Hexachrome reprint 8/30/05 11:50 AM Page 1 Hexachrome reprint 8/30/05 11:50 AM Page 2 REPRINTED FROM DIGITAL OUTPUT AUGUST 2005. THE ONLY MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO >CAPTURE >CREATION >OUTPUT >FINISHING Hexachrome Print Process Primary Considerations for Implementing Hexachrome Printing by Dan Reid need to drastically improve this additional color is a safe color reproduction. way to ensure important col- ave you considered what ors are reproduced correctly. Hexachrome can add to your When Hexachrome was The downside of using printing process? introduced in 1994, CMYK Pantone spot color is the H was the standard within the additional cost of using a Hexachrome was created industry, and it was question- special ink. Each additional with the intent to provide a able whether users would Pantone spot color incurs wider color gamut for the invest in an expensive more expense and is limited print and design world. upgrade. Although said to by the number of inks a press dramatically improve color can print in a single run. The range and accuracy over tra- additional printing cost of ditional four-color process using a special ink has printing, years went by before always been difficult to sell the popularity of to customers. A four-color Hexachrome appeared. Now build is more cost-effective to the technology is catching on print since most presses are and retaining loyal users. already configured as such Figure 1: Depiction of of Solid PMS 2925 coated, Process but lack the vibrancy of coated, and Hexachrome coated Pantone, Inc., a well-known using a special color. and unquestionable standard in print, has a long history in Realizing customers were hesi- color communication and tant to budget for a special color standards. Originally an ink, Pantone seized the oppor- offset printer in Manhattan, tunity by offering a Pantone the company grew out of com- Process simulation library, mercial printing to offer a sys- which allowed designers to tem for communicating color select a four-color equivalent reproduction. The ubiquitous of spot color. The new library Pantone Matching System proved to be a huge success, (PMS) is widely adopted and allowing designers to commu- supported by almost every nicate color to the print professional printing device in provider, but without the the creative industries. added cost of using special Figure 2: SWOP inks vs. Hexachrome CMYK inks inks. The downside—only simulation The original PMS is based on about 30 percent of the origi- mixing special inks to pro- nal Pantone spot color library Brighter greens, more vibrant vide a unique color. The was reproducible in standard purples, and truer skin tones Pantone color is used in con- four-color process inks. The are enough to raise brows. junction with black ink or in ubiquitous Pantone Solid to Hexachrome has been said to addition to standard four- Process guides—now renamed be everything creative, pre- color process inks. Known as Pantone Color Bridge—show Output press, and print professionals a bump plate or spot color, the spot color alongside a 2 Digital Output Adapted from August 2005 www.digitaloutput.net Hexachrome reprint 8/30/05 11:50 AM Page 3 ment emerging on Macintosh and PC comput- ers. Pantone embraced color management by leveraging the architecture to translate RGB and CMYK files to Hexachrome. They enlarged the printable color gamut by exchanging typical process cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks with brighter and purer CMYK inks. (Figure 2). Standard CMYK inks appear dirty when compared to the more vibrant Hexachrome CMYK. In addition to the cleaner CMYK inks, orange and green inks were added to complement the brighter CMYK colors, and to maxi- mize simulating the original Pantone spot color library. Therefore, you cannot really take advantage of the Hexachrome print process by Figure 3: Top: SWOP separation to Hexachrome proof; Bottom: Proof of correctly separated RGB to just adding orange and green Hexachrome to standard CMYK inks. Since it’s tempting to add orange and green inks to four-color simulation. This lets process as readily as Pantone nineties and computer-to-plate standard process CMYK inks, the designer know when to hoped. Designers saw it diffi- (CtP) of 2000, have enjoyed Pantone licenses ink manufac- use the real spot color instead cult to create jobs with an quicker acceptance and adop- turers who market and offer of its lesser clone. (Figure 1) unfamiliar cutting-edge print- tion with print providers. Yes, Hexachrome inks, to ensure ing system. It was simply eas- running six colors can be more customers can achieve the After experiencing the huge ier, cheaper, and more readily costly than running four-color, true advertised benefits of success and adoption of the acceptable to create four- but the ability to print almost Hexachrome. Pantone solid to process color jobs with additional the entire spot color library library, Pantone was ready for spot colors specified as and