Comics today have a sleek modern look. Printers can handle the effects and style of digital tools, but how were comics colored before this modern era of comics? Below is a zoomed comic from pre digital age of comics.

The process of color was made up of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and black also known as CMYK. This process helped create accurate color reproductions it allowed for a wide range of color possibilities on paper. Using the CMYK process ensured that colors are reproduced consistently across multiple prints using color codes to identify the color. CMYK uses four separate ink plates, which was a cost effective method for printing especially in large print runs.

How was this process done?

The artist would use vibrant colored dyes to color the artwork. Then it would be sent to a color separator who would establish the color codes for the comic to be printed. below is an example of the artist’s finished work then the result after the color separation.

After separating the colors the image was ready to be sent to the printer. The use of dots and lines would be used due to the paper bleed effect. If full colors were used it would bleed through the paper easily and also would cost more money. Using the dot and line process would be cost effective and best suited for the paper quality. For about 30 years the American comic book industry used these methods. It was a standardized process in the industry.

For roughly 30 years the American comic book industry largely used the methods I’m about to outline. Sometimes the methods varied, but this was a fairly standardized process for coloring comics across the industry, and aside from changes to print production methods, most colorists still operated using these techniques.

Today Printers still use CMYK to produce color images on paper. The difference is paper types have vastly improved and the technology and methods to print have also vastly improved.

Some people enjoy recreating the vintage look of comics. The style and look is a representation of a great time when comics were read by millions of people in a non-digital era.