Idealliance, an organization focused on workflow processes and technologies for the printing industry, recently awarded G7 System Certification and G7 Press Control System Certification to two Koenig & Bauer colour control and colour reporting systems: Instrument Flight Color Control by System Brunner and the newest version of its QualityPass software for sheetfed presses. Koenig & Bauer explains it is now the only press manufacturer to hold two G7 System Certifications.
“Our organization has continually invested in development and cooperation’s to ensure our customers produce the highest quality printing with colour control and colour reporting that can be specifically monitored throughout the print run,” said Chris Travis, Director of Technology for KBA North America. “This clearly sets us apart from our competitors and demonstrates our ongoing commitment for the highest quality standards.”
Last fall, the Idealliance G7 Press Control System Certification program confirmed that Koenig & Bauer’s Instrument Flight Control technology by System Brunner can monitor and control a production press run according to G7 gray balance and tonality specifications.
Koenig & Bauer explains its Instrument Flight Control technology by System Brunner is the world’s first press control system to elevate G7 from a calibration procedure to a complete process control system from prepress to pressroom.
In addition to G7 metrics, Instrument Flight also monitors and controls TVI (dot gain) in the individual colours, the spread of TVI, solid ink densities, L*a*b* colorimetric targets and more of a reference print condition or standard such as GRACoL, ISO 12647-2, the System Brunner Globalstandard or any specific company targets.
Instrument Flight is able to prioritize the different metrics according to different requirements, such as G7 settings. The real-time print process diagnostics and quality rating informs the press operators at any time during print production if they print in the target specification.
“The key for consistent colour match lies in observing and controlling all variables influencing the offset printing process,” said Michael Eichler, KBA North America Sales Director of Service Select. “System Brunner Instrument Flight is an outstanding tool which goes way beyond ink density and L*a*b* in order to achieve and maintain the best result according to G7 tonality specifications.
“Instrument Flight elevates G7 from a calibration procedure to a complete process control system,” continued Eichler. “The initial System Brunner on-site support service and training brings the press in line with the company’s specific workflow, a big benefit which increases the performance of the whole printing system.”
Idealliance has also certified the newest Version 8 of Koenig & Bauer’s QualityPass software for sheetfed presses. Version 8 of QualityPass produces reports on the quality and consistency of print produced and provides a score as a percentage against the required fields of the ISO 12647-2 standard, such as CIE LAB values, dot gain (TVI) and trapping.
QualityPass software allows sheetfed printers to be able to demonstrate colour consistency throughout a production run via the reports produced at the end of the job by the software and provides reassurance for a printers’ customers.
QualityPass reports are generated as a PDF for every job produced and contain every measurement taken by either the ErgoTronic Color Control device or the QualiTronic ColorControl inline system. The viewer of the report can analyze the quality of print produced and make the required adjustments to improve the scoring, for example; tensioning blankets or making alterations to the plate output curves.
The Koenig & Bauer QualityPass software system was evaluated by the G7 System Certification Program for the calibration of a printing device to meet the G7 grayscale definition using four 1-D curves and support the application of the G7 methodology in process control.
Accompanying each G7 Certified System is an Application Data Sheet (ADS), designed to assist print producers and end users in the proper use and operation of their system. Utilizing a G7 Certified System ensures the ability to operate a consistent G7-managed workflow, which has been proven to expand efficiencies, reduce costs of operation, and speed time to market of printed materials.
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