Are you doing everything you can to get the best out of your presses? Are they producing at their optimum? Are they delivering the results you know they can?
Once an investment has been made and the system has bedded in many print service providers (PSPs) may find themselves happy with the output of their digital production press for as long as their clients are. However, there are number of ways to ensure the quality of print remains consistently high throughout the lifetime of each press, or even elevate it further. They include employing the below suggestions.
Colour management
Few things are more frustrating than printing a beautiful high quality job only to have it rejected by the client because the colours do not match. Correct colour management prevents this by ensuring that the colours displayed on screen are exactly the same on the printed material. The controlled process adjusts the colour characteristics for different devices in the imaging chain to achieve consistent colour output. It helps achieve results with no variations – no matter what printing process or materials are specified.
Calibration
Crucial to maintaining consistency and predictability is calibration. Every device – from scanners and monitors to printers – interprets and reproduces colours differently. Calibration ensures they produce predictable colours that align with industry standards and meet client expectations.
ICC profiles
International Color Consortium (ICC) profiles describe how a specific device reproduces colour and how it should be interpreted. Using them helps bridge the colour differences between devices by providing a transformation matrix that describes how to convert colour from one device’s colour space into another’s.
Quality inks and media
The quality of inks and media used significantly influences the quality of the final print. High quality materials ensure better fidelity and durability. Manufacturer-recommended inks help assure print quality and colour accuracy while high quality media suitable for digital production will achieve the best results.
It is also advisable to regularly check output against digital proofs and to evaluate prints in controlled lighting conditions.
Elevating production quality and getting colour management right was once the preserve of highly skilled experts. Today intelligent, accurate and reliable technology is integrated into digital presses to quickly calibrate colour, create profiles, and ensure repeatable accuracy.
Erwin Busselot is director, business innovation and solutions, Ricoh Graphic Communications, Ricoh Europe
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