SubscribeThe Hans Kolb Group (www.kolb-wellpappe.com), base in Memmingen, Germany, is an internationally operating organization that was founded as a family business as long ago as 1933.
Its core activities focus on the development and production of packagings, packaging materials and specialty products made of corrugated board. To market the products, the customers naturally have to acquire a "taste" for corrugated board, which is where the digital proof becomes an important tool.
For about six months now, the company has been successfully using GMG FlexoProof in conjunction with an Epson 4000 and an Epson 9600 to visualize printing results. As the first digital proofing system to be introduced at the Hans Kolb company, GMG FlexoProof has, in conjunction with the Epson printers, proved to be a dependable proofing system that is easy to operate and requires relatively little servicing.
Considerably more effort had been expected at the time of installing the proofing system - also as regards the number of color profiles required for the various printing results. Despite the numerous different printing presses with highly specific printing characteristics, and the wide range of substrates, the color profiles have in the meantime been reduced to about 10 basic curves.
A certain degree of standardization is indispensable in order to realize this and put a proof to successful use. Although they are variables, ink systems, anilox rollers, printing plates and other printing parameters are perfectly capable of being defined, and were standardized beforehand. Particularly the unavoidable on-site mixing of the ink presupposes a high degree of standardization in order to maintain reproducibility. Only on this basis can reliable production and, of course, a color-accurate contract proof be guaranteed. As emphasized by Frank Patzt, Print Preparation Manager, the defined rules are nevertheless not totally rigid. Different profiles are regularly used in keeping with production-related changes.
Hans Kolb collaborated with a partner to elaborate the process of creating proofing profiles. To this end, various corrugated-board products were repeatedly measured with a Spectrolino/ Spectroscan, and the mean value calculated from the results. Although GMG FlexoProof supports work with ICC profiles, GMG's proprietary tables were used, as is generally the case.
Following corresponding proofing/printing tests, certain color areas were modified, and fine-tuning was performed on GMG FlexoProof in order to be able to achieve a high-quality, visual match with the print. In connection with GMG FlexoProof, particular mention should be made of the successful simulation of the surface of the printing substrate, e.g. corrugated board.
The digital proofs offer security not only for Hans Kolb - the customers are also greatly impressed by the proofs and the additional packaging samples generated.