Print Quality Analysis

As inkjet expands into more demanding markets it’s time to demand more from your color management tools.

Direct mailers are heavily invested in inkjet. In the US 42% of direct mail page volume runs on inkjet – that’s only 6% behind offset and growing. Now, commercial printers

Process control and color management are the one-two punch that knocks out digital printing inefficiencies.

Mike Todryk of IWCO Direct uses G7 color management across a range of production processes, including inkjet. In this post he lays to rest some misconceptions about G7 and its uses and shares insight on how the process can add value.

In the previous post How to Make an Inkjet Sandwich I talked about the potential different ways that ink can react to a substrate when used in combination with other fluids such as primers or post-coatings. Those interactions make it critical to optimize all the fluids for your entire process, prior to linearization and profiling, to avoid print defects such as color to color bleed and coalescence.

The METIS 3D Scanner creates opportunities for designers and printers think outside the box and expand creative applications for all print markets. Being able to reproduce 3D texture reproductions with existing UV printing equipment or providing scanning services for CGI/PBR (computer-generated imagery/physical based rendering) applications allows designers to not only visualize but customize and develop 3D patterns.

Our latest research surveys production inkjet users on  requirements for print quality measurement when qualifying papers for use on inkjet presses and their satisfaction with OEM services related to meeting those requirements. Executive summary available to all. Premium members can download 18 page report.

One of the fastest-growing applications in wide-format and industrial printing is textures, and while a lot has been written about how these kinds of materials are printed, typically using UV flatbed wide-format printers, not much has been said about the front end of the required process when developing inkjet imaged home décor such as flooring and window covering.

Mike Todryk, Color Technical Specialist for IWCO Direct shares three of the biggest client communication gaps impacting Production Service Provider’s ability to reproduce brand colors correctly. Educate your customers, educate yourself and get colors right the first time.

Many printers practice ink management by limiting combined process inks (CMYK and +) through a color profiling process. TAC adjustment can help control ink costs, drying, curl and paper cockle by limiting the overall volume of ink printed. Let’s talk about how to find the the percentage value of a color at which we no longer gain any color value by adding ink.

Experimenting with your inkjet press is something that should be part of your monthly plan. Here is the second of three experiments to help you really get to know your press. The first experiment was about paper. Today we talk about ink volume.

The sheer number of factors that affect the color gamut in production inkjet can be overwhelming. Whether you are a Print Services Provider or a buyer of inkjet-printed products, these color gamut factors matter. IWCO Direct spends a lot of time answering these questions internally and for customers. Here are some of the things they’ve learned thus far.

Most inkjet applications require paper. For many reasons, compatible inkjet paper is in short supply. If you are involved in the inkjet print supply chain, or a buyer of the finished product, it is in your best interest to help clear hurdles to identify and qualify compatible papers and to communicate availability as efficiently as possible.

Companies evaluating paper for suitability for their inkjet environment have different expectations. What is most important to you and your customers: gamut, show-through, small text clarity, mottle, coalescence, edge clarity, or are they all important? Do you get the data you need to see how a paper performs in these areas on your press?

Many buyers in 2019 are looking to complement or replace their offset production capabilities. High speed inkjet is gaining acceptance in a market with high print quality and color expectations. We are talking about high end, high value printing such as marketing collateral, magazines and catalogs. Read on for a round up of factors in evaluating presses for this market and top OEMs making the cut.

Coated papers being more expensive, we expect higher quality from the printed piece. Gloss coated, which holds the ink high on the surface, will show any defect from inconsistent pre-coating, print head jetting and even inconsistent paper coating. Note that, even though we may not see a difference in surface coating, offset coated papers can come with inconsistencies that originate at the paper mill. If coating is not evenly applied across the entire paper machine, the roll or ream you receive will print and dry differently than the one before.

Regardless of whether you are new to production inkjet or trying to work through production challenges, success often comes with a well-rounded approach that includes filling knowledge gaps and executing critical process steps.  

After the trainers leave and before you develop buyer’s remorse, there are tricks to living with your press that will allow you to maintain your inkjet excitement. That is the purpose of this series, starting with this first episode on dealing with ghosts.

Producing quality rich blacks and image details with inkjet can become a scary task. Learn how to control black details (shadows) by understanding the ink/paper/profile combinations that are spooking your results. Happy Halloween.

John Seymour shares a humorous post on the accomplishments of Albert Munsell and his contributions to the field of color management. Provides an overview of the leading sources of color management theory and an approachable way to understand three-dimensional color space.