Hello Color Enthusiast,

We are excited to keep you up to date on all things color! This week, follow along for the latest packaging & printing industry trends, innovations, press-side chat, tech with Techkon, and fun facts.

 The Latest Trends

Personalization has started to revolutionize the packaging and printing industry. Recent research has found that 72% of consumers are more inclined to buy a product when the packaging is personalized in some way.

What does this mean for the packaging and printing industry?

In simple terms, this means there will be an increased demand for advanced digital printing. Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" campaign led the company to a 2% increase in sales. The campaign has also driven other brands to use personalization in their packaging as a marketing tool. For packaging and printing industry, this means that digital printing, with capabilities of producing precise, unique, labels, is on the rise. 

Source: PlanetTogether. "Printing and Packaging: Trends to Watch in 2025." January 2025.

Innovations

Award Winning Innovation Unpacked

In our first newsletter, we highlighted SpectroVision's 2025 FTA Technical Innovation Award. This week, we want to dive deep into SpectroVision's capabilities, design process, and key benefits. 

There is a quality assurance (QA) gap in flexographic printing. Flexographic printing is the technology with the most variables to control, yet, on average, color checks only take place every 1,000-5,000 ft. This is shocking, especially when compared to digital (color checks every 1-10 sheets) and offset (color checks every 500-1,000 sheets). Poll results from Forum & Infoflex 2024 found that inline color inspection is the #1 desired technology solution for flexo printers. The largest issue holding many printers back, however, was the high capital expense and immature technology. To combat this, the SpectroVision was designed to include the capabilities of three critical devices (web viewer, bar code grader, and a high-speed inline spectrophotometer), at 1/3 of the cost. 

What is the SpectroVision capable of?

• Spectral color measurements fast enough for full speed production runs

• Precise color measurements of the full color bar, including tints and solids, every few impressions

• Providing nearly Closed Loop experience through the use of SmartInk ink toning technology

• Predictive alerts when color begins to drift during the run

• Seamless data collection, sharing, reporting & analytics in the Cloud for every run and every sheet in 2 seconds

How did we achieve this?

• Fast spectrophotometer measurement speeds

• Simplified user interface

• Robust AI algorithm for SmartINK adjustments

• Web viewing & bar code grading

• Affordability

What are the key benefits?

• Easy to use and easy to learn

• Automation of the color measurement process

• Elimination of guesswork; clear and actionable feedback is provided

• During make ready, measurements are completed every 5-10 seconds to expedite color matching process

• Reduction of waste (ink and substrate)

• Automation eliminates the measurement burden for the operator

• The system can detect even small color changes

• "Predictive" technology can detect when color begins to drift before color goes out of tolerance

For more information about Techkon's SpectroVision, visit our website.

Press-Side Chat

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become integrated into our society, and now, it's made its way into the printing industry. While implementing this type of automated technology may seem daunting, it is important to recognize the operational efficiencies that come along with it. In the past, press operators would have to spend a substantial amount of time managing print jobs and adjusting settings manually. With AI, a lot of these tasks have become automated.

AI allows businesses to focus on their sustainability practices, as this automated technology reduces the amount of wasted ink and substrate used in each press run. This not only saves time, but also money, as less re-works are necessary. An example of this AI automation is Techkon's ChromaQA with SmartInk (2024 FTA Technical Innovation Award Winner). SmartInk uses AI driven algorithms to tone ink quickly and efficiently. This reduces make ready times, wasted materials, and helps address skilled labor shortages. 

Source: Haas, K. "AI’s Impact on Print Moving Forward." September, 2024.

Tech with Techkon

A reference guide for the index of natural and artificial light.

Fun Facts

Thanks, Newton!

Did you know that the invention of the color wheel dates back to the mid-1600s? In 1666, Sir Isaac Newton implemented an experiment where he sent white light through a prism. From this, Newton observed that each color of light would bend as it passed through the prism, creating a sort of circle as the spectrum was reflected. 

Newton's discovery led to what we know today as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Based on his experiments, Newton believed that all colors were derived from three primary colors: Red, yellow, and blue. While this notion was not entirely correct, Newton's discoveries did impact the development of the color wheels that we have today. Furthermore, Newton's discovery debunked the view that color grew out of light and darkness. Now, it was understood that light was the only force responsible for color. 

Sources: 

Color Schemer. "A brief history of color theory: the color wheel and harmony."

Daniel, A. "30 Crazy Facts About Colors That Will Blow Your Mind." November 2018.

Munsell, A. "Sir Isaac Newton’s Influence on the Color Wheel."

Now, if we fast-forward to the 1970s, we will be met with the creation of CIE XYZ, which was developed by the International Commission on Illumination. This color theory focused on how humans perceive color, as well as how color is perceived in a digital setting. This eventually paved the way for the color management systems that we use today! 

Source: Color Schemer. "A brief history of color theory: the color wheel and harmony."

Be on the lookout for our next newsletter to stay connected with the new world of color!