Will Wonders Ever Cease?
Wide-format inkjet proofing is steadily making inroads into proofing applications.
April 2008 by Jean-Marie Hershey
|
Whether they are political or technological, most revolutions give way to a period of fine-tuning and incremental improvement. Having shown that they can meet the needs of packaging houses for fast, affordable concept and interim proofing, digital inkjet devices up to 44˝ in width now are proving that they also can satisfy the rigorous demands of legal contract proofing for high-end packaging applications.
Traditionally, inkjet has had difficulties in reproducing trap and overprint characteristics, fine lines and text, moiré patterns, light pastels, and metallics, and has needed special media and color management tools. Because of these issues, brand-sensitive clients still may specify a digital halftone contract proof output on the actual substrate to be used for the finished product. However, these objections are being steadily overcome as inkjet technology edges toward maturity.
Drop-on-demand (DOD) inkjet proofers spray CMYK-based dyes or pigment-based inks as droplets onto the proofing media to produce high-quality color proofs that accurately predict what the final jobs will look like on press. Expanded color gamuts, smaller droplet sizes, finer resolutions, better inks, and improved color management are steadily advancing inkjet’s acceptability as a legal contract package proof. With these developments, traditional objections are becoming all but moot for most packaging applications. New multi-channel printheads deliver a higher level of fine detail. Finally, UV-curable wide-format printers offer the flexibility to output on a variety of packaging-friendly substrates that can be folded, scored, wrapped, or otherwise manipulated for the production of accurate comps and prototypes.
Fast, user-friendly inkjets are also considerably less expensive than halftone proofers, and are especially well-suited for remote proofing environments. And while the hardware frequently gets the glory, it would be a mistake to overlook the perfect symphony of variables—RIP, drivers, color calibration software, inks, and media—that create a pitch-perfect match from proof to press, minus the need for guesswork or compromise.
Below is a representative sampling of some of the best proofing solutions the market has to offer.
Agfa
Agfa’s :Grand SherpaMatic dual-sided proofing system offers premium color contract proofs, high-speed imposition proofs, and specialty proofing for packaging applications. It has adjustable features to fit the needs of many projects including adjustable thickness, adjustable paper width to handle up to 50˝, modes for single- or double-sided printing, variable resolutions, and controllable speeds. An advanced tumbling system turns the paper for precision accuracy and prevents paper curling.
Agfa :QMS quality management software lets users pinpoint and correct quality deviations. Agfa :ColorTune color management software provides optimum color matches for reliable contract proofing. The :Grand SherpaMatic’s :QMS software system ensures that each :Sherpa engine in a remote location is performing equally to the systems in the main facility. :QMS calibrates each :Sherpa in the workflow to produce the same tonal behavior. This allows a user to maintain proofing standards and provide color repeatability from any :Sherpa at any location.
Traditionally, inkjet has had difficulties in reproducing trap and overprint characteristics, fine lines and text, moiré patterns, light pastels, and metallics, and has needed special media and color management tools. Because of these issues, brand-sensitive clients still may specify a digital halftone contract proof output on the actual substrate to be used for the finished product. However, these objections are being steadily overcome as inkjet technology edges toward maturity.
Drop-on-demand (DOD) inkjet proofers spray CMYK-based dyes or pigment-based inks as droplets onto the proofing media to produce high-quality color proofs that accurately predict what the final jobs will look like on press. Expanded color gamuts, smaller droplet sizes, finer resolutions, better inks, and improved color management are steadily advancing inkjet’s acceptability as a legal contract package proof. With these developments, traditional objections are becoming all but moot for most packaging applications. New multi-channel printheads deliver a higher level of fine detail. Finally, UV-curable wide-format printers offer the flexibility to output on a variety of packaging-friendly substrates that can be folded, scored, wrapped, or otherwise manipulated for the production of accurate comps and prototypes.
Fast, user-friendly inkjets are also considerably less expensive than halftone proofers, and are especially well-suited for remote proofing environments. And while the hardware frequently gets the glory, it would be a mistake to overlook the perfect symphony of variables—RIP, drivers, color calibration software, inks, and media—that create a pitch-perfect match from proof to press, minus the need for guesswork or compromise.
Below is a representative sampling of some of the best proofing solutions the market has to offer.
Agfa
Agfa’s :Grand SherpaMatic dual-sided proofing system offers premium color contract proofs, high-speed imposition proofs, and specialty proofing for packaging applications. It has adjustable features to fit the needs of many projects including adjustable thickness, adjustable paper width to handle up to 50˝, modes for single- or double-sided printing, variable resolutions, and controllable speeds. An advanced tumbling system turns the paper for precision accuracy and prevents paper curling.
Agfa :QMS quality management software lets users pinpoint and correct quality deviations. Agfa :ColorTune color management software provides optimum color matches for reliable contract proofing. The :Grand SherpaMatic’s :QMS software system ensures that each :Sherpa engine in a remote location is performing equally to the systems in the main facility. :QMS calibrates each :Sherpa in the workflow to produce the same tonal behavior. This allows a user to maintain proofing standards and provide color repeatability from any :Sherpa at any location.
Companies Mentioned:
 |
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Diversifying with Packaging Services: Unlocking Hidden Profit Potential
Common-Sense Flexography
