Colour Management

André M. Verhoeven
IGT Testing Systems
Outline

• Colour management
• Why a colour database?
• Build a database
• Data collection
• Drawdown demands
Outline
• Standardisation in CM
• Saving costs
• What is standardisation?
• What is the aim of a standard?
• Why should I standardize?
• What is the profit?
• What are the costs?
IGT Testing Systems

• Since 1939 involved in paper, ink and print

• Specialist in printability
• Dynamic process simulation with ink and paper
Why colour management

• High customer demands

• Difficulties in objective assessment
• Traceability
• Branding
• Security
• Save time and money in production
• Global sourcing
Why ISO 12647?

• Reduce colour differences between processes

• Produce printed matter based on agreements in
stead of checking in the print house
• Ultimate aim: get the same colour in different printing
processes for the same customer
Why a colour database?
• Demand for a higher output
– Reduce down time
• Results of colour database
– Reduced consumption of ink and substrate
– Higher printing quality
– Predictable results
Factors influencing colour
• Substrate
• Environmental light
• Assessment angle of light incidence
• Surrounding light scatter, walls, dressing
• Ink colour, layer thickness, transparency
• Observer
Factors influencing colour

• Substrate OBA’s, gloss

• Light source D50, D65 etc.
• Assessment angle 2° or 10°
• Backing black, white, self
What is needed?
• Computer with colour matching software
• Dispensing system
• Printability tester
• Spectro photometer
• Laboratory scale
Procedure
1) Measure 5) Make draw-down
reference sample

2) Check values 6) Delta E check

3) Select and
dispens inks 7) Start the presses!
Build a colour database
Step one Find correlation between
print house and ink kitchen
• For each type of substrate make perfect matching
drawdown
– Print speed and print force
– Volume and other specs of anilox / ink transfer
– Viscosity
• Analyse the results to make general setting for a
substrate / ink combination
Build a colour database

Step two Build colour database

• Formulate new colours with the found settings
• Send the best match to print house
• Print house (maybe) adjusts the colour
• Send some adjusted ink back to kitchen
• Make new drawdown – (maybe) adjust the recipe
Flexographic printability tester
Photopolymer
Pre-inking Doctor blade
Speed 0,3-1,5 m/s
Anilox roll variables:
pressure, speed,
pre-inking

Substrate
Up to 12 mm
Pressure 10-500N
Lithographic printability tester
Print force 100 – 1000 N Coated rubber
Print speed 0,3 m/s UV rubber
Rubber blanket
Half tone
Aluminum

Substrate
Up to 3,5 mm
Tubes Ø 16 – 66 mm
Anilox differences
• Ceramic or chromium
plated
• Volume 1,8-24 ml/m²
• Screen ruling
– cer: 60-800 l/inch
– chr: 40-140 l/inch
• Screen angle
– cer: 60°
– chr: 45°/53°
Anilox differences
• Ceramic vs. chromium
– Ink transfer different
– Operational life on press different
– Cleaning
• Volume
– Only transferred volume is important
– Difficult to determine in absolute value
• Screen ruling
– Determines volume
– Important for halve tones
• Screen angle
– Not important for single colour
Printing discs differences
Conventional inks UV inks

• Coated rubber • Rubber blanket

• Rubber blanket • Rubber
• Rubber • Aluminum
• Aluminum • halftone
• Half tone
Printing discs differences
• Ceramic or chromium
plated
• Volume 1,8-24 ml/m²
• Screen ruling
– cer: 60-800 l/cm
– chr: 40-140 l/cm
• Screen angle
– cer: 60°
– chr: 45°/53°
Data Printability tester
• Print force - print speed -
type of anilox
• Ink type: solvent, water,
UV
• Ink formulation and
viscosity
• Type of inking
• Type of photopolymer
• Type of drying
• L*a*b* values (wet/dry)
• Transparency (wet/dry)
Data from Press
• Type of substrate, batch
• Ink type: solvent, water, UV
• Additives
• Production speed – production
impression
• Screen ruling
• Volume of anilox
• Drying settings
• L*a*b* value (wet/dry)
• Contrast value
Properties of drawdown
• Solid colour
• Halve tone image
• Even print quality
• Closed print structure
• Measure on more places
• Average values
• Calculate ∆E(CIE76)
Variables in a drawdown

