Expanded Gamut Printing: The Order of The Day as APR, Esko Stage Technical Seminar + APR & Partners’ Open House

Seminar photoGLENDALE HEIGHTS, IL—All Printing Resources (APR) and Esko jointly staged a full-day seminar, exploring the state of expanded color gamut printing, Tuesday, June 19, 2013. Specific topics on the agenda included ECG Printing’s benefits, implementation strategies and complementary technologies. The event attracted approximately 70 flexographers, the majority being printers/converters. With representatives from the two sponsor companies counted, attendance topped 90.

Moderated by Richard Black, APR, two presenters—Mark Samworth of Esko and Catherine Haynes of APR, shared the stage for the entire day. They reviewed ISO ink and print standards, explored G7 tolerancing, encouraged all present to select ink for ECG or seven-color printing, get curves for seven colors, collect color profile data—then smooth and sync it.

Seminar photoEmphasizing that multiple samples will take error out and eliminate the noise in the data, both speakers stressed that it is essential to think of color in three-dimensional format. Applying ECG has been found to result in a 72 percent expansion of the gamut—32 percent in orange, 21 percent in green and 19 percent in violet, they noted. Samworth estimated that 16 percent of printers now engage in the process and projected that 50 percent soon will.

Specific instructions were issued from the podium:

  • Know what you are aiming at
  • Select a target and print to a specification
  • Utilize dependent standards
  • Apply smoothing and syncing
  • Edit by location in color space
  • Understand and communicate perceptual rendering intent
  • Deploy curves in staging virtual pressruns (VPRs)

Seminar photoWith the technical briefings complete, APR staged an Open House at its offices on Wednesday, June 20. There, business partners offered additional information on topics ranging from HD Flexo to anilox roll choices and applications, UV LED drying of inks, G7 and, of course, ECG printing.

Speaking once again were Samworth and Haynes. Also delivering talks were: David Chinnis, Esko; Mike Huey, Harper Graphic Solutions and Tom Calder, Flint Group Packaging & Narrow Web.

Seminar photoEquipment on display and available for demonstration included APR’s Anilox Roll Cleaner 1800, APR’s Auto Plate Washers, Esko’s CDI Spark, Harper Corporation of America’s Phantom QD Proofer, Integrity Engineering’s Perfect Proofer, NexGen’s Ink Pan Washer and Solvent Recycler.

Also available for viewing and demo were a SysTec Demounter and Narrow Web Sleeve Mounter; Techkon’s SpectroEdge, 3M and APR RFID Cabinets and X-Rite and Techkon Spectrodensitometers.