Impressing Customers With New Proofing Technologies

Printing packagings is one of the most elaborate tasks in the graphic arts industry. So, the production of advance proofs for approval of the printing data is correspondingly important. The new generation of inkjet printers from Epson and GMG ColorProof software now permit top color quality even on transparent films – and the time and cost outlay is significantly reduced.

Janoschka GmbH

Since its establishment in 1976, Janoschka GmbH, based in Kippenheim, has become one of Europe's leading providers of prepress services for the packaging sector. More than 300 employees there produce 38,000 impression and stamping cylinders per year, and Janoschka is present around the world with a total of 25 production facilities in 10 countries.

The customers – manufacturers of branded goods and printers – get maximum flexibility, top quality and prompt project realization. The company offers complete solutions from a single source, from technical implementation to the finished product. Needless to say, the latest technologies are used throughout the company group in order to set standards in terms of customer service and product quality.

Various substrates, printing processes and inks are used, particularly in packaging printing for consumer goods. That is a major challenge when it comes to maintaining a consistent brand design in the different production processes. All the technical parameters already have to be taken into account during preparation for printing in order to guarantee optimum color quality in the individual printing processes. Janoschka specifically tailors the entire reproduction stage to the respective printshop and the ultimate printing process – mainly the gravure process in Kippenheim.

Color-Accurate Proofs

Given these high demands on quality, the color management system used has to be very flexible. Janoschka uses GMG ColorServer for automatic conversion of the data to the later printing standards. And all the companies in the group similarly opt for GMG technology in conjunction with Epson printers when it comes to proofing. Only the GMG proofing solution separates calibration and profiling, thereby offering the flexibility to make universal use of color profiles across all companies or by remote proofing on a printer series – a necessity in view of the numerous color standards and spot colors used in the packaging sector.

Since the proof is also the basis for communication with the customer and approval for printing, its production must not take too much time in an efficient approval process. The packaging industry is characterized by ever-shorter delivery deadlines. New products are developed quickly, and have to be brought to the market just as quickly.

Manufacturers of branded goods, and also agencies, want to see the most realistic possible simulation of the definitive packaging in advance. Although digital processes are used today, there is a critical time factor if recourse has to be taken to analog methods in this context. And that is still the case, particularly when it comes to simulating transparent film packagings. In the past, Janoschka went for Kodak "approvals" or "transfer proofs" – a mixture of digital inkjet printing on transfer film and analog cromalin. Owing to the work steps involved, such as lamination, this production method is not only time-consuming, but also entails high material costs. Despite the high outlay, the result is not color-accurate and does not completely satisfy the customer's demands.

Color Proofing Epson Printer

Janoschka has been using a new proofing solution for this application for about two months now: a GMG ColorProof o5 system in combination with the new Epson Stylus Pro WT7900, which has a total of 8 colored inks plus environmentally friendly, water-based white ink. The new Epson Stylus Pro WT7900 was developed specifically for the high demands of the packaging proofing sector, and control of the printer by the GMG software offers the necessary printing quality, repeatability and color accuracy on such printing media as transparent film, metal foil and paper. The GMG system permits both partial and complete underprinting or overprinting with the white that is so important for packaging proofing. Moreover, GMG offers particular flexibility in that the opacity, white gradation and white tinting can be adjusted individually. By additionally using orange and green inks, the printer provides a significantly larger gamut, permitting color-accurate simulation of even more spot colors.

At Janoschka, the Epson Stylus Pro WT7900 is predominantly used to simulate products for branded goods displaying partially white and transparent areas. In this context, the proof is mainly produced by reverse printing. The motif is reversed, the topmost ink being printed first, and white last. The ink is then protected by the film and demonstrates particularly high color brilliance.
The new proofing solution has major advantages for Janoschka. On the one hand, dramatic time savings in proof production, since all jobs are now output fully automatically. On the other hand, lower costs due to the considerably smaller quantity of material used. "The customers are very impressed by the results of the new proofing solution for transparent materials – they at last get a realistic, high-quality preview of the ultimate product," says Dominic Weschle, Technical Consultant for Print Color Management at Janoschka GmbH.

Following the test phase in Kippenheim, analog-digital transfer proofs are to be completely replaced by the GMG-Epson solution. GMG FlexoProof XG is then to be used at the other company locations focusing on flexo printing, making it possible to use the original imagesetter data to simulate the subsequent screening on the press by producing a halftone proof on film in advance.

CONCLUSION: For Janoschka, the combination of Epson Stylus Pro WT7900 and GMG ColorProof is the first system enabling production of truly color-accurate proofs on transparent film. The customer gets a color-accurate preview of the definitive product, and the service provider has less work and expense – a unique win-win situation in the packaging sector.

Info: Reverse Printing
In packaging printing, there is not only face and back printing, but also reverse printing for transparent materials. In this case, the ink is applied not to the outside surface, but to the inside, thus protecting it against external influences. Since the print is covered by the transparent outer layer of film, the colors additionally acquire particular depth. In reverse printing, the color on top in the printed image is printed first, the white background only being applied in the final step. The printed image has to be reversed for this purpose, so that it appears the right way round from the front.

Technical Info: Epson Stylus Pro WT7900 / GMG

• Epson Micro Piezo TFPTM print head with 360 nozzles per color, resolutions up to 2,880 dpi
• Optional: Epson SpectroProofer for automatic color control
• Epson UltraChrome HDR (High Dynamic Range) inks; Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Orange, Green and White
• Media width: roll width 406 mm – 610 mm; sheet stock 210 mm – 610 mm
• Supported by various print modes (high-quality, high-speed) in GMG ColorProof, GMG DotProof and GMG FlexoProof
• Calibrations available for GMG media and Epson ClearProof film