The world of color is constantly changing and advancing. New technologies and equipment require continuous improvement in education and implementation. During the 8 years that I have been at IWCO, we have seen many, many changes. My colleague realized early on in the process of onboarding our first digital inkjet presses that IWCO was going to need a dedicated team to focus on getting all of our technologies, both litho and digital, to play well together and be consistent. Digital technologies require a different level of color management expertise to truly realize all of the possibilities of this new era. So, Color Technical Support (CTS) was born.
A World-Class Industry Leader in Color Management
Since the inception of CTS, IWCO has grown into a world-class, industry leader in Color Management. We are deeply involved in ISO standards and the Idealliance Print Properties Council, even hosting the last ISO/PPC in-person meeting at the end of March this year. Utilizing Industry Standards and G7® methodology is an integral part of our identity in regards to color management. Working with these industry groups keeps us on the cutting edge while still allowing us to support all of our printing technologies.
IWCO uses a number of different digital platforms as part of our overall strategy and each requires a different approach. As a G7 Master Print Facility, maintaining G7 consistency is important. Different technologies require different methods to achieve G7. CTS is constantly looking for new and better ways to improve our quality and consistency, while reducing cost wherever possible. This is especially true in the digital world. Using industry leading color management techniques, IWCO is able to maintain a high level of color fidelity across all of our technologies and locations, while reducing ink consumption. Monitoring our color fidelity is another important aspect of the process. IWCO is tracking our color continually across all of our processes and locations. When we see potential issues start to arise, we are able to address things before they get out of hand.
It Takes a Team to Achieve Color Fidelity
Another thing that sets IWCO apart is the level of color training that we provide. From our operators and production personnel, to our creative teams and even clients, IWCO understands that color fidelity is easier the more everyone in the process understands it. That includes calibrating monitors, installing correct color settings on people’s computers, and even providing Munsell tests to check color acuity for anyone that is viewing and accessing color.
It bears repeating that color and technology are constantly changing, which makes IWCO’s industry leading color management even more important. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. Also, try taking a Munsell test at https://www.xrite.com/hue-test.
