Packaging Solutions
Esko Pack Proof has become the first image processing software to secure the prestigious Fogra55 certification for the Extended Colour Gamut printing process, offering ultimate confidence in colour matching.
The Pack Proof software accurately models the spot colour and expanded gamut ink systems used to print brand colours to deliver a contract proof that matches the final packaging. The new Fogra55 certification adds to its existing Fogra39 and Fogra51 accreditations which demonstrate the ability of the Esko solution to match ISO12647-7 quality.
‘We are thrilled with this world first achievement,’ said Martin Cusack, product manager, colour and digital with Esko. ‘Accuracy of brand colours is of paramount importance in packaging, with a key challenge for converters being maintaining consistency between plate production and proofing. This new certification complements our existing Fogra certification to demonstrate how using Pack Proof now makes it possible to output industry standard proofs first time, enabling businesses to maximise press production and reduce errors.
‘Adding Fogra 55 to Fogra39 and Fogra51 assures Esko customers that they can enjoy improved quality, efficiency and therefore productivity – all with the full confidence they are meeting the industry standard specs, every time.’
Fogra, the German Research Association for Printing and Reproduction Technology that provides certifications for the printing and media industries, assessed the latest version of the Esko Pack Proof software, which is available to all users of the Esko software platform.
‘The process is straightforward but rigorous,’ explained Martin. ‘We had to output, measure and submit Epson proof samples to Fogra, which was undertaken by the team at our facility in Itzehoe, Germany, using an Epson SureColor SC-P7500. These were then submitted for analysis and to ensure they met all the strict criteria.’
Martin said the Fogra55 certification is particularly important as it is the standard for ECG printing, which is becoming increasingly crucial to modern print packaging converters. ‘More and more businesses today are dealing with increasingly complex designs, and using the ECG process enables them to handle these, incorporating double hit colours and large solids for example, without affecting press stability to recreate the desired design,’ said Martin. ‘We have a large number of customers around the world using our Equinox solution for the implementation of extended gamut printing, so it was hugely important to us that we demonstrate how successfully our pre-press software can further accelerate and simplify the process for them.’
‘Equinox allows businesses to print faster with superb quality while lowering printing costs,’ he said. ‘It standardises printing presses on a single set of inks, delivering savings on materials and plates for packaging work and also saving significant amounts of time as the press changeover workload between jobs is reduced to merely changing printing plates.
‘In terms of sustainability, the ECG process serves to reduce the amount of ink being consumed, which not only saves on costs but also in terms of the environment, helping reduce a business’s own carbon footprint through minimising shipping and logistics as well as ink use and waste,’ added Martin. ‘Not only that, but because there is no cleaning of ink units between different print runs, converters reduce the use of cleaning solvents with VOCs.’
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