Sustainability benefits of expanded gamut printing

Expanded gamut printing is a relatively new technology that allows print companies to move away from spot colors and require an inventory of them on hand or order them from their ink supplier whenever a print job requires a spot color. With expanded gamut printing, the same seven colors remain in the printing units, and only the printing plates and the substrate get changed. This leads to less frequent ink changes and print unit wash-ups and allows the so-called ganging of jobs, resulting in less use of organic solvents and lower paper consumption. Also, the target printing ink densities for the seven colors were established during the characterization press runs. In turn, the press operator knows which target densities must be achieved to obtain optimum color balance, resulting in shorter make-ready times. The savings mentioned above make the operation of a print company more sustainable.

A list of currently used Pantone colors will be compiled and converted to their expanded gamut version in cooperation with a local print company. The color difference to the digital Pantone library will be determined so brand owners know there might be a color difference.

This study focuses on the sustainability aspects of expanded gamut printing. The main goal of this project is to quantify these savings so that expanded gamut printing will achieve broader acceptance in the industry based on its advantages and enhanced sustainability of the print operation.