Color by the Numbers

Having made the appropriate prepress adjustments, Crown still “pilots” its cans on a proofing press to refine the color blends, screen values, and overall contrast, then secures customer approval before commencing actual production. The reason for this, Corelli explained, is that for anything that features complexity and demands a clean image, “until you have the graphics on the can, you really don’t know how the inks or the gain will react. We want to ensure we’ve met the customer’s requirements to the visual color and print image, as well as build in all the necessary efficiencies for the production line.” To that end, Corelli added, Crown uses the exact same ink, varnish, and distortions to achieve the closest simulation possible of the actual, printed, cylindrical can.