The devil’s in the detail
Everyone has had that moment of disappointment when a print doesn’t meet expectations. Colours can appear washed out, too dark, or simply unrecognisable to the original image.
This is why colour management has always been vital to the industry to ensure clients’ expectations are met and print businesses are able to maintain their high level of standards. Not to mention the importance of maintaining brand identity.
The move to digital printing and our culture’s ever evolving technology has meant software has had to grow to meet the needs of modern-day businesses. With this in mind, the importance of colour management software and the impact it can have on production cannot be underestimated.
Quality is key
The integration of high quality DSLRs and 4K screens means we are used to colourful and detailed imagery more than ever. The differentiation between monitors displaying RGB and print’s traditional CMYK palette has also caused problems for creators in matching designs that appear on screen, in print.
The variation in the numerous types of screens, printers, inks, and colours all add to a sense of digital and print disparity, making it imperative print companies create profiles to synchronise devices and physical products.
A company that understands the importance of colour management and its development over the past two decades is Color Concepts, which has served the print industry for over 18 years.
The company’s chief executive officer, Marco Roos, says: “Quality has become a commodity and is no longer a magic trick. Printers have become more intelligent and consistent and software solutions have evolved into fully blown workflow solutions with integrations into ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and MIS (Management Information Software) systems.”
Color Concepts has seen the various innovations and advancements in the sector, both in the US and European markets.
Since the creation of the Pantone Colour Matching System, colours were standardised to help the likes of designers and printers
Roos adds: “We have helped numerous companies over the past 18 years with the development and introduction of innovative colour and data solutions. Our technologies allow for rapid ink changes in printers, without losing quality or colour consistency.
“This is all on top of our advanced training programs, that we have offered to thousands of colour professionals around the world.”
The role Color Concepts has played in the industry is not only an example of how a company can adapt to technological innovations, but also how a company can offer a solution that may not have previously existed.
Roos says: “Color Concepts started as a one-man consultancy business 18 years ago and evolved into a cloud service business with two fully equipped testing and colour profiling laboratories in The Netherlands and USA.”
The surge of new software and data companies over the past few decades has demonstrated that specialists are always needed at every level. When a company or individual makes extra investment in high quality, the result will more than usually, pay off. Complexity can often turn away customers of clients, meaning simplicity in colour management can vastly change the offering’s appeal.
A surge in new software and data companies over the past few decades has demonstrated that specialists are always needed at every level”
Roos says: “We believe that it shouldn’t be such a complicated topic for everyone involved. That is why we focus on the standardisation of data and information and strive to create an intelligent and connected ecosystem which will help our partners to automate most of their tasks”.
Credit where credit’s due
Considering the importance of colour management within the industry, it is key to make consumers aware of the process, especially as it may affect the quality of what they purchase. However, Omran Anwar, colour specialist at Service Offset Supplies (SOS), has identified a gap here which he says needs to be filled.
“Colour management should be the cornerstone of our industry. We sell colour.” He says, adding: “Walk into any printers and the chances are you will see them proudly displaying their ISO or environmental certificate. But how often do you see them displaying credentials which prove they are good at printing?”
SOS’ attention to detail and ability to serve plate and lithography systems has meant tailoring its time and services to deal with the mechanical and variable elements of the machines.
Anwar says: “We are one of only a handful of companies in the UK qualified to issue Fogra certification, a measure of colour quality which is a valuable, yet relatively underused accreditation.”
According to Anwar, SOS uses Fogra as it “sets the international standard for print quality with two main certifications PSO (Process Standard Offset) and PSD (Process Standard Digital).”
He adds: “They are based in Germany, and it’s disappointing that none of the industry bodies in the UK have shared their interest in advancing print standards in an affordable and step by step manner.”
The rift between the UK and Germany, especially in the wake of Brexit has led to less collaboration, and Anwar says this has resulted in printers only slowly taking it up in the UK.
Companies like OPM Group have used colour management software to help design and produce large ranges of labels and packaging
The differentiation in certification and its importance is an element that has been seen by Color Concepts which is based in both the Netherlands and USA. Roos notes: “The US market is more pragmatic when it comes to colour and quality requirements.
“Good is good enough in the states, whereas in Europe many of the experts tend to strive more for maximum technical quality when compared to commercial perspective.
“Certifications are equally important in both the US and Europe, although in the US the reason for getting a certification is more focussed on the economic aspects, compared to getting the maximum possible quality.”
The lack of awareness from consumers and even some businesses around colour management is a part of the strive for educating consumers and suppliers in the industry. Certification can be a way of highlighting the importance of making sure colour profiles are used correctly, but also educating the industry as to why the certification exists in the first place.
Anwar says: “One of our key philosophies at SOS is we don’t want customers to rely on us. We educate them so they can manage and calibrate their system themselves. Some of our rivals offer maintenance contracts and tell them they need ongoing service, but we don’t do that. We want to move print forward and help printers lead the way instead of just following.”
