Curated CMYK reds

Two-ink builds that stay saturated instead of going brick. Reds shift the most between coated and uncoated of anything in the library.

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.

14 tonal runs · 98 builds

Dark → light, left to right

PPC-108

0/55/35/650/14/9/10

PPC-035

0/100/50/300/25/13/1

PPC-075

0/45/55/650/11/14/10

PPC-002

0/100/100/300/25/25/1

PPC-037

0/100/85/300/25/21/1

PPC-072

0/80/50/500/20/13/6

PPC-107

0/55/30/650/14/8/10

PPC-039

0/65/80/500/16/20/6

PPC-074

0/55/55/650/14/14/10

PPC-109

0/55/45/650/14/11/10

PPC-036

0/100/65/300/25/16/1

PPC-003

0/85/100/300/21/25/1

PPC-038

0/80/80/500/20/20/6

PPC-073

0/80/65/500/20/16/6

Every value

PPC-002

0/100/100/5

Base build

PPC-002.1

0/100/100/80

Base + 75K

PPC-002.2

0/100/100/55

Base + 50K

PPC-002.3

0/100/100/30

Base + 25K

PPC-002.4

0/75/75/4

75% ink

PPC-002.5

0/50/50/3

50% ink

PPC-002.6

0/25/25/1

25% ink

PPC-003

0/85/100/5

Base build

PPC-003.1

0/85/100/80

Base + 75K

PPC-003.2

0/85/100/55

Base + 50K

PPC-003.3

0/85/100/30

Base + 25K

PPC-003.4

0/64/75/4

75% ink

PPC-003.5

0/43/50/3

50% ink

PPC-003.6

0/21/25/1

25% ink

PPC-035

0/100/50/5

Base build

PPC-035.1

0/100/50/80

Base + 75K

PPC-035.2

0/100/50/55

Base + 50K

PPC-035.3

0/100/50/30

Base + 25K

PPC-035.4

0/75/38/4

75% ink

PPC-035.5

0/50/25/3

50% ink

PPC-035.6

0/25/13/1

25% ink

PPC-036

0/100/65/5

Base build

PPC-036.1

0/100/65/80

Base + 75K

PPC-036.2

0/100/65/55

Base + 50K

PPC-036.3

0/100/65/30

Base + 25K

PPC-036.4

0/75/49/4

75% ink

PPC-036.5

0/50/33/3

50% ink

PPC-036.6

0/25/16/1

25% ink

PPC-037

0/100/85/5

Base build

PPC-037.1

0/100/85/80

Base + 75K

PPC-037.2

0/100/85/55

Base + 50K

PPC-037.3

0/100/85/30

Base + 25K

PPC-037.4

0/75/64/4

75% ink

PPC-037.5

0/50/43/3

50% ink

PPC-037.6

0/25/21/1

25% ink

PPC-038

0/80/80/25

Base build

PPC-038.1

0/80/80/100

Base + 75K

PPC-038.2

0/80/80/75

Base + 50K

PPC-038.3

0/80/80/50

Base + 25K

PPC-038.4

0/60/60/19

75% ink

PPC-038.5

0/40/40/13

50% ink

PPC-038.6

0/20/20/6

25% ink

PPC-039

0/65/80/25

Base build

PPC-039.1

0/65/80/100

Base + 75K

PPC-039.2

0/65/80/75

Base + 50K

PPC-039.3

0/65/80/50

Base + 25K

PPC-039.4

0/49/60/19

75% ink

PPC-039.5

0/33/40/13

50% ink

PPC-039.6

0/16/20/6

25% ink

PPC-072

0/80/50/25

Base build

PPC-072.1

0/80/50/100

Base + 75K

PPC-072.2

0/80/50/75

Base + 50K

PPC-072.3

0/80/50/50

Base + 25K

PPC-072.4

0/60/38/19

75% ink

PPC-072.5

0/40/25/13

50% ink

PPC-072.6

0/20/13/6

25% ink

PPC-073

0/80/65/25

Base build

PPC-073.1

0/80/65/100

Base + 75K

PPC-073.2

0/80/65/75

Base + 50K

PPC-073.3

0/80/65/50

Base + 25K

PPC-073.4

0/60/49/19

75% ink

PPC-073.5

0/40/33/13

50% ink

PPC-073.6

0/20/16/6

25% ink

PPC-074

0/55/55/40

Base build

PPC-074.1

