What exactly am I asking for when I request an ink draw down?

Answered by Suzanne Morgan, founder, Print Buyers Online.com

Question:
What exactly am I asking for when I request an ink drawdown? What will I get and how will I use it?

D. B.

Answer:
An ink drawdown, also called a pull-down, is a simulation of what an ink (usually a PMS spot color) will look like on a specific paper – before you get on press. A printer literally draws a spatula of the ink down a sheet of paper. Drawdowns are used to evaluate the ink color and opacity on the substrate. Most printers don’t charge for this service, but you do need to request it. It’s really a great tool to use when specifying a unique paper or special inks such as fluorescents and metallics.

Print Buyers Online.com has a more comprehensive article, called Ink Resources: Tools for Quality Control, in the archived section of our Technical Corner. You can find the archived article here: http://www.printbuyersonline.com/ShowContent.aspx?show=285

I hope this helps.

Suzanne
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