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COLOR MANAGEMENT Management In Packaging

Shorter lead times, increasing pressure on pricing, and consistent quality have become almost a commodity in packaging. Matching color is not a commodity among package printers.

BY TYLER HARRELL

ackaging is probably the most The majority of printed packaging visible component of the mar- today is multicolor in nature; meaning keting mix. And, it’s becoming that it’s not just your standard , Pmore important. Research , and inks, but suggests that companies are spending more likely those and two, three less on traditional advertising but are or even four special colors that help to increasing their budgets on packaging identify the brand. Large consumer itself. Brand owners stake their lives on product companies have many brands, maintaining brand consistency and and when you add brand extensions to integrity. Yet, almost in contradiction, them, you can imagine how many dif- they will fight to rush to market and ferent ink colors might be associated squeeze every possible out of costs. with just one brand and its brand Shorter lead times, increasing pres- extensions. Think of the complexity sure on pricing, and consistent quality and, even more so, the cost associated have become almost a commodity in with printing all of this packaging. packaging. Unfortunately, matching color is not necessarily a commodity More Than Just a Profile among package printers. Just as impor- All packaging supply chain partners tant, it must be noted that brand man- from brand owners to press operators agers are also not very savvy with color. have been conditioned to think of tools as profilers of Building the Brand print devices to generate acceptable Packaging of all types has many func- contract proofs. Although that certainly tions; the most important is to visually is an important facet of color manage- identify the brand. In most cases, the ment, there are many other factors consumer product company’s main that affect ultimate job quality on brand asset is the color associated with press. At the end of the day, there is a the particular brand. Who doesn’t asso- lot that goes into color management ciate with Coke or with Tide in packaging to ensure a level of pre- when walking down grocery store aisles? dictability that makes packaging buyers

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comfortable that the proof they sign off on actually color databases. And, these systems are usually stand- matches the printed result and therefore the actual alone solutions often linked to certain devices. They product on the shelves. aren’t color solutions that are fully integrated in a RIP In simple terms, a color management system is and a workflow. It requires more sophisticated issues expected to color correct and match the press. Of such as handling dot gain, spot colors, understanding course, a color management system should be able to the order of colors on press, the characteristics of measure color—both CMYK and spot colors. However, opaque inks and any combination of these elements. it’s the level of handling that is the bench- Color management incorporates a lot, including mark, particularly for packaging. Quite a few color color conversion (for example, RGB to CMYK), management systems claim to simulate spot colors. extended ink sets, ink selection, and dot gain Yet, they rarely measure spot colors and never refer to on press, to list just a few.

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COLOR MANAGEMENT

This may seem very basic to anyone who has fol- degree of repeatability. We have global customers lowed the IPA Proofing RoundUP, but as a reminder: who have followed that philosophy to each press. it was not long ago that most people were matching If you do not use the stock that something is to be the press to the proof, rather than the other way printed on, there will be issues of laydown of ink, sat- around. Unfortunately, I’d hate to tell you how many uration and whiteness. If you create a profile with the people we still see who are doing it. same ink, substrate and plate, theoretically you should Of course, the objective is to match a proof to the have the same profile. We suggest that customers use press, so it is a good determinant of how the press will a SWOP curve and accommodate the flexo highlights. print a job. One of the more important reasons for this is very significant: a 4-color press typically has a Two-color Management Systems In One smaller gamut than an inkjet printer. Color management can be broken down to two If you are looking for flexibility in approaches: colorimetric and spectral. a printed result, you’re going to get Colorimetric color management systems are based it from the printer, not the press. on the CIE L*a*b* —an excellent method Fingerprinting a press is also an to specify colors on a very wide gamut and an excep- investment that pays off quickly. tional means to verify color accuracy. This measuring Jobs are pulled to a color OK faster, system relies on printed characterization charts con- which means you save makeready taining patches of different CMYK percentages and time (and money), on a job-to-job combinations. Colorimetric color management sys- basis, and also increase press tems describe the resulting effect of colors, but not uptime for all work. the underlying mechanism of how they interact. For print operations where no standardization on Data Collection Do’s & Don’ts a fixed set of inks has been made, a system is When you are proofing to the required that is flexible enough to work with a press, the press has less color number of spot color combinations. This is what gamut. I like to promote sim- spectral approach can provide. Spectral color man- A good packaging color management system combines both colorimetric and plicity. Many people collect data agement systems determine the characteristic of spectral color management systems to on press profiles, read the profile inks. They rely on measuring the spectrum of inks provide the best of both worlds: the from something printed on the individually and in overprint with other inks. Just as accuracy of CMYK along with a database press, then go directly from that important, they measure the opacity of inks affecting of special color profiles. Thus, the overprint between spot colors and CMYK or optimize the press. The priority the combination of inks on press. Opaque inks and are accurately predicted. Combining for any printer has to be to metallic colors have a different level of opacity than colorimetric and spectral management achieve predictability of the traditional CMYK inks. Measuring how they will systems, a good packaging color manage- printed result, regardless of how affect overprinting is crucial. Using a database-driven ment system works with a profiling chart for CMYK, while referring to a spectral immersed you get into color man- mathematical model, the spectral color management profiling chart for special colors. agement. The printer needs to be system provides the only practical solution for special able to create a predictable proof colors. It is perfect for profiling special ink gradations of press performance. My suggestion is that you and solids. By extrapolating the behavior of colors to put your press in the most consistent running state any set of inks, it describes the underlying mecha- (the same as your proofer). You always calibrate nism that drives the final result—and assures a cor- the proofer, and rely on the result day after day. rect “read” on overprints by measuring the level of Given that, a printer should never try to let a press opacity of inks. sheet—used for proofing calibration and pro- A good packaging color management system com- filing—represent the best that can be done. It has bines both colorimetric and spectral color manage- to be representative of the press during a produc- ment systems to provide the best of both worlds: the tion run. That’s the only way you can link a proof accuracy of CMYK along with a database of special back to press predictability. color profiles. Thus, the overprint between spot colors Optimize the press first. Build your curves and and CMYK are accurately predicted. create the right SWOP value and ink densities and Combining colorimetric and spectral management then create your press profile. You’ll have a greater systems, a good packaging color management system

