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Custom printed polybags: Ink color matching

July 18, 2016

ink drawdown

7-18-16

We custom make over 2,500 custom printed jobs each year on our flexographic printing presses.   Each job requires its own print, size, construction, material-type and ink colors.  Ink colors are vital to the overall look and feel of the custom printed polybags.

To match client ink color requests, we utilize two pieces of equipment.

  1. Novaflow  (novaflow.com) ink dispenser system which creates a wide range of pms colors from 12 base inks.  It operates similarly to the way paint colors are mixed to custom request in a paint store.
  2. X-Rite Exact spectrometer (xrite.com) which checks the ink colors produced for accuracy.  The X-Rite exact eliminates the inherent bias of visual inspections and provides detailed readouts of checked ink colors.

These two pieces of equipment combined with our internal procedures (ink is checked throughout the run) and personnel (departmental training sessions) all come together to consistently provide the right ink color per client request.

When custom colors (non-pms colors) are desired, we offer two options to help the client know what they will get prior to a full production run.

  1. Ink Draw Downs (done at no charge). We can offer a hand-made colored sample.   Ink is applied by a hand roller to a sheet of clear polyethylene.    While not an exact replica of a print press, it typically serves as a good visual for custom colors before a production run.
  2. On press trial run. (can cost depending on details).   We can ink up a press with the custom color and print some material to show the color off a print press.

Some things to know …

  1. Inks on polyethylene material will appear different than say on paper.
  2. Inks are translucent in nature.  White ink behind or printing on white materials will make the inks appear more opaque.

The picture shows the same color ink as a handmade draw down and the same colors as printed on press.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for reading!

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