Victor Envelope Implements the SpectroVision Inline Color Quality Control Solution

We sat down with some of the staff at Victor Envelope to learn more about their operation, facility, and why they chose to implement Techkon color control solutions.  A billion envelopes is no small feat and we are proud to be an integral part of making that happen! Interview Participants: John Horgan – Quality Control Specialist Kent Gundlach – President Dariusz Kogut – Technical Training & Production Development Manager We asked John to comment on…

A New Appreciation for Inline Color Measurements

It goes by many names.  Some call it “pressroom color QC”, “pressroom color QA”, or even “pressroom color quality control”.  However, regardless of the name, packaging printers are recognizing the value and are investing in color quality solutions for their pressrooms with the ultimate goal of getting up to color faster, lowering their make-ready costs, and achieving more consistent color across long press runs. Most typically, these solutions feature new software (such as Techkon’s ChromaQA)…

Choosing the Right Color QC Software Package

Brand managers and print providers can take control of their color quality process by implementing a Color QC software solution.  Color QC software solutions are an essential tool in the pressroom to communicate job color standards and tolerances, provide PASS/FAIL feedback for operators, offer recommendations to quickly achieve desired color targets, and provide reporting of job color metrics to internal and external stakeholders such as brand customers.  Press-side and on-press color quality solutions are available…

3 Reasons Why Packaging Printers Love SpectroDens

When our Director of Marketing asked me for a blog this week titled “3 Reasons Why Packaging Printers Love SpectroDens”, I shot her a curious look (via my webcam) and replied “you must joking”.  How can I possibly whittle down all of the pros of the SpectroDens to a list of only 3 things?  However, after some quick reflection on this idea, I have decided to give it my best shot.  Although, at this point,…

Techkon SpectroVision – The 3 in 1 Solution for Flexo Print Quality

Part III – Web Viewing: Over the past 2 weeks, we have examined how SpectroVision is an invaluable pressroom QA tool with its automated color measurement and bar code grading capabilities.  Together, these features allow SpectroVision to play an extremely important role on press by helping operators get up to color faster, stay there throughout the press run, and prevent problems that ultimately cause wasted time, wasted materials, and reduced profit margins. This week, in…

Techkon SpectroVision – The 3 in 1 Solution for Flexo Print Quality

Part II – Bar Code Grading: Last week, we kicked off this 3 part blog series by looking at the changing landscape for package printers and how brand owners are moving towards more SKU’s, shorter run lengths, and tighter color tolerances.  Together, these dynamics mean more frequent and longer make-readies for packaging printers which further reduce already thin profit margins.  As we discussed last week, Techkon’s SpectroVision has been designed specifically to reduce make-ready times…

Techkon SpectroVision – The 3 in 1 Solution for Flexo Print Quality

Part I: Ever wonder if there is new technology out there that was designed specifically to help you increase your flexo pressroom efficiencies and save you money?  If you answered “YES”, then sit right down and let me explain how Techkon SpectroVision may be precisely the solution you have been searching for. We know that brand customers are moving toward more SKU’s, shorter run lengths, and tighter color tolerances.  Together, these factors add up to…

A Comparison of ChromaLT and ChromaQA Color QC Software

So you are a packaging printer and interested in a color quality software solution to help you reduce your make-readies, increase profitability, and produce more accurate & consistent color for your brand customers.  Well, Techkon has a range of hardware and software solutions to help you achieve this goal.  But today, I would like to spend a few minutes comparing and contrasting our two Chroma branded software solutions; ChromaLT and ChromaQA. At a high level,…

Creating Colorbars for the SpectroVision Inline Quality Inspection System

A question we get asked a lot when talking to print shops is regarding color bar requirements for our SpectroVision inline spectrophotometer.   It seems like a simple question, but when you take into account all of the little nuances it can be a little tricky.  Below you will find answers for many of those questions we get that will hopefully help you understand how the system works and the efficiencies that can be garnered if…

Multiple Measurements From One Sample

Greetings everyone and welcome to Blog 2 in our series on ChromaLT.  As a reminder, ChromaLT is the ultimate companion software for your handheld pressroom spectrophotometer and by far the easiest color quality solution for packaging printers to deploy in their pressroom.  Throughout this blog series, we’ll be highlighting specific pressroom use cases and illustrate how ChromaLT can increase the efficiencies of your press operators and ultimately lead to better color matches and a higher…

Chroma LT – It is Super Easy to Use

This is the start of a mini blog series on how Techkon’s ChromaLT color quality solution really is the ultimate companion software for your handheld pressroom spectrophotometer and by far the easiest color quality solution for packaging printers to deploy in their pressroom. Throughout this blog series, we’ll be highlighting specific pressroom use cases to illustrate how ChromaLT can increase the efficiencies of your press operators and ultimately lead to better color matches and a…

How SpectroVision Slashes Flexo Make-Ready Costs

  As a refresher, the Techkon SpectroVision is an inline color quality or color QC solution that can be mounted to your existing flexo, gravure, or digital press.  It features a true, 31 point, spectrophotometer that is capable of measuring color bars, color patches, or anywhere inside the printed artwork while the press is running at speeds of over 1,000 ft/min.  However, SpectroVision is quite unique in its’ ability to measure an entire process control…

Inline at Insane Speeds

  Here at Techkon we often get the question, “How fast can your inline spectrophotometer measure?”  While in the end the answer is simple, sometimes it takes a little bit of mental dexterity to grasp it.  Today we will answer the simple question and then give you the details behind it. QUESTION:  How fast can your inline measure? ANSWER:  How fast can your press print! I know that seems like an outrageous answer, and well…

Stricter Tolerances and Expanded Gamut: Key Emerging Trends in Flexo Printing

Having just attended the Flexographic Technical Association conference in San Diego, it’s clear that two major trends are emerging as the Flexo industry evolves. Both present a challenge to printers and suppliers but the technology exists to help us successfully address both. Flexo Quality Control (FQC) – One of the most interesting sessions of the conference addressed the growing demand for higher quality in Flexo print production. Most flexo printers check the color accuracy at…

Full Vision Print Inspection System or Inline Spectrophotometer for your Web/Flexo Press? 3 Things to Consider

Competition in the print industry is fierce and profit margins are thin. As a result, companies have to be diligent when making capital equipment purchases. When it comes to equipment that helps maintain inline/continuous print quality for every print impression, costs can range from $30K for an inline spectrometer or densitometer to nearly $300K for a full vision print inspection system. Which one do you need? That depends. Here are three things to consider before…