What term describes separating colors into individual plates for printing?

• A. Color separation
• B. Color balance (Photoshop)
• C. Raster image
• D. Vector graphic

Answer: (A)

Separating colors into individual plates for printing is color separation. This process splits artwork into distinct color components so each printing plate carries one color (in typical process printing, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). By applying each ink separately and then aligning them precisely on the press, the full color image is reproduced. This concept is different from color balance in digital editing, which tweaks a image’s tonal and color cast, and it isn’t about how the image is constructed (raster vs vector). Color separation is a prepress step that makes multi‑ink printing possible with accurate color reproduction and proper alignment.