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works with a profiling chart for CMYK, while referring many package designs can be printed at the same to a spectral profiling chart for special colors. time, less product inventory can be kept—there is With the spectral chart, the color management more freedom to return to the press to print a spe- system can profile any multicolor process set and spe- cific package. With less spot colors, there is reduced cial colors, such as metallics and inks, for ink inventory while providing the designer adequate proofing or converting jobs to the target color space. color latitude to create appealing packaging. In These profiles can be optimized for minimum ink short, MCPP creates more visually appealing pack- usage and maximum color depth. aging by preserving the balance between visual The system mathematically predicts any mix of any brand identity and printing economics. set of inks in the database and correctly previews and However, it is crucial to use smart tools that make proofs. It is easy to add custom inks to the database. the implementation of a multicolor printing process The ICC color profile specification is a popular buzz- smooth and easy. word and promises to provide a standard format. How- ever, with different vendors, there are different color Proofing is more difficult with multi- matches and private tags. ICC offers very limited results for non-CMYK workflows and has no support for color process printing. Making full opacity levels or overprinting spot colors. Therefore, it is important in packaging to use a color management use of the available color gamut on system that provides full support for ICC profiles, but goes beyond the capabilities of the ICC specifications. proofing devices is only one of the ele- Multicolor Process Printing ments that will determine success. As consumer product companies seek ways to reduce costs through the supply chain, one mentioned With MCPP color sets, brand colors previously often—but not implemented often—is the consumer printed with spot colors now are created with mul- product company’s desire to standardize a particular tiple inks. The printability of the design becomes of brand and its brand extensions’ packaging on one paramount concern. Failing to produce these colors multicolor ink set. The problem is how do you stan- accurately can affect brand identity and prevent con- dardize on one, multicolor ink set while maintaining sumers from buying specific branded product. While the visual identity of all the packaging for a brand and printing with MCPP can save money, extra prepress its brand extensions? And how do you convert all of costs are incurred to make jobs printable in MCPP. those digital assets, in their own unique color space, Trapping of MCPP jobs is more cumbersome, because to the color space of one multicolor ink set—all the pullbacks are much more intricate. What if black is not while maintaining the individual visual brand and used? Can this affect the readability of a barcode? How brand extension identity? can one predict colors for new designs and images Printing economics and print buyer requirements when special inks are combined—particularly in a are starting to convince printers to adopt a multi- separation? Can the new gamut of colors cover an color process printing (MCPP) color set rather than image appropriately? How do two Pantones overprint? using spot colors. Typically, MCPP sets use a combi- Proofing is also more difficult with MCPP. Making nation of CMYK and two or three additional colors full use of the available color gamut on proofing such as orange, and . Examples of popular devices is only one of the elements that will determine MCPP ink sets are Pantone® Hexachrome, FMSix the success of proofing for MCPP. (MYPrintech) or Opaltone. Brand colors previously At the heart, you need a tool that can easily con- printed with spot inks are created with multiple inks. vert digital assets to any target color space, using mul- The purpose of MCPP is to produce the same gamut ticolor (ICC) profiles or lookup tables to convert entire as spot colors; so spot colors are no longer needed. jobs or user selections, on images and/or linework. Printing with MCPP has a number of advantages By showing instant deviation of the conversion, it is for the brand owner and converter alike. Because the easy to predict if colors are in or out of color gamut. same inks are on press most of the time, there is no You should use a color conversion system that is need to clean stations for each new job. And, because capable of supporting a number of MCPP systems

