More colors, more revenue — the advantages of 5th color printing

Traditional CMYK printing uses four process colors — cyan, magenta, yellow and black — to reproduce a wide range of hues. 5th color printing allows you to create more exact colors, enabling colors to be more precise, vibrant and upmarket. An additional station for specialty colors or effects can open up new avenues for print and creativity, such as:

• White toner for printing on dark or transparent substrates

• Neon pink, neon yellow or invisible red for security and visual impact

• Realistic flesh tones by using neon pink

• Clear toner for spot gloss or watermark effects

• Gold and silver for metallic finishes

These enhancements open up new applications in:

• Packaging and labels

• Direct mail and promotional materials

• Event and retail signage

• Security printing and brand protection

• Luxury branding and high-end collateral

By expanding the color gamut and enabling specialty effects, 5th color printing allows printers to offer premium services that command higher margins and deliver higher profits.

Beyond aesthetics, 5th color printing delivers tangible business advantages:

• Differentiation — Stand out from competitors with unique finishes and effects with high-end quality output

• Value-added services — Offer clients more creative options and upsell opportunities

• Short-run efficiency — Produce high-impact pieces without the cost of offset or foil stamping

• Substrate versatility — Print on synthetics, dark stocks and textured media, creating more possibilities for clients

• Brand alignment — Help clients maintain a consistent brand identity across diverse materials with perfect colors on every job

These capabilities allow printers to move beyond commodity print jobs and into high-value creative partnerships.

Color isn’t just visual — it’s psychological. Studies show that colors influence emotions, cognition and behavior. For businesses, offering a full range of color choices to customers can directly impact brand perception and consumer responses with every print job. In other words, it’s a win-win for you and your customers.

By leveraging color psychology, you and your customers can:

• Create emotional connections

• Reinforce brand identity and values

• Influence purchasing decisions and loyalty

• Enhance recall and recognition

• Convey upscale nuances and feelings

5th color printing empowers brands to use these associations more strategically — whether through metallics that signal prestige or neon tones that evoke excitement. When colors and imagery connect with your audience, the potential for growth, expansion and repeat business can become a reality.

The RICOH Pro C7500 5th Color Station Digital Press is built for printers who want to push boundaries and deliver exceptional results. Designed with advanced 5th color capabilities, it offers:

• Expanded color options and precision — including white, clear, gold, silver, neon pink, neon yellow, and invisible red (and don’t forget the CMYK+ smart button that automatically creates the right Pantone color when using neon)

• Automated quality control — with inline sensors and real-time adjustments

• Flexible media handling — supports textured, synthetic and oversized substrates, using 40 GSM – 470 GSM weight range, with the ability to use different weights of media at the same time in productivity mode

• High-speed output — up to 95 ppm with consistent image quality

• User-friendly interface — intuitive controls and workflow integration co-designed by Fiery and Ricoh

• Variable Data Printing (VDP) — add impactful personalization in a single run

• Finishing tools — configure what you need to maximize production options

With the RICOH Pro C7500, commercial printers can confidently take on complex jobs, meet tight deadlines and exceed client expectations — all while growing their bottom line.

5th color printing isn’t just a technical upgrade — it’s a creative revolution. It empowers commercial printers to offer more, elevate their services and connect more deeply with audiences. With the RICOH Pro C7500, those possibilities are within reach.

Whether you’re looking to expand your offerings, elevate your brand or explore new markets, now is the time to tap into the emotional and economic power of color.

Ready to unlock new revenue and put innovation to work? Let’s talk about how the RICOH Pro C7500 5th Color Station Digital Press can help you lead with creativity. Contact us to see a live demo today.