Spot-on Spot Colors with Alwan Software
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Spot-on spot colors with Alwan software
Spot color reproduction is key for demanding brand owners, print buyers and printers.
Here are our tips to predict and print accurate spot colors regardless of the print technology (conventional or digital) and ink palette (with or without spot inks).
Spot colors with spot inks
Most labels and packaging products are produced with spot inks.
This is particularly true with conventional presses: offset, flexo and gravure.
An accurate and problem-free reproduction of spot colors requires—besides the right ink formulation of course—a well designed PDF, as well as a calibrated and stable printing press.
Spot ink solids and TVI should be checked during production, and printing press curves should be updated regularly because all spot colors, printing units and substrates do not generate the same dot gain.
When these conditions are met, spot color solids, tints and particularly overprints become predictable in prepress and accurate on the press.
This is exactly what Alwan solutions can do for your customers!
Alwan PrintStandardizer
- Industry-first smart server for automated press curves monitoring and update (since 2008)
- Supports most inline and press-side measurement file formats
- Generates most industry production RIP curve formats
- Provides ISO standards targets
- Remote production follow-up from any web browser thanks to its Web Interface
Figure 1
Spot color curve in Alwan PrintStandardizer
Alwan ColorHub
- Industry-first dynamic color management server delivering optimized and print-ready PDF files (since 2004)
- Supports PANTONE® color libraries, Adobe color libraries, and CxF/X-4 full spectral definition
- Spot color editing capabilities: replacement, color definition, tone reproduction (using Alwan PrintStandardizer curves), and more
- Proof-ready PDF files: accurate multicolor conversion for accurate spot color simulation on digital printers
Figure 2
Color library tab in Alwan ColorHub
Spot colors without spot ink
An increasing number of jobs including spot colors are being produced with process inks.
This is particularly true with digital printing devices but also with conventional presses.
However, accurate reproduction of spot colors with 4-color (CMYK) to 7-color (CMYKOGV) process inks requires an accurate and predictable printing device—digital or conventional.
Ink solids and tone reproduction curves should be checked during production, and device curves and ICC profiles should be updated if required.
When these conditions are met, spot color reproduction with process inks becomes predictable and accurate.
With Alwan solutions, you can predict and therefore guarantee to your customers that their spot colors will print accurately with a fixed palette of process inks.
Alwan PrintStandardizer
- Industry-first smart server for automated press curve and ICC profile monitoring and update (since 2008)
- Supports most offset presses’ closed-loop systems and color measurement instruments’ file formats
- Generates most industry production RIP curve formats
- Provides all ISO standards targets: TVI, Near Neutral (G7®) and Spot Color
- Remote production follow-up from any web browser thanks to its Web Interface
Figure 3
CMYKOGV curves in Alwan PrintStandardizer
Hydra® Profiling
- Industry-first fully spectral profiling technology (since 2018)
- Delivers the most accurate press ICC profiles with the smallest number of patches
- Available as an option in Alwan PrintStandardizer, Alwan ColorHub and Alwan ToolBox
Figure 4
Hydra® chart for CMYKOGV profiling (910 patches)
Alwan ColorHub
- Industry-first dynamic color management server delivering optimized and print-ready PDF files (since 2004)
- Multicolor engine, delivers the most accurate 4 to 7-color separation and the highest ink savings
- Minimizes the number of printed channels hence improving productivity, saving consumables and shortening make-ready time
- Web Interface with Preflight mode prediction of spot color reproduction accuracy of a job or of a print device
Figure 5
Preflight mode from Alwan ColorHub’s Web Interface