How to improve your print color quality program as a brand or private label

Print Color Quality Programs can be a challenge for global brands or private labels. The process is often very manual and labor intensive, and as such can be a high financial burden for all involved. Existing programs also typically focus primarily on print preparations (pre-press) and leave quality control during the actual production run to the print provider. This creates a major QA/QC gap in many print control programs at a critical step in the…

What is a Spectrophotometer and How Does It Work?

A spectrophotometer is an instrument that is used by printers to ensure that the colors they are printing are consistent with brand standards, across different locations, materials, and utilizing different printing processes. Spectrophotometers have the ability to measure Delta E, or the difference between 2 colors. The spectrophotometer works by utilizing a white light source (LED or incandescent) that illuminates the desired measurement location and reflects light which is then separated by either a diffraction…

The Role of Handheld Spectrophotometers in Streamlining Color Quality Assurance for Packaging

Spectrophotometers are tools that printers use to ensure quality as well as consistency in their products. Spectrophotometers are commonly used in printing and packaging to ensure consistency and help maintain a brand’s identity while still complying with industry standards. The most common use of the spectrophotometer is to determine the Delta E, or the difference between two colors. This is primarily used in printing and packaging, as packaging can be made up of many different…

Densitometer vs Spectrodensitometer

Should I Use a Densitometer or Spectrophotometer in My Pressroom – this a question we hear all the time from printers across all segments of the industry. While the densitometer has been around for many years and was widely adopted, there is no doubt that the momentum has now shifted towards using spectrophotometers in the pressroom. Today’s pressroom spectrophotometers (sometimes called “spectro-densitometers”), offer all of the capabilities of a densitometer and also have the ability to actually…

Delta E: Demystifying the CIE ΔE 2000 Formula

Understanding the perceptual differences between colors is essential in various fields, such as printing, graphic design, branding, packaging, paint and coatings, textiles, and more! In this context, the Delta E value serves as a crucial metric. Delta E quantifies the disparity between two colors and plays a pivotal role in determining their visual discernibility. Generally, a 1 DE00 is deemed the threshold, indicating that any value below it signifies an imperceptible difference, while a DE00 greater than 1 indicates…

Color Process Control – Manual vs Closed-Loop

Accurate and consistent color reproduction throughout a press run is crucial for the success of any offset, flexo, or digital printing operation. To achieve this, periodic color monitoring and control of key characteristics like color, density, TVI, and G7 are essential. Traditionally, printers have relied on manual color control, a primitive and time-consuming process that often leads to costly mistakes, wasted materials, and customer dissatisfaction. In this blog post, we’ll explore the drawbacks of manual…

SpectroJet: A Closed Loop Color Solution Within Reach

Most have considered implementing a closed-loop color control system for their older offset press,but are discouraged by the perceived high cost. Well, we have great news for you. Techkon has a closed loop system that falls within the mid $30,000 price range. Techkon has a complete closed-loop system equipped with the same software features as the fully automated system. The difference is that this system utilizes a highly reliable hand scanning instrument – The SpectroJet….

What are the Advantages of Using an Automatic Scanning Color Spectrophotometer

The Power of Automation The adoption of automated print color quality control has transformed the printing industry by delivering significant improvements in color measurement accuracy, efficiency and consistency. By utilizing advanced technologies such as automatic scanning spectrophotometers coupled with color QC software solutions, businesses can enhance their production capabilities to meet the ever-increasing expectations of today’s customers. Here are some of those advantages to leveraging Automatic Scanning Color Spectrophotometers: Real-time Data Analysis Data plays a…

PressLink: A Closed-Loop Solution for Better Printing

What is PressLink? PressLink is an advanced closed-loop color control system for sheet-fed, offset presses. It integrates hardware and software to collect real-time color data and autonomously adjusts the press’s ink keys, ensuring consistent and accurate color throughout the print run. PressLink will continuously work to optimize color quality, reducing the risk of errors and waste. Autonomous Keys PressLink provides real-time quality control feedback and automatic ink key adjustment during the print run. By automating…

Match Colors Faster on Press!

Good afternoon blog fans! It’s been a little while since my last blog post and as I look ahead into 2023, I’ve got many great topics in mind to discuss with you regarding Techkon products and technologies that are “must-haves” for any printing environment. So, I am going to jump right in today with a close-up look at Techkon’s InkCheck technology. This is a feature that is built right into our SpectroDens handheld instrument and…

What is Closed Loop Color Process Control for Offset Presses and Why it’s Time to Retrofit

Periodic color monitoring and control of aim characteristics (color, density, TVI, G7, etc.) of an offset press is extremely important for ensuring accurate and consistent color reproduction throughout the press run. These operations can either be accomplished manually, semi-automatically or automatically via color measurement hardware and color control software. Manual color control is a primitive method of quality control that uses a “trial and error” process—and it’s costing printers worldwide millions of dollars in wasted…

What is a SpectroDensitometer?

