Rising to the challenge
"Proofing is a little more challenging in flexographic printing, but it's not a matter of hitting the precise process dot," says Dan Bowen, global product manager, color proofing, DuPont.
"What makes inkjet so well-suited for packaging applications is the color gamut. This is where the technology shines," he says, explaining that flexographic printing's aggressive dot gain curve requires color management. In addition, he says, the extended inkjet color gamut is better suited to specialty packaging needs than the more limited gamut of most digital halftone equipment. Consequently, "Inkjet is the system of choice for proofing in a packaging environment," Bowen says. To those who point out that at the current time only 30 percent of the Pantone cannot be reproduced with inkjet, Bowen says simply, "That is changing."