Ed #2 Quadtones

So if you are using a four color press, why not just print a four-color (or in this context, full-color) image? In many cases, such as historical or editorial photos, a four-color image simply isn’t available. In other cases, the designer or client is aiming to create a specific mood or look. The producers of a company’s annual report, for example, may want to create an image of cost-conscious austerity, without looking boring or unsophisticated. Advertisers may feel that high impact “black and white” presents the elegant image that their product or message needs.

There are other reasons to use black and white quadtones too. Color adds emotion and meaning, even when it is used subtly, say to warm up a portrait. Images printed in four-color black and white also can have a depth that is almost sculptural, because each color that is applied can help to expand the tonal range of the image. Specific features of the photo, including highlights and shadows can be emphasized to a greater degree than in the original. Quadtones can also be used to create special effects, such as an antique look, and help add punch to so-so images.

Once you decide to go with quadtones, how should you use them? Often, the colors are used to highlight certain areas of the image. An application of cyan, magenta and yellow under the back ink, for example, can serve to intensify the shadow areas of the image. Using magenta on midtone areas could help add extra warmth to a portrait, while using cyan in highlights and midtones will give the image a cooler feel.

The choices are virtually unlimited–practically anything is possible. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. In the wrong hands, quadtones can be garish, muddy or distracting. As always, your approach should reflect the goals of the project, the needs and expectations of its audience and the desires of the client.