Details:
Summary:
The need to characterize inks in a colorimetric fashion instead of densitometrically is long overdue in the United States, Europe having done so decades ago. The relationship between density measurements from a densitometer and color measurements from a colorimeter or spectrophotometer would be akin to the weather and Thursday afternoon. The fact that there is weather on Thursday afternoons is the only relationship. The GAA task forces responsible for colorimetric certification of Group VI/SWOP proofing and production inks report their findings to-date and make recommendations which could become the basis of a colorimetric specification for production and press proofing inks and off-press proofing systems. However, the implications of these findings and the recommendations must first be presented to the industry for evaluation. Areas such as sample preparation, measurement geometry, gloss, reproducibility among different instruments, and the principles of colorimetry need to be addressed so that a final specification will be useful. Having a colorimetric specification will not preclude the use of densitometers in printing, but rather will better define their proper use. The GAA task forces responsible for colorimetric certification of Group VI/SWOP proofing and production inks report their findings to-date and make recommendations which could become the basis of a colorimetric specification for production and press proofing inks and off-press proofing systems. However, the implications of these findings and the recommendations must first be presented to the industry for evaluation. Areas such as sample preparation, measurement geometry, gloss, reproducibility among different instruments, and the principles of colorimetry need to be addressed so that a final specification will be useful. Having a colorimetric specification will not preclude the use of densitometers in printing, but rather will better define their proper use.