Printing on metal proofed on paper

Packaging News
June 2006

Impress in Norwich has developed a technology for producing paper proofs for printing on metal which, it says, cuts lead times, increases productivity and significantly reduces costs for customers.

The company worked with Agfa and Springfield Solutions to develop digital paper proofing technology using an Agfa Grand Sherpa inkjet printer and associated software.

Peter Hall, graphics manager at Impress, said: “We needed to put a process in place to comply with an internal ISO procedure on design approval and a digital colour proof linked to the CTP workflow was an obvious choice.

“Having selected the Grand Sherpa, we challenged Agfa to match the quality of proof that it produced on paper on our tinplate. The only way to test whether it could produce colour-matched proofs to the quality we required was to simulate ‘live’ press conditions.”

Another hurdle was that the Grand Sherpa is a four-colour inkjet printer and Impress uses a six-colour stochastic printing process on metal. After two to three months of colour calibration preparation, during which Springfield added its expertise in colour management, Impress achieved a high consistency of colour on its digital proofs by using colour-washed paper to simulate base metal.

“I’m very pleased with the progress we’ve made,” said Hall. “Our customers say it’s an acceptable match. It’s the first time that it has been attempted and it is achievable. We’ve applied colour matching to produce something that we didn’t have before.”

For further Information, please contact:

Impress:
T: +33 (0)243 485 100

Discover Impress on: www.impressgroup.com