Inkjet Colour Management

Practical Colour Management For Digital Printing Workflows

COURSE FOCUS

Accurate reproduction of colour is an essential aspect of printing, and the need to ensure true colours can be a limiting factor in digital adoption. Central to the task of reproducing colour correctly is colour management - the process by which colour is measured, represented and output by different imaging, viewing and printing devices. The aim is to put in place a system that allows colours to be designed and output in an efficient and accurate manner. The Inkjet Colour Management course introduces the key technology and processes required for colour reproduction, presented by Gerrit Andre of leading digital printing software provider ColorGATE.

Session 1

  • An introduction to colour. Colour management basics

    • Colour perception

    • Colour communication

    • Device colour spaces (RGB/CMYK/CMYK+Gamut extending colours)

    • How ICC profiles work

    • Rendering intents

    • Influence of light / Viewing conditions

    • Colour difference metrics – What is Delta E and what does it mean?

    • How to communicate colours accurately – CMYK/RGB, Lab and spectral data

    • Communicating colours with different file types (TIFF vs. PDF vs. others)

  • Colour measurement

    • Overview of current devices

    • Which device should be used for certain applications.

    • Is there a “best” device? Hint: no.

Session 2

  • Printer calibration

    • Prerequisite: Know your printer behaviour

    • Practical tips for different ink types – UV/solvent/water based

    • Influences of screening methods

    • Linearization / G7 calibration

    • What to look for and what to avoid in order to accurately optimise ink laydown

    • Identifying potential measurement issues

    • Profiling and profile settings

      • Black generation methods / Ink saver

      • ICC structure

      • Identifying potential problems

      • Evaluation of a profile

      • Gamut viewers and what they can be used for

Session 3

  • ICC profiles

    • Input profiles for RGB, CMYK and greyscale

    • Impact of input settings (Profiles and Rendering Intents)

    • Profile Connection Space or Device Links? What are the differences, what are the benefits?

    • Output/printer profile options

    • How to setup an automated workflow.

  • Spot colours in digital workflows

    • Dedicated ink channel vs. colour replacement

    • What does Pantone coverage mean?

    • Assessing the results before printing (Color Preflight)

    • Proofing / Softproof

  • Summary and Recommendations - QA

Course Leader

Gerrit Andre, Trainer and Product Specialist
ColorGATE, Germany

Gerrit joined ColorGATE in 2007 and initially served in the technical service team. Since 2012 he is member of the business development team and performs pre-sale services and consultancy. As a FOGRA certified Digital Printing Expert he acts as a consultant and trainer for workflow and colour management requirements of partners and customers for commercial and industrial digital printing applications.

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