0/55/55/100

Base + 75K

PPC-074.2

0/55/55/90

Base + 50K

PPC-074.3

0/55/55/65

Base + 25K

PPC-074.4

0/41/41/30

75% ink

PPC-074.5

0/28/28/20

50% ink

PPC-074.6

0/14/14/10

25% ink

PPC-075

0/45/55/40

Base build

PPC-075.1

0/45/55/100

Base + 75K

PPC-075.2

0/45/55/90

Base + 50K

PPC-075.3

0/45/55/65

Base + 25K

PPC-075.4

0/34/41/30

75% ink

PPC-075.5

0/23/28/20

50% ink

PPC-075.6

0/11/14/10

25% ink

PPC-107

0/55/30/40

Base build

PPC-107.1

0/55/30/100

Base + 75K

PPC-107.2

0/55/30/90

Base + 50K

PPC-107.3

0/55/30/65

Base + 25K

PPC-107.4

0/41/23/30

75% ink

PPC-107.5

0/28/15/20

50% ink

PPC-107.6

0/14/8/10

25% ink

PPC-108

0/55/35/40

Base build

PPC-108.1

0/55/35/100

Base + 75K

PPC-108.2

0/55/35/90

Base + 50K

PPC-108.3

0/55/35/65

Base + 25K

PPC-108.4

0/41/26/30

75% ink

PPC-108.5

0/28/18/20

50% ink

PPC-108.6

0/14/9/10

25% ink

PPC-109

0/55/45/40

Base build

PPC-109.1

0/55/45/100

Base + 75K

PPC-109.2

0/55/45/90

Base + 50K

PPC-109.3

0/55/45/65

Base + 25K

PPC-109.4

0/41/34/30

75% ink

PPC-109.5

0/28/23/20

50% ink

PPC-109.6

0/14/11/10

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 Colors Matt 69 · Dusty Rose paper swatch

PPC-108 on Gmund Colors Matt 69 · Dusty Rose

PPC-108 on Gmund Colors Matt 69 · Dusty Rose is uncoated, so the dots gain: the same 0/55/35/40 build prints a step darker and duller than it looks on screen. That softness is usually the reason to choose this sheet. The dusty rose ground shows through a translucent build — the printed colour shifts toward the sheet, so sign off against a printed sample.

Gmund Colors Matt 69 · Dusty Rose PPC-108

Compatibility matrix

Start this combination

Gmund Heidi Dull Black 530gsm paper swatch

PPC-108 on Gmund Heidi Dull Black 530gsm

PPC-108 on Gmund Heidi Dull Black 530gsm is uncoated, so the dots gain: the same 0/55/35/40 build prints a step darker and duller than it looks on screen. That softness is usually the reason to choose this sheet. The dull matte black, dyed through ground shows through a translucent build — the printed colour shifts toward the sheet, so sign off against a printed sample.

Gmund Heidi Dull Black 530gsm PPC-108

Compatibility matrix

Start this combination

PPC-108 on Gmund Leather Alabaster

PPC-108 on Gmund Leather Alabaster is uncoated, so the dots gain: the same 0/55/35/40 build prints a step darker and duller than it looks on screen. That softness is usually the reason to choose this sheet. The pale warm cream ground shows through a translucent build — the printed colour shifts toward the sheet, so sign off against a printed sample.

Gmund Leather Alabaster PPC-108

Compatibility matrix

Start this combination

Common questions

Do these reds 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 reds?: 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.