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COLOR MANAGEMENT

listed previously and any other custom multicolor virtually none measure 1 percent and 2 percent. The system, including metallics, , and varnishes. more you can provide your color management system with crucial input on highlight press behavior by using Screen vs. No Screen the same dot gain curves, the more accurate you will Many vendors can provide systems to produce rea- be. The blend of dot gain control and color control sonably color-managed screened and unscreened result in very accurate color and press predicting proofs. Other than the obvious reason of detecting proofs—both screened and unscreened. possible moirés, there is a more important reason to Place in the print run: Ink order on press deter- consider screened proofs in packaging. mines the color results, and the color engine must If you are working with a package or piece of art respect the ink order of a press run when color where you cannot readily detect the dots from an proofing. If your color management can replicate arm’s length away, an unscreened (or dotless) proof the ink order of the job when proofing, it will be able provides more room for accuracy in color manage- to accurately demonstrate the change in color if ink ment. If you can see a dot structure from an arm’s units are swapped on press. length away, then consider producing a screened Dot gain: Accuracy for dot proofs is even more crit- proof. The reason is quite intriguing. ical, because both dot size and color constantly Remember, a lot of packaging is still printed using interact. Many systems tend to forget that not only coarse screen rulings. A coarse dot structure can influ- the press has dot gain but also the digital proofer as ence visual color. Although the eye may not actively well. Particularly with flexo, you must ensure that consider it, there is a lot of white space in-between flexo-specific printing behavior is adequately mir- the dots in a rosette. That white space becomes a part rored on both screened and unscreened inkjet of the color of the image. This is particularly the case proofs. Only then can you facilitate extremely pre- in 100-line or less screens. (Above 120 line screens, I cise reproduction in the highlights and shadows. receive a lot of arguments from users who prefer to Create once, output many: It only makes sense that use unscreened proofs, and I cede to their requests.) if a file is RIPped once for both the proof and In proofing, the best color management for printer, it is the most reliable and consistent screened materials may be screened proofs. Gener- method to view color. ally, when you produce an unscreened proof, you are Separating yourself from others: Some companies working with LAB color management. For example, are finding more creative ways to print with their for the color green, you are reproducing a green LAB own custom ink sets. Some systems replace one of value. However, when you create a screened proof, it the process color inks (CMY) with a spot color—one is a mixture of a cyan and yellow dot. step beyond traditional MCPP. Imagine the chal- Accuracy for dot proofs is even more critical, lenge: Create a good separation of a photo using the because both dot size and color constantly interact. replacement ink(s). It’s something that some systems Not only the press has dot gain, but the digital have a hard time doing. proofer as well. You should use a color management system ensuring that flexo-specific printing behavior Master the Color is adequately mirrored on both screened and While many of the principles of package printing color unscreened inkjet proofs. management are, of course, the same as commercial printing, the nature of the substrate, the unique inks, A Number of Other Considerations and unusual color sets make it a much more compli- There are other issues to consider for accurate pack- cated endeavor. Matching proofs spot colors that aging color. Many of these items could take on a short exceed a proofer’s gamut, understanding the synergy article on their own. They are listed here as further of two inks on press as well as on a digital proofer, topics to contemplate: wondering if a coarse screen might affect viewing per- Flexo highlight break: Predicting flexo processes on ception, and creating an acceptable system—both proofing devices depends on the level of control under color management and proofing—for multicolor ink 10 percent. Highlights and shadows must be visible sets are all challenges a converter faces every day. to reveal severe color shifts. Color charts on most sys- If and when you are ready to print packaging, make tems rarely measure patches under 10 percent, and sure you have mastered the color, first.

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