• Printing disc – top roller

• Aniliox – photopolymer
• Settings
• Substrate
• Ink
• Scale
• Maintenance
• Operator
Applications for drawdown

• Ink transfer
• Gloss
• Transparency
• Flexibility
• Abrasion resistance
• Adhesion
• Print unevenness
• Light fastness
What is standardisation?
• Unambiguous definition of agreements; everybody
speaks the same language
• Use the same procedure, method or specification
• Exchange data without any time to specify the
conditions
• Reliability of the data to estimate
What is a standard?
• A package agreementys inclusive specifications and
conditions ((ISO12647-Proces controle, ISO9000)

• Procedures to verify agreements (ISO534-thickness

of paper and paperboard)

• Product or production specifications (ISO 12635 –

Sizes Lithographic plates)
Different standards
• Company (internal) standards
• Industry standards
• National standards
• International standards
Aim company standards
• Production quality control, tailored to specific
requirements of the user
• Incoming control
• Matching of half products of between steps for the
intern logistic proces
• Optimalisation of the production (proces)
• Reporting, Management Information System
• Often not, or limited useful for extern communication
Basic company standard
• Own experience and company data
• Complexity of the company
• Regulations
• Agreements of the industry
• Agreements customers / suppliers
• Experience of the industry
• International agreements (ISO12647)
Feature ISO
• Promotion international trade
• Reduction competitor forgery
• International concensus.
• Regional adjustments
Standardize; why ME?

• Everybody speaks the same language

• We have well trained employees on each level of
the organisation
• Everybody operates in the same way and respects
the agreements
• We have forms for every situation
• We support and control each other
• Everything is checked by several employees and
signed for agreement
That is why ME!
• We don’t speak the same language
• Do we have well trained employees understanding
each other
• Does everybody operate in the correct way
• Many forms is a lot of administration
• We do everything twice
• He has nothing better to do . . . .
What is the profit?
• NOTHING
• Much costs in time and money
• Lots of extra red tape
• Blunting of staff
• Shrinking of responsibility
• A grey mouse in the market
That is the profit!
• Higher communication level between
departments
• Understanding costs and savings
• Reducing costs of failure
• Higher tracebility of production and quality
• Higher efficiency of resource
• Reliable deliveries based on clear agreements
with the customer
• No whining
Why certificate?
• Because the conferment tells us
• Forced by our customers
• A certificate is an ornament on the wall
What are the costs?
• High invoices from consultants
• Many extra costs in administration
• Many extra paperwork
This are the costs!

• The effort to do it once properly

• Well trained employees
• Reliable measuring devices
• To do what is promissed
That is why certification!

• Because it needs from the government

• Demanded by the customers
• It is an ornament on the wall
• Forces to be allert
• Only the best surfive
Certification proces

• Intake
• Status determination
• Road map
• Implementation
• Pre-audit
• Annual survey
• Re-certification
Status of a standard
• A standard is not a law
• Law/regulations are able to prescribe standards
• Responsibility can be limiteded when the proces is
standardized
• In case of problems a recognized (ISO) standard has
often a bigger value as a company standard
IGT cooperation

• Co-operate & work on print, colour and appearance

• Support in standardisation and certification conform

ISO12647

• Ink measurements for process colours and spot

colours
Thank you for your attention

For more information

IGT Testing Systems
Keienbergweg 25, 1101 EX Amsterdam Z.O.
P.O. Box 12688, 1100 AR Amsterdam Z.O.
Phone +31 20 40992300
Internet www.igt.nl
Mail verhoeven@igt.nl