X-Rite Announces InkFormulation of Enhanced Ink Color Matching Software

New CxF File Format for Color Transmission Now Available; New Pantone Goe System, Pantone Matching System and HKS Library

The world leader in color technology, X-Rite Co., Ltd. (Booth No. 5 Booth D02) recently announced a series of new functions for InkFormulation (IFS), its ink color matching software. X-Rite's IFS was developed specifically for ink manufacturers and printers who formulate their own inks. It provides rapid, accurate, and consistent formulation for offset, letterpress, and gravure printing inks. The new version of IFS supports the next-generation CxF (Color Information Interchange Format, a file format for color transmission). It also has the Pantone Goe system, Pantone Matching System and HKS Digital Library.

X-Rite's InkFormulation ink color matching software provides a powerful high-end ink formulation engine. With this engine, users can measure color and quickly obtain ink formulations without having to go through a cumbersome and expensive trial and error process. This drastically reduces waste and shortens the downtime required for print correction. With X-Rite's InkFormulation software, printers that do not have internal ink formulation capabilities today can save time and money by improving ink mixing and color matching processes.

Tobias Rausch, Product Manager for X-Rite's Prepress and Printing Solutions, explained: “When printers require special colors, any delay in obtaining the right ink for printing can delay precious time and lead to customer satisfaction. Problems arise and deadlines are missed. By using an intuitive user interface, a networked database, and network communications, our InkFormulation software enables ink suppliers and printers to efficiently share color data and accelerate the formulation process."

Because the software uses sophisticated mathematical tools to better predict the interaction of the ink and the substrate, IFS can quickly calculate the best choice and the most economical based on the printing process, ink, brightness, pigmentation, and the amount of ingredients and materials to be used. Recipe.

The latest version of IFS also supports the next generation of CxF, a file format designed to accurately and clearly convey all the important business elements of color through different devices, applications, industries and geographies. At each step of the process, colors are specified and stored in CxF format so that they can be completely and faithfully exchanged between the device and the application throughout the entire printing workflow, and from design to production to printing Convenient digital color transmission.

IFS's advanced color matching algorithms can improve results, especially in highly opaque applications or when color matching designs for different substrates, such as foil and transparencies. The final color correction is quick and easy, and can even be done at the time of printing. IFS provides advice on how to reduce the amount of residual ink, and can make residual ink reused in new color matching designs to reduce usage and waste, reduce processing costs, and enable users to quickly recoup investment in InkFormulation software.

With the Pantone Goe system, Pantone Matching System and the HKS library as part of the InkFormulation software, users can acquire, specify, or match any color of the color library with the click of a button, eliminating the need for manual color matching.

IFS also features batch processing, customizable printing capabilities and writing protected recipe folders, supporting higher levels of automation while reducing maintenance costs for the recipe database. This will ultimately reduce print downtime and speed up the typography process, helping to further reduce ink inventory and waste.

IFS5.1 also supports mySQL5-based databases. A new IFS Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) connectivity module will be available later this year to allow the ERP system to access a number of IFS database attribute groups. For current InkFormulation 5.0.x software customers, the IFS 5.1 version will be available for free download. The new license can be obtained through X-Rite and its extensive global network of authorized dealers.

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