|
To learn the answers to these and other questions, packagePRINTING spoke with two experts on the topic: Iain Pike, business leader, color management, Sun Chemical North American Packaging; and Jan De Roeck, director, solution management packaging software for EskoArtwork.
pP: Would you elaborate on the difference between color management and “brand” color management”?
Pike: Color management most often refers to assuring quality reproduction of 4-color process printing. This process has been very successful, as evidenced by the IPA, The Association of Graphic Solutions Providers, proofing shoot-out campaigns where most vendors, including soft-proofing and hardcopy proofing solutions, were able to match press materials very closely based solely on the ICC (International Color Consortium) profile of the press configuration. Brand color management, on the other hand, focuses specifically on spot colors associated with key brands and related branding elements on packaging materials and structures. In these instances, the use of process color is often limited to images, while branding elements are reproduced with special match colors to deliver higher chroma (saturation) and greater vibrancy, as well as to achieve more consistent reproduction—and in some cases, reduce costs via fewer printing units.
De Roeck: It depends on how you look at things. From the perspective of the converter, printer, or trade shop, it is all about reproducing a color to match a target from a technical point of view. From the brand owner’s perspective, brand color management is about managing the appearance of the brand. Color is one of the design elements of the message. This is completely different from one-to-one color management on a printing press working with multiple substrates, print techniques, separations, etc. There is a serious difference: with color management, you need a tool to measure and control color; with brand color management, you need a collaborative tool to share color as an asset across all the layers of the packaging supply chain.
Sun Chemical and EskoArtwork recently formed a strategic partnership to integrate access to Sun -Chemical’s SmartColour database of full spectral ink readings inside the EskoArtwork Kaleidoscope color management software. The partnership combines Sun Chemical’s expertise in color management for brand packaging with EskoArtwork’s competency in color-managed workflows.
“SmartColour is based on a large database of more than 100,000 real ink colors, printed on real packaging substrates, with package printing processes,” says Pike. “This means that any color selected from the large (and growing) assortment can be achieved across a wide assortment of packaging-specific applications.” As a result, instead of relying on theoretical results, SmartColour users can rely on a tangible, practical solution that works with real inks on real substrates.
The SmartColour Engine is available under license to partners in the premedia, design, and proofing solutions areas, including EskoArtwork. The process begins when a designer submits a job to prepress for final print color separations. Knowing the specific printing process and substrates, he or she can map colors to real ink SmartColour data and accurately preview them inside the EskoArtwork editor. Brand managers, prepress operators, designers, and converters can all visualize exact proofs and agree on the final results. The prepress operator uses EskoArtwork’s FlexProof to generate a PDF file for remote proofing and the resulting PDF has embedded CMYK profiles. Production jobs that are stored electronically can be referenced to color data, so recurring jobs can be processed quickly
Companies Mentioned:
 |
|
|
Color Management Handbook: A Practical Guide
Nine Steps to Effective and Efficient Press OKs