Comparison of color lightness in two-color plus black reproduction systems vs. three-color reproduction systems

A theory that has existed since 1948 has just recently gained wide acceptance from the printing industry. The recent technological advancements in electronic scanners has made it feasible for color separations to be scanned implementing Gray Component Replacement (GCR) . Eventhough most of the electronic scanners today have GCR capabilities, some questions regarding GCR and its implementation have gone unanswered. In an attempt to help resolve this problem, this paper investigated the issue of lightness characteristics associated with GCR reproductions. In particular, this paper attempted to prove that, by replacing a graying component of a conventional reproduction made up of three transparent inks with a black ink in proportional amounts, less light would be scattered within the paper and trapped by the ink due to less ink coverage. Accordingly, the less light trapped under the ink, the closer that reproduction would be to the original in lightness. The results of the experiment proved that GCR is not as simple as some believed it to be. In addition, two experimental errors made it difficult to support the hypothesis