Making changes to photographic plates often meant shooting the picture over, which took more time and cost more for the printer and the customer. Drawbacks to Four Color Process There are many drawbacks to four color process printing. It is difficult to make colors look as vibrant as they do in an original photo or even on a computer screen. It is also very difficult to get the printed colors to match the original's. Certain colors are difficult to replicate successfully, particularly reds and violets.
Color correction can be a very expensive process.
Image colors can look vastly different depending upon the quality of the paper used. Additionally, many times things that look fine in the prepress or proofing stage, do not look as good when it is printed. Most inks are mixed with water, which can affect dot size and make images not look as crisp, and making changes at the press stage that require more than simple color adjustment, can cause the plates to be pulled off of the press, which can greatly affect when a job is finished. Many advancements in printing technology have been made in the past few years. Digital presses, stochastic screening, waterless inks, and hi-fi color have taken the printing industry by storm.