1. Truth or Consequences:
Learn How to Get Great Color without Suffering
Do your customers separate in the gamut you use to print?
Do they consistently separate into one color space?
Do they always know what output will be used?
No, no and no.
Very few customers know what output is going to be when creating a job. Even if they know precisely which
device will be used, the chances of them having the most updated profile data is very low. Accurate press or
printer profiling is only attained with continuous calibration and communication of that information to
creative and pre-media. This is why files that pass even the most stringent preflight criteria go on to have
problems in the pressroom. Press and printer operators then chase the color in multiple, costly runs; or they
use Photoshop to re-render; and still compromise channel integrity.
Despite everyone’s efforts, there are still numerous, random, everyday variables that make it difficult to receive
digital files in the color space of the output device.
In the end, printers have to accept the files and adapt them to their processes. The best solution is a color
server application that does conversions on the fly for whatever output is going to be used.
The already negative situation is compounded when ink optimization solutions are employed. If ink
optimization is determined before, or without, proper color setting; the results will be fair at best, and
disastrous at worst.

2. In order to fully appreciate the performance of each product, Eli Khoury of Alwan says that its ink
savings performance should be put in perspective with its ability to maintain color, i.e., to have a low ΔE
(or, amount of change).
An average ΔE of 0.5 and a maximum ΔE less than 1 are considered to be very good quality indicators for
a color transformation. Any color difference in this range can probably not be visible by the human Eye.
And while that may be a good start as far as Khoury is concerned, Dave Hunter feels it important to
elaborate further. For what it’s worth, Hunter is an in-demand consultant and speaker who chose Alwan
over other solutions in the category.
He’s passionate on the topic: “If you pull out just one dimension of what these products do – in this case,
saving ink – you’re missing the point.
Saying, that you have to look at ink savings in the context of several variables; Hunter takes Khoury’s
point about seeking lowest color change a step further, saying that color conversion should be a required
component of ink savings.
Khoury agrees and notes that two IPA
Ink
Optimization
product
competitors
have
unbundled
color
conversion,
and
so
their
systems
seem
less
expensive
on
the
surface.
In
actuality,
having
to
manage
color
outside
of
the
process
makes
those
solutions
more
expensive.
By redirecting the focus from the single dimensionality of ink savings, to a more holistic optimization
objective, the necessary context for deciding on a good solution becomes clearer.
Hunter is not satisfied until his customers are at least aware of the other factors they should look for,
including
• Gracol/ISO
Conformance/Integration
• Press
control
and
dot
gain
compensation
• Proactive
Plate
curve
maintenance
• Complete
ISO/G7
Auditing
and
reporting
• Accommodation
for
Conventional
and
Digital
Presses
Don’t
let
your
eyes
glaze
over,
Hunter
exclaims.
“This
is
not
fancy
stuff
meant
for
people
with
bigger
budgets
and
more
resources.
These
are
all
crucial
to
quality
and
efficiency
no
matter
what
the
size
of
the
operation.”