ProCo has invested in GMG proofing and colour management software solutions after the company wanted to reduce the time spent colour matching between its litho and digital work.
The Sheffield-based integrated marketing communications provider has clients such as John Lewis, Waitrose, DFS, and Hallmark Cards. It also works with design agencies and multiple print buyers, offering bespoke solutions to cater for its clients’ needs including web based technology platforms, integrated marketing campaign co-ordination and data management.
Head of reprographic, Karl Dalton said, ‘We are constantly looking to improve and offer our clients the best possible service to fit their needs. We recognised that colour management was becoming increasingly important and as we produce colour critical work across multiple platforms and formats, we needed to ensure we could improve the way we were processing jobs to standardise output and produce consistent high-quality results.’
When used alongside ColorServer, ColorProof offers the company a solution for standardised and simplified proofing and a colour management model that delivers consistent colour print results time and again. With ColorServer data from different sources will behave identically on the press; the result is a marked reduction in make ready times and paper waste.
The company also uses the InkOptimizer software solution for fully automated ink reduction. Using DeviceLink technology, the CMY colour component is reduced and the black component increased, resulting in significant ink savings for the company without affecting the proof to print balance.
The production environment includes two Manroland 500 litho presses and two HP Indigo digital presses – 7500 and 7800 series versions. Since installing GMG software, the company is able to calibrate its proofing system, digital and litho presses to the same standard. Mr Dalton said, ‘We have had far less issues with RGB images and can offer better quality uncoated printing due to the 47L colour profiling we now use for uncoated work. We have noticed much more accurate proofing when compared with the actual print for both litho and digital. The software has also enabled us to improve litho make ready times, leading to increased productivity, and reduced the amount of ink we are using.’
Head of reprographic, Karl Dalton
ProCo works to ISO colour standards and submit monthly ISO reports. Mr Dalton concluded, ‘Since installing GMG software we have noticed an improvement and stabilisation in our ISO test report scores and are consistently scoring in the high 90% range. Before, we were struggling to achieve over 80%.’