Color reflection densitometers have been used for many years in the graphic communications and printing industry and are likely the most widely adopted type of color measurement instrument for process control especially when dealing with four-color process (CMYK) printing. In the 1990’s, instruments began to be utilized that, while providing densitometric information, were referred to as “SpectroDensitometers.” This has led to confusion by some and has been regarded as hyperbolic marketing by others. This stems…

CIE ΔE* (Color Difference) Equations

Pictured above is a combination handheld spectrophotometer and densitometer, the SpectroDens 4. The intent of using deltaE (ΔE) is to describe the distance between two colors. The Just Noticeable Difference (JND) of deltaE is usually 1. In other words, if two colors have a deltaE less than 1 it is imperceptible and larger than 1 is perceivable. Unfortunately, due to the nature of human color perception (our eyes), the visual perception of colors is different….

What is the Process Free (or Processless) Plate and What to Consider When Switching?

Photo Credit: Kodak Sonora Process Free Plates Since the introduction of the CTP (Computer-to-plate) plate from AGFA in 1993, it only took 2 years for more than 50 CTP systems to be brought to the DRUPA exhibition held in 1995. Nowadays, if you walk into a litho offset shop, you will definitely find a CTP system somewhere, usually in a separate CTP room or sharing space within the prepress department. Just like any equipment you…

5 Advantages of Using an Automatic Scanning Color Spectrophotometer

What is a Scanning Spectrophotometer? A scanning spectrophotometer is a precision instrument used in the printing industry to measure and control color with high accuracy. In print applications, a spectrophotometer is used to detect variations in ink color, density, and spectral data to ensure consistent, high-quality results. Its main purpose is to automatically capture detailed color information across an entire press sheet so operators can make precise ink adjustments quickly. Unlike a handheld spectrophotometer, a…

Should I Use a Color Densitometer or Color Spectrophotometer in My Pressroom?

Should I Use a Densitometer or Spectrophotometer in My Pressroom – this a question we hear all the time from printers across all segments of the industry. While the densitometer has been around for many years and has been widely adopted, there is no doubt that the momentum has now shifted towards using spectrophotometers in the pressroom. Today’s pressroom spectrophotometers (sometimes called “spectro-densitometers”), offer all of the capabilities of a densitometer and also have the…

What are M0, M1, M2, M3 Measuring Mode Settings

The 4 Different Measuring Mode Settings In accordance with the ISO 13655 standard, the “M” series of measuring mode settings were defined in order to standardize illumination conditions where optical brightening agents are utilized in substrates. The following is designed as a quick reference chart of the 4 different measuring mode settings within the “M” series. M0 “Color measuring mode A” spectral luminance factor without polarization filter under a light source that simulates standard illuminant…

Beyond the Densitometer – Part 3

Improve Pressroom Efficiencies – Part 3 Two weeks ago, we kicked off our 3-part blog series looking at “Good”, “Better”, and “Best” upgrade options for packaging printers to reduce their make-readies, improve their color matching process, and attain more consistent color throughout their pressruns. In part 1, we examined the benefits of switching from densitometers to handheld spectrophotometers in flexographic pressrooms. In part 2, we looked at the benefits of adding press-side color quality software solutions…

Beyond the Densitometer – Part 2

Improve Pressroom Efficiencies – Part 2 Last week, we kicked off our 3-part “Beyond the Densitometer” blog series looking at “Good”, “Better”, and “Best” upgrade options for packaging printers to reduce their make-readies, improve their color matching process, and attain more consistent color throughout their pressruns. In part 1, we examined the benefits of switching from densitometers to handheld spectrophotometers in flexographic pressrooms. As discussed, this is a relatively easy upgrade because these instruments still measure…

Beyond the Handheld Densitometer

Beyond the Handheld Densitometer – Part I While handheld densitometers have already been adopted in many flexographic pressrooms, it’s important to remember that these devices do not actually measure color and are therefore incapable of reporting the accuracy of brand or spot colors on press. The best that desitometers can do is to measure and report the densities (ink film thickness) of solid color patches and the tone value increase (TVI) of halftone dot areas. …