HP color management tools released for digital label converters

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HP color management tools released for digital label converters
For Dscoop University’s “HP Expert Series,” Michael Cox explained how to achieve consistency across multiple substrates.
Color management is a critical part of HP's operations, as seen here at the company's Experience Center in Alpharetta, GA, USA.
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As part of Dscoop University’s “HP Expert Series,” Michael Cox, HP Indigo solutions architect, labels, explored how printers can simplify color management with HP. In a webinar entitled “It's all about the brand: aka label color management made easy!” Cox led viewers through a variety of color management tools that provide consistency across multiple substrates.
According to HP, color and brands go hand in hand. Regardless of the industry, every company–big or small–has a color scheme and a logo. “We all know about brands and colors, and we know how critical it is to make sure you’re hitting the right color,” said Cox. “It’s very much a universal topic.”
Companies will often spend a considerable amount of resources in order to produce the proper brand color for labels and packaging. HP’s color management tools are designed to use on a variety of materials, including folding carton, IML, flexible packaging and shrink sleeves.
“It doesn’t matter what substrate you’re printing on, the brand’s color is the holy grail,” explained Cox.
HP SmartStream Color Engine is a digital ink mixing station and centralized color management system. Powered by Esko, the system’s goal is to establish a target and defined substrate. Color Engine then has a refinement process that generates multiple digital ink drawdowns at one time.
Operators can visually match the colors or use an inline or off-line spectrophotometer to analyze color quality. Users will then ultimately wind up with an ink mix to represent the best version of the Pantone color they’re seeking. The color can then be saved and stored, which can then be recalled at future dates.
In order to promote repeatability, Media Fingerprint and 3D Color Calibration deliver consistent process colors across multiple runs, presses and sites.
“A Media Fingerprint is a press-side record of how color is produced on a particular substrate,” said Cox. “The press will generate a chart, and the inline spectrophotometer will record the value of each one of those patches and store it for secondary color management to make sure the color value from run to run is consistent.”
That Fingerprint is available the next day, next year, or from press to press across multiple facilities. 3D Color Calibration can be applied every time a job is run to ensure consistency. “It’s a really good technology for keeping the color consistency, and it’s something that’s unique to Indigo,” added Cox. “It’s something the press references, which is unique to you and your substrate.”
HP has also introduced Continuous Color Calibration (CCC), which prevents interruptions with longer runs due to color calibration. According to Cox, CCC allows printers to maintain consistent color performance within a job, whether it is CMYK + OVG or a custom mix spot ink.
A spectrophotometer takes the average color at the beginning of the job and accounts for density and dot area. Adjustments are subsequently made on the fly. Performance is continuously monitored and adjusted based on the results.
Cox stated that the data stays consistent throughout multiple jobs or until full color calibration is done when the data is reset. “If you can control your density and dots, you can control your print. This helps maintain consistent color output,” he said.
Enhanced Productivity Mode (EPM) is another offering from HP that is designed to increase speeds and cost savings. Color is produced in CMY versus CMYK, and removing the black allows for higher speeds.
“Approximately 60% of Pantone book is achievable with an expected Delta E of 2.5 and under on a particular substrate,” said Cox. “For the right type of jobs, you can’t tell you’re using three colors instead of four.”
Cox also added that some customers will run a majority of their jobs in EPM while others will not use it at all. The decision depends on the color replication. Utilizing EPM is 33% faster, though.
On the HP Indigo WS6800 digital press, EPM mode produces 32 extra feet per minute, 1,920 extra feet per hour, and roughly 13,440 feet per shift.
“There’s a tremendous benefit to productivity with EPM, and that number is even more enhanced with the HP Indigo 8000,” said Cox. “It is a great tool to leverage going forward.”