improve color fidelity of Pantone developed the six- a new challenge to improve needed. And so Hexachrome RGB originals are certainly color print system because spot color simulations beyond has not enjoyed the same suc- compelling reasons to leverage many print providers had six the constraints of four-color cess and industry adoption Hexachrome advantages. color printing presses at that process, and thus the Pantone their four-color library gar- Unfortunately, designers never time. It is still common for a Hexachrome print process nered in the early nineties. did get past the additional cost print provider to offer stan- was born. or the differences in workflow dard four-color printing with Arguably, Pantone’s of designing for a six-color sys- the option of running addi- Many vendors immediately Hexachrome print process, tem, perhaps due to lack of tional Pantone spot colors. jumped on the bandwagon other high-fidelity color sys- education on the print process, Pantone’s marketing strategy and began to offer film tems, and color management or lack of interest from clients. did not extol this benefit well proofers and Pantone-certi- in general have been the slow- enough to entice print fied Hexachrome inks; but est technologies adopted by The Pantone Hexachrome providers to change their designers and customers did the print industry. The post- print process was introduced common, and comfortable, not embrace the new print script revolution of the early at the cusp of color manage- printing setup. www.digitaloutput.net Adapted from August 2005 Digital Output 3 Hexachrome reprint 8/30/05 11:50 AM Page 4 At this point you may have At the time Hexachrome was served without introducing a GretagMacbeth and X-Rite surmised improved color introduced, color management color distortion. (Figure 3) offer color management pack- reproduction of photographic was just emerging and print ages that can create images is an ancillary benefit providers had not yet Another issue is how design Hexachrome ICC profiles. of Hexachrome. For this rea- embraced the technology, nor software will work with the son, Pantone chose to market were they comfortable convert- technology. Neither Adobe As traditional film proofers high-fidelity printing of ing RGB files to CMYK or Photoshop nor Illustrator continue to dwindle due to images and colorful designs CMYKOG. Hexachrome’s directly support Hexa- the trend of CtP, proofing to customers. The Pantone reliance on RGB originals and chrome or any print process Hexachrome press separa- Hexachrome print process is color management were stum- with more than four-colors. tions has become more chal- well suited for reproducing bling blocks for many printers. However, QuarkXPress does lenging. The trend of inex- highly-saturated colorful support Hexachrome, and it pensive inkjet proofing and RGB images from digital Color management, and can separate RGB and advancements in color match- cameras and scanners. Images specifically ICC profiles, are CMYK files to Hexachrome ing have provided the plat- and artwork in RGB contain the keys to translating vibrant without additional software. form for proofing a richer data set that is better images and corporate colors to Hexachrome. D represented in Hexachrome. a more colorful dynamic print Pantone offers a suite of soft- The benefits of RGB and in Hexachrome. The Hexa- ware plug-ins for Adobe Dan B. Reid is a veteran color-managed workflows are chrome print process doesn’t Photoshop and Illustrator color management consultant certainly apparent and gain- improve CMYK images, but called Pantone HexWare, to and an expert in Hifi printing ing more acceptance. It is merely offers a larger color enable these programs to and Hexachrome print much better to use RGB palette in which the converted color select, color correct, process. His company, images for Hexachrome CMYK document can be soft-proof, and separate to RPImaging, helps businesses rather than CMYK. RGB also adjusted to take advantage of Hexachrome. The Pantone migrate to using color man- works well for any color- the additional color gamut. ColorSuite for Hexachrome agement and expanded managed workflow, CMYK also includes printed guide- gamut printing including the or Hexachrome. CMYK files Print providers have taken books for visual selection of Hexachrome print process. that are confined to process CMYK plates and put them Hexachrome colors and RPImaging offers color ink color gamut can be trans- up with Hexachrome inks to Pantone spot color simula- measurement hardware and lated to Hexachrome, but get a more vibrant, if not gar- tion. The best results are color management software won’t benefit from the addi- ish, print. The correct method derived by creating your own sales and accredited training. tional color gamut unless fur- would be to re-separate Hexachrome ICC profiles Dan can reached at ther adjustment is done after CMYK files to Hexachrome, that encapsulate how your [email protected] or toll the conversion.