Esko Pack Proof has become the first image processing software in the world to secure the prestigious Fogra55 certification for the Extended Color Gamut printing process, offering ultimate confidence in color matching.

The Pack Proof software accurately models the spot color and expanded gamut ink systems used to print brand colors to deliver a contract proof that matches the final packaging. The new Fogra55 certification adds to its existing Fogra39 and Fogra51 accreditations which demonstrate the ability of the Esko solution to match ISO12647-7 quality.

“We are thrilled with this world-first achievement,” says Martin Cusack, Product Manager, Color & Digital with Esko. “Accuracy of brand colors is of paramount importance in packaging, with a key challenge for converters being maintaining consistency between plate production and proofing. This new certification complements our existing Fogra certification to demonstrate how using Pack Proof now makes it possible to output industry standard proofs first time, enabling businesses to maximize press production and reduce errors.

“Adding Fogra 55 to Fogra39 and Fogra51 assures Esko customers that they can enjoy improved quality, efficiency and therefore productivity – all with the full confidence they are meeting the industry standard specs, every time,” Cusack says.

Fogra, the German Research Association for Printing and Reproduction Technology that provides certifications for the printing and media industries, assessed the latest version of the Esko Pack Proof software, which is available to all users of the Esko software platform.

“The process is straightforward but rigorous,” explains Cusack. “We had to output, measure and submit Epson proof samples to Fogra, which was undertaken by the team at our facility in Itzehoe, Germany, using an Epson SureColor SC-P7500. These were then submitted for analysis and to ensure they met all the strict criteria.”

Martin says the Fogra55 certification is particularly important as it is the standard for ECG printing, which is becoming increasingly crucial to modern print packaging converters. “More and more businesses today are dealing with increasingly complex designs, and using the ECG process enables them to handle these, incorporating double hit colors and large solids for example, without affecting press stability to recreate the desired design,” he adds. “We have a large number of customers around the world using our Equinox solution for the implementation of extended gamut printing, so it was hugely important to us that we demonstrate how successfully our prepress software can further accelerate and simplify the process for them.

“Equinox allows businesses to print faster with superb quality while lowering printing costs,” he states. “It standardizes printing presses on a single set of inks, delivering savings on materials and plates for packaging work and also saving significant amounts of time as the press changeover workload between jobs is reduced to merely changing printing plates.”

Cusack continues, “In terms of sustainability, the ECG process serves to reduce the amount of ink being consumed, which not only saves on costs but also in terms of the environment, helping reduce a business’s own carbon footprint through minimizing shipping and logistics as well as ink use and waste,” added Martin. “Not only that, but because there’s no cleaning of ink units between different print runs, converters reduce the use of cleaning solvents with VOCs.”

Esko Pack Proof integrates with the Automation Engine workflow automation solution, part of the Esko ecosystem that accelerates the entire process from concept to shelf.