40/0/13

    50% ink

    PPC-063.6

    16/20/0/6

    25% ink

    PPC-095

    55/30/0/40

    Base build

    PPC-095.1

    55/30/0/100

    Base + 75K

    PPC-095.2

    55/30/0/90

    Base + 50K

    PPC-095.3

    55/30/0/65

    Base + 25K

    PPC-095.4

    41/23/0/30

    75% ink

    PPC-095.5

    28/15/0/20

    50% ink

    PPC-095.6

    14/8/0/10

    25% ink

    PPC-096

    55/35/0/40

    Base build

    PPC-096.1

    55/35/0/100

    Base + 75K

    PPC-096.2

    55/35/0/90

    Base + 50K

    PPC-096.3

    55/35/0/65

    Base + 25K

    PPC-096.4

    41/26/0/30

    75% ink

    PPC-096.5

    28/18/0/20

    50% ink

    PPC-096.6

    14/9/0/10

    25% ink

    PPC-097

    55/45/0/40

    Base build

    PPC-097.1

    55/45/0/100

    Base + 75K

    PPC-097.2

    55/45/0/90

    Base + 50K

    PPC-097.3

    55/45/0/65

    Base + 25K

    PPC-097.4

    41/34/0/30

    75% ink

    PPC-097.5

    28/23/0/20

    50% ink

    PPC-097.6

    14/11/0/10

    25% ink

    PPC-098

    55/55/0/40

    Base build

    PPC-098.1

    55/55/0/100

    Base + 75K

    PPC-098.2

    55/55/0/90

    Base + 50K

    PPC-098.3

    55/55/0/65

    Base + 25K

    PPC-098.4

    41/41/0/30

    75% ink

    PPC-098.5

    28/28/0/20

    50% ink

    PPC-098.6

    14/14/0/10

    25% ink

    PPC-099

    45/55/0/40

    Base build

    PPC-099.1

    45/55/0/100

    Base + 75K

    PPC-099.2

    45/55/0/90

    Base + 50K

    PPC-099.3

    45/55/0/65

    Base + 25K

    PPC-099.4

    34/41/0/30

    75% ink

    PPC-099.5

    23/28/0/20

    50% ink

    PPC-099.6

    11/14/0/10

    25% ink

    What to know before you specify one

    • The same build is not the same colour on two stocks. Coated seals the surface, so the ink sits on top: denser, brighter, sharper. Uncoated absorbs it and the dots gain, so the identical numbers come back darker, duller and lower in contrast. Judge process colour on a proof printed on YOUR stock.
    • Below about 8% a screen stops being reliable — on uncoated it fills in, on coated it can vanish. The tint steps here sit above that floor deliberately, so the light end of a family still prints as a colour rather than as a rumour.
    • Process is right for photographic work, for anything with many colours in it, and for jobs where the colour needs to be close rather than exact. A spot ink is right when the colour IS the brand and has to be identical on every run, and when the colour sits outside what four inks can reach at all. Process costs nothing extra on a full-colour job; a spot is an extra unit on press.

    Builds with a full write-up

    Pairs beautifully with

    Three combinations that hold up on press. Open one and the Studio starts with the stock, the foil and the ink already locked in.

    Gmund Leather Pebble paper swatch

    PPC-027 on Gmund Leather Pebble

    PPC-027 on Gmund Leather Pebble is uncoated, so the dots gain: the same 85/100/0/5 build prints a step darker and duller than it looks on screen. That softness is usually the reason to choose this sheet. The warm stone grey ground shows through a translucent build — the printed colour shifts toward the sheet, so sign off against a printed sample.

    Gmund Leather PebblePPC-027

    Compatibility matrix

    Start this combination
    Gmund Urban Dust paper swatch

    PPC-027 on Gmund Urban Dust

    PPC-027 on Gmund Urban Dust is uncoated, so the dots gain: the same 85/100/0/5 build prints a step darker and duller than it looks on screen. That softness is usually the reason to choose this sheet. The warm mid taupe ground shows through a translucent build — the printed colour shifts toward the sheet, so sign off against a printed sample.

    Gmund Urban DustPPC-027

    Compatibility matrix

    Start this combination
    Materica Acqua paper swatch

    PPC-027 on Materica Acqua

    PPC-027 on Materica Acqua is uncoated, so the dots gain: the same 85/100/0/5 build prints a step darker and duller than it looks on screen. That softness is usually the reason to choose this sheet. The pale seafoam / soft aqua ground shows through a translucent build — the printed colour shifts toward the sheet, so sign off against a printed sample.

    Materica AcquaPPC-027

    Compatibility matrix

    Start this combination

    Common questions

    Do these blues shift on uncoated stock?
    Yes, every one of them. Uncoated fibres absorb the ink and the dots gain, so the identical build comes back darker, duller and lower in contrast than the coated version. It is not a fault — it is what that sheet does to process ink. Judge it on a proof printed on your stock.
    Can you match a brand colour with one of these blues?
    Often, yes — and where a build stops short of the brand colour we say so and quote the spot alternative instead of quietly printing something near it.
    How are the tonal steps built?
    Each run starts from one tested base. The shades add 25%, 50% and 75% black to it; the tints drop the ink to 75%, 50% and 25%. That gives you seven values that belong together, so hierarchy inside one hue never needs a second colour.
    Are these an official colour standard?
    These are our own tested recommendations, developed on our presses and our stocks. They are not a published colour standard and are not affiliated with any colour system.