LITHOGRAPHIC INK ESTIMATING CHART 

 INK COLOR

 ENAMAL STOCK

 COATED STOCK

DULL STOCK 

 MACHINE FINISH

 ANTIQUE STOCK

 BLACK

 425

 380

 375

 400

 275

 PURPLE

 360

350 

320 

350 

235 

 PROCESS & TRANS BLUE

 

 355

 340

335 

 340

 220

 TRANS GREEN

 360

350 

335 

350 

235 

 PROCESS & TRANS YELLOW

 355

355 

340 

340 

 220

 CHROME YELLOW

285 

260 

250 

250 

150 

 PERSIAN ORANGE

 345

325 

310 

 325

225 

 PROCESS & TRANS RED

 350

345 

340 

340 

225 

 SEMI-TRANS RED

350 

 340

325 

340 

175 

 TINT BASE

400 

380 

375 

385 

250 

 OPAQUE WHITE

200 

 175

165 

175 

135 

 BROWN

 345

335 

325 

335 

225 

 SILVER

 335

300 

285 

295 

220 

 CORONET GOLD

125 

115 

115 

115 

75 

 OVERPRINT VARNISH

450 

425 

415 

425 

 

The figures above, or factors, represent approximately the number of thousand square inches that one pound of ink will cover.  Thus, one pound of offset process blue will cover 355,000 square inches on enamel stock and so on.

Example:

Ink color: Pantone 185 Red

Ink overage: 25%

Sheet: Enamel

Sheet size: 24 x 38

Impressions: 20,000

With enamel stock and Pantone 185 red, the factor for this job will be 350.

Sheet size:                                      24 x 38 =912  square inches per sheet, 

one side

Square inches x impressions:      912 x 20 = 18,240  total square inches for the job

Total inches divided by factor:      18,240 /   350 = 52 pounds of ink

Ink x ink coverage percentage:     52 x 25% = 13 pounds of ink for the job

Please visit our new online store at www.printinginksupplies.com

for all of your ink, chemical and supply needs