The colour conundrum

One of the biggest mistakes that can be made when designing something for print is to assume it will look the same on paper as it looks on the computer screen. While it’s easy to see how this mistake can be made, it’s important to understand the difference between RGB and CMYK colours when it comes to print and ensuring the best possible end result. Converting Today spoke with Alan Bendall of Sauressig to learn more.

When ink is concerned the use of CMYK has remained the standard for decades. This system has a number of limitation most notably when attempting to colour match. Converters have been striving to offer their brand partners new colour systems and print delivery platforms to expand the colour space they can use across various types of packaging. Enter RGB printing, which isn’t a misnomer. RGB printing has the potential to offer vivid saturated colours with some claiming this innovation is a seismic shift in print and ink technologies.

Developed by Merck and Siegwerk, the innovative technology and the four new Spectraval effect pigments from Merck, in red, green, blue and white, make RGB printing possible. The result is prints that literally capture light, making the printed image appear with extraordinary brilliance and depth.

Converting Today spoke with Allan Bendall, technical director at Saueressig and began by asking how important is it to ensure colour consistency across packaging you develop?

“Consistency is key, not only across a range of products using the same construction (ink, substrate, print process), but across multiple product lines across multiple print processes. Traditionally print groups have had individual colour management streams per print process or even per printing press, however this approach could result in individual results which are excellent colour matches between digital proof and production print, but may widen the colour space when considering multiple print locations and print processes. See the visual below.”

How does the choice of substrate impact on the colour management and print process chosen?

“The colour of a given substrate will have a dramatic effect of the result achieved, however the client’s expectations can be managed if the product development process is managed effectively. Where the creative phase of the new product development is done in isolation from the print technical experts, there is a real chance that the clients expecations may not be met, especially if the substrate is not a standard white material where the output could be printed within a digitally colour managed environment.

“This is where pre-production product sampling plays its part most effectively as it can visualize the print result at the creative phase of a project and keep the clients expectations managed effectively. Samples produced on the final print substrate prior to production will give the client an excellent visual of the product prior to production.”

Has the need to be colour accurate shifted over the last few years? Are consumers as sensitive to the colours they associate with the brands they buy?

“The need to have a consistent and very accurate print tooling workflow has increased due to commercial pressures across all market sectors and all stakeholders within the print supply chain. The need for presses to run right first time, with no make ready waste, to ensure a commercially viable proposition has increased the need to manage colour within the pre-press area environment very tightly.

“Brand loyalty and colour consistency has been prevalent within a lot of different market sectors. However maybe price pressure has meant that consumers are changing brands more often, which could now mean that colour appreciation is less critical than the price point a brand commands.”

What does the future of ink development look like? The new RGB inks perhaps? Or more use of conductive inks?

“A lot of new ink development has been streamed towards the pursuit of the digital dream. Digital press development has proven that it has a place in mainstream print, and the main factor of speed and size formats are being challenged with every new development and technical advance that is available in the market.

“RGB printing is an interesting subject, and has created some quality print for niche product areas, but I would expect that the real development would need to attract mainstream or mass market interest.”