Why Do Newspapers Have Colored Dots at the Bottom of Pages?

In today’s digital world, while many prefer reading news online, some still enjoy flipping through a physical newspaper with a cup of tea. Over the years, newspapers have evolved in content and design, but certain features have stayed the same—like the four small colored dots you may have noticed at the bottom of newspaper pages. So, what do these dots mean?

The Purpose of Colored Dots

These dots are not just decorative; they play a crucial role in the printing process. Their main purpose is to ensure colors are properly aligned during printing. You might know that the primary colors—red, yellow, and blue—can’t be created by mixing other colors. In printing, Cyan (blue), Magenta (pink), Yellow, and Black (CMYK) are used as the standard color model. The dots represent these four colors, which are combined to create the vibrant images and text we see in newspapers.

How Do Newspapers Become Colorful?

The CMYK color model is essential for printing colorful images. Each of the four colors is applied to the paper using a separate printing plate. To achieve clear and vibrant images, these plates must be perfectly aligned. If they are even slightly off, the images can appear blurry or have incorrect colors.

This method is not limited to newspapers; it’s also used in printing books and magazines. The CMYK printing technique was first introduced by the Eagle Printing Company in 1906 and has since become a standard in the industry.

So, the next time you see those dots on a newspaper page, you’ll know they’re there to make sure everything looks just right!