If you’ve ever looked closely at food packaging, you may have noticed small colored circles , squares, or other shapes printed on the packaging—often near the seams or edges. These markings might seem random, but they serve a very specific purpose in the printing and packaging process. Let’s break down what these colored circles (or other shapes) mean and why they’re there.
1. What Are These Colored Circles Called?
These colored circles are commonly referred to as “registration marks” or “color bars.” They are part of the printing process used to ensure that the colors on the packaging are aligned correctly and that the print quality meets standards.
2. Purpose of Registration Marks
Registration marks are used by printers and packaging manufacturers to check the following:
A. Color Alignment
- Modern printing presses use multiple ink colors (typically cyan, magenta, yellow, and black—known as CMYK ) to create the full range of colors on packaging.
- The registration marks help ensure that all the colors are perfectly aligned during the printing process. Misalignment can result in blurry or off-color images.
B. Print Quality
If you’ve ever looked closely at food packaging, you may have noticed small colored circles , squares, or other shapes printed on the packaging—often near the seams or edges. These markings might seem random, but they serve a very specific purpose in the printing and packaging process. Let’s break down what these colored circles (or other shapes) mean and why they’re there.
1. What Are These Colored Circles Called?
These colored circles are commonly referred to as “registration marks” or “color bars.” They are part of the printing process used to ensure that the colors on the packaging are aligned correctly and that the print quality meets standards.
2. Purpose of Registration Marks
Registration marks are used by printers and packaging manufacturers to check the following:
A. Color Alignment
- Modern printing presses use multiple ink colors (typically cyan, magenta, yellow, and black—known as CMYK ) to create the full range of colors on packaging.
- The registration marks help ensure that all the colors are perfectly aligned during the printing process. Misalignment can result in blurry or off-color images.