Moving forward
As software and cloud-based services continue to pave the future of technical innovation, colour management will have a unique position in how companies set themselves apart.
Companies like Xeikon have helped to develop new solutions that suit the needs of clients in our digital age. Subscription models and consultancy services have meant both print and software businesses are able to offer tailored and one-to-one solutions that mirror services given in other industries.
Xeikon offers a complete and comprehensive colour management service as part of its full suite of support services
Bruce Dransfield, colour management specialist at Xeikon, states: “In 2021 we launched the Xeikon XCS Pro 2.0 package of specialist, cloud-based colour management tools covering every aspect of quality colour control, offering predictability, repeatability and full automation.”
The need for clients to become more educated and understand colour can be reflected in Xeikon’s XCS pro 2.0 package, which Dransfield says offers predictability, repeatability and full automation.
Dransfield explains: “Historically software has needed an expert to deliver results, taking up a lot of time. Xeikon developed its XCS Pro 2.0 as a ‘no waste’, ‘no expert’ cloud system. We now have the first digital dry toner, web press solution, that embraces self-fixing colour control, and ICC profiling with Pantone/brand colour generation to meet all industry standards.”
The push for branding and consistent promotional campaigns means firms now look to colour as a key part of their corporate identity. A specialist in packaging and materials, Creation Reprographics, has seen many of the changes in the industry, including branding and sustainability.
Managing director at Creation, Matt Francklow, says: “Colour management is absolutely core to everything we do. Across the wide world of packaging, we need to ensure consistent, stand out print, no matter the substrate, print complexity or where our customer is physically located. To achieve this, we need tight control of colour and the technical expertise that comes from experience.”
Working with various food and beverage brands, Creation has seen the trends and changes that have been implemented by its partners, meaning it has constantly had to adapt to whatever comes its way.
“It’s no secret that after a challenging period in the retail sector, brands and printers need to apply every competitive edge available to compete in the ‘new normal’. Shoppers want more for their money and poor colour management harms brand equity that takes years to build,” says Francklow.
Due to the importance of branding, the packaging and labelling sector has massively embraced colour management in order to help its customers. Francklow adds: “Colour management is often the ‘unsung hero’ in packaging.
“When management is done right, the packaging print process appears to be a very slick and effective operation, with superb quality run after run. When it’s not done right, printers and their brand customers certainly know about it.”
The importance of quality and accuracy are two components that are crucial to the future of print production, especially with the wide range of colours and effects available on digital alternatives.
As the industry moves towards more eco-friendly and sustainable options, any process that reduces production times or waste is now crucial to the industry.
OPM, a company that also produces high-quality labels and packaging, relies on accuracy and efficiency to produce better products.
Joint managing director at OPM, Susan Ellison, comments: “Intelligent colour and image control conveys a feeling of quality in printed products and ensures the printed product matches the hues, tones, and overall colour of the digital upload.
“The more complex the label or flexible packaging job, the more important it is to check results early in the process, before making plates or printing. This is why OPM uses the GMG proof workflow to manage colour expectations and ensure corrections can be made prior to print, minimising cost, and effort.”
Software solution company, Color Solutions, demonstrates the importance of colour management across the globe
To avoid environmental waste and litter, packaging innovations have been crucial in the manufacturing industry. Ensuring companies have a powerful colour management system can make a huge difference on their carbon footprints.
Francklow adds: “Packaging dialogue today is dominated by sustainability. In this light, colour management has additional responsibilities to fulfil. Off-brand colours can easily render entire print runs unusable for the brand, generating wasted material, time, costs, and energy, while increasing emissions.
“One of the most effective ways for printers to secure eco-conscious printing from the outset is with Fixed Colour Palette printing, also known as Extended Gamut. This technique replaces the need for spot colour inks by using a fixed ink set, most commonly CMYK or CMYK/OGV, therefore reducing ink inventory, downtime in changeovers, and waste.”
While many look to materials and goods as the main contributors to environmental waste, processes and working habits can also impact how we turn more green minded.
O Factoid: German certification Fogra sets the international standard for print quality with two main certifications PSO (Process Standard Offset) and PSD (Process Standard Digital) O
Ellison says: “With GMG OpenColor, we can reduce waste, time, and overall production costs, which have innumerable sustainability benefits. It is an energy efficient system, establishes a building block for reliable colour communication, and parameter changes can be quickly calculated without the need to run a new proof.”
From sustainability, brand integrity, and cost efficiency, the importance of colour management cannot be underestimated. Newly developed software companies or even businesses that have worked in the print sector for decades, have a wealth of knowledge to draw from when it comes to getting colour right.
The process can help sectors such as packaging, labelling, graphics, and wide-format print. But whatever the industry, a focus on precision, quality, and accuracy will always benefit all parties involved.
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