Color/Quality Control - Software

Of all the assets associated with a given brand, color is arguably the most identifiable. And not just any color, but rather the intense, vibrant color that differentiates a company from its competition and is a key component of high-impact graphics designed to grab the consumer's attention and hold it long enough to trigger a purchase decision.

WOOD DALE, Ill.—RUCO Inks of Eppstein, Germany announced the opening of RUCO USA in Wood Dale, Ill. RUCO USA carries the full line of RUCO UV inks. With this new plant comes an expansion of the full UV product line including the 080-UV dry offset ink, a low-migration, ITX-FREE ink suited for printing speeds of 600 pieces per minute, specifically for the decoration of food packaging cups.

TUEBINGEN, Germany—GMG, a developer and supplier of high-end color management and proofing solutions, announced that it has established a subsidiary in Japan. GMG Japan, headed by Kazutami Ando, is responsible for organizing the distribution of GMG’s software solutions, logistics, and technical support.

The role of color process control plays in enhancing reproduction quality and productivity in package printing cannot be overstated. Without appropriate process control, costly rework, waste, and unnecessary delays in production can result, potentially undermining the salability of the product. However, as the old adage says: you can't control what you can't measure.

Among the key influencers driving the implementation of monitor-based soft proofing and online collaboration, reduced costs and shorter time to market are twin forces to be reckoned with. Decreasing the number of hard copy proofs that are produced and shared among multiple stakeholders in different locations simultaneously yields savings in the form of shipping costs, faster customer signoffs, and potentially significant reductions in chemistry, materials, power, and other elements of the hardcopy proofing process

Color management commonly describes measures undertaken to ensure color integrity from design through printed output. “Brand” color management ups the ante, so to speak, by attempting to identify, communicate, and reproduce vivid, accurate corporate spot and brand colors on packaging materials from design concept to shipment.

GHENT, Belgium—The Ghent Workgroup (GWG) has released the first free “Proof of Preflight” specification, designed to allow users to easily verify PDF file integrity. When implemented in a software solution, this best practice specification offers users the ability to review a PDF file’s preflight audit trail, including a digital signature, at any time during the design-to-print workflow. This capability provides users the assurance that they can safely accept a PDF file with a Proof of Preflight. The process verifies which GWG preflight specification was used to preflight the file and also the outcome of the preflight check. Another feature of the GWG Proof of

There can be little argument about the role of proofing in package-printing workflows. An acceptable proof has three essential qualities: it’s fast, affordable, and color-accurate. Achieving the closest possible match between the proof and the printing press is the objective here, with the larger goal of ensuring a predictable, repeatable printed result throughout the print run. A proof that matches the press run saves printers time and money, and generates less waste on the print job, thereby keeping customers satisfied. Trade shops that deliver fast, color-accurate proofs that do not break the bank not only fulfill a commitment to their printer customers, but also

Digital technology is rapidly changing the way consumer packages are conceptualized and proofed. Digital drop-on-demand (DOD) proofing using color-calibrated large-format inkjet devices (typically 24˝ to 44˝ in width and roll-fed) has made significant headway in packaging environments. This is because manufacturers continue to develop aqueous, solvent, and UV-based solutions capable of precise color accuracy and increased substrate flexibility at higher speeds and lower costs than ever before. Are there limitations? Of course, and for higher-end, color-critical applications, a digital halftone proof may be preferable, but the quality gap is closing. Digital wide-format flatbed inkjet devices up to 100˝ in width are also finding a

Consider this: It might not have taken our ancestors thousands of years to perfect the working wheel if they’d had access to 3D visualization technologies. Because new designs often incur unexpected problems, a physical prototype is often built to test the appearance and/or function of a new design before starting production. All prototypes have their genesis in two fundamental questions: What will it look like? and, How will it perform? Correctly executed, all prototypes also have in common an ability to speed the design process by enabling marketers, key decision makers, and retail buyers to evaluate new packaging as it will really look and/or