Maintaining Brand Standards with Color Guide

Color Guide: This function (formerly known as Ink Check) is found on the SpectroDens Premium, SpectroJet Pro and SpectroDrive Pro instruments. The Color Guide Feature is a great tool to support intiatives related to maintaining brand standards.

1. What is this function / What does it do? The Ink Check function is a unique Techkon function that combines the measurements of Density and Color (L*a*b*). When operating a printing press an operator can either add ink to a roller or remove ink from a roller which controls the ink film thickness or “Density” of an ink. Customers are now requiring more accurate data to show that their press run was printed within certain corporate brand or industry specifications. This requires more advanced measurements including Color (L*a*b* and Delta E) data. Learning and understanding L*a*b* can be very difficult and there are no L*a*b* knobs on a printing press so the operators can become confused by this information. They may understand that they need to keep the Delta E (DE) below a certain threshold (2.0, 3.0, etc.), but they may not understand how to get there. The Ink Check function shows the press operator the current Density and Delta E as compared to a standard color stored within the device. It then shows that a lower DE can be achieved by adjusting the Density Up or Down a certain amount.

2. Why is it important? This is an important function as it makes it easier for press operators to understand and implement Color (L*a*b* / DE) controls within their pressroom. It is a unique function not available on most of the competitive instruments in the market today.

3. Why do customers need this type of functionality? Customers need this type of functionality to better meet the demands of today’s print buyers and print specifier’s. They are requiring tighter tolerances to maintain brand standards and to reduce waste due to “bad” color.