c.INKTEC: Improved Epson proof through targeted color elaboration

Rethinking Color Development: Our focus lies on innovation and individuality.

Our c.INKTEC team develops customized color standards and formulations that precisely meet the requirements and desires of our customers. In our innovation center, we have various laboratory printing machines at our disposal to accurately implement color development. Our extensive selection of cylinder sets with different specifications and layouts, combined with a diverse range of printing materials such as paper, cardboard, and film, forms the basis for a very good color elaboration.

Thanks to our close collaboration with renowned ink suppliers, we have a broad portfolio of printing inks and coatings. This partnership allows us to offer a variety of color options while ensuring that we always utilize the latest developments and trends in the field of printing inks.

Our goal is to push the boundaries of color development and provide our customers with unique, tailored solutions. With our expertise and technical know-how, we strive to meet our customers’ expectations and bring their visions to life.

Study with our customer Trolli. A new step in color management: perfect color reproduction in the printing process is crucial.

Our customers rely on the use of color proofs as a visual reference for evaluating the desired printing outcome. Epson proofs, in particular, have become widely adopted in the printing industry due to their high quality and reliability. In a recent study conducted with our customer Trolli, we focused on improving the accuracy of Epson proofs through targeted color development under realistic printing conditions.

At the beginning of the study, we used measurement data from a printed color drawdown as the basis for generating the Epson proof. This color drawdown was printed on our in-house ingenio gravio 90200 laboratory printing machine with the specified cylinder and on the desired substrate. Subsequently, the c.INKTEC color sample with full and half tones was measured, and the existing orange tone in the data was replaced with the new color information to achieve a more realistic Epson proof.

The new proof result was compared to the target proof provided by Trolli. When deviations were identified, we adjusted the data accordingly to achieve a color impression that perfectly matched the customer’s goal and could be reproduced on the printing machine. The final proof was approved by Trolli, and all relevant information, including the Epson proof, c.INKTEC color sample with half tones, and cxf and SCTV data, was provided to the printing company.

The results of the study were extremely satisfactory. The printing company was able to reproduce the colors based on our c.INKTEC color sample and achieve the same SCTV values on the production machine. Through targeted color development based on realistic printing conditions and the exchange of color information in the design data, we improved the accuracy of the Epson proof for Trolli. The adjustments made to the color data and the close match between the c.INKTEC sample and the production sample led to consistent and precise color reproduction. Thus, the set goal was successfully achieved.

This study highlights the importance of considering realistic printing conditions and making necessary adjustments in the data beforehand to create achievable color targets and meet their requirements. In the future, we will continue to focus on this process and offer innovative solutions to deliver excellent results to our customers.