ColorLogic News

Reproducing ECG

Expanded Gamut printing (ECG) is a hot topic in the print industry, and bringing it to the mainstream is essential for the future of Pantone® color reproduction and also brand colors. In July 2019, Ryerson University conducted a study to demonstrate the capabilities of today’s extended gamut printing software systems and their reproduction of the Pantone® solid color swatch library without iteration (measuring and improving) of solid colors. ColorLogic was a top-notch performer within the ten companies that participated.

Objective of the study

The objective of the Ryerson University Expanded Gamut Study was to explore the capabilities of Pantone® color processing and workflow solutions designed to produce expanded gamut output, in this case CMYKOGV. The Epson SureColor P9000 and HP Indigo 7900 digital printers were used for evaluation of the Pantone® solid color library.

Performance of ColorLogic

ColorLogic’s performance on the Epson SureColor P9000 was excellent. ColorLogic’s ZePrA Smart Color Server was able to reproduce 92% of the 1846 PANTONE® colors used in the test and similarly excellent results of 80% on the HP Indigo 7900. These results demonstrate the accuracy of ColorLogic’s technology and software.

The study also recognizes ColorLogic’s philosophy of comprehensive and easy-to-use features. “The ColorLogic suite of products provides comprehensive reports at every stage of the process – reporting the condition of the characterization data, a quality report relating to the ICC profile, and a spot color report that analyzes the reproduction of the spot color library. ColorLogic is passionate about color and it shows in their products, for example, a very cool tool allows real-time reduction in the number of channels and a visual result of that change in a 3-D L*a*b* gamut view. Excellent context sensitive help takes you to a web page showing exactly that item, for all menus and sub-menus,” Ryerson University states.

Software used

ColorLogic’s ZePrA Smart Color Server can be quickly integrated into existing workflows for immediate results. Its easy-to-use interface simplifies the process of creating custom color conversions with SmartLink for any workflow. The ZePrA spot color module features the most accurate methods for converting spot colors in PDF files into multicolor, CMYK or RGB color spaces. It provides PantoneLIVE® support and spot color iteration that allows creation, addition, viewing, and customization of spot colors, which can be edited, imported, or measured, adding even more accuracy when converting spot colors with expanded gamut printing. 

“Our technology was built from the ground up with expanded gamut printing in mind, this study only scratched the surface of our features, and the Ryerson study results were as expected. Our team looks forward to participating in additional studies that test the full range of our technology and software,” states Thorsten Braun, Chief Technical Officer at ColorLogic.

To conclude

The findings conclude that digital printing devices, combined with modern color management, provide a viable option for reproducing Pantone® solid colors. Replacing conventional printing methods provide numerous benefits beyond reduces costs, especially for the label and packaging industry. To download the Ryerson University Study, click here.

“Extended gamut printing benefits the print and packaging industry with a higher quality, standardized printing process vs. using individual Pantone® or brand colors for each job. Most importantly, it’s more environmentally friendly, reduces waste and increases efficiency,” Barbara Braun-Metz, CEO at ColorLogic says. “A special thanks to our incredible development team, our support specialists and most importantly our global network of ColorLogic partners who have been relentlessly demonstrating the benefits of extended gamut printing to the print and packaging industry.”