Technical Information

For commercial printers using older offset presses, it can be challenging to achieve the same color results as those obtained with newer machines equipped with automatic color control. Adding a closed-loop solution provides cost-effective automation, enabling commercial print shops and folding carton converters to remain competitive in today’s market. Printing jobs currently require manual spot checks and ink-key adjustments during production. Many printers struggle to quickly match offset lithographic color targets on sheetfed presses.

1. Each coloring assignment can waste over 600–800 sheets of paper and ink.

2. Inks and substrates make maintaining color accuracy throughout the printing process challenging.

3. As order volumes increase, customers’ stringent color‑difference requirements can lead to a higher rate of free returns.

4. The decline in profit margins requires higher manufacturing efficiency and shorter setup times to produce accurate colors.

X-Rite scanning systems and integrated closed-loop solutions maximize performance and extend the value of older presses by monitoring color and alerting operators to any deviations. The closed-loop system automates the printing process by directly capturing spectral data from the printed sheet and automatically updating the ink keys. , which is faster and more accurate than the traditional printing press workflow.

• Measuring with a tape measure is faster and reduces the likelihood of human error.

• Transmit color data to the press operator

• Detecting color consistency during the printing press’s operation

• Automatically perform the necessary ink key adjustments.

• Automatically learn and optimize curves based on changes in the printing press’s operating status.

Rutherford and X-Rite solutions can work together to help printers significantly reduce prepress preparation time, decrease the number of reprints to lower costs, and meet higher standards for print color accuracy and turnaround times. The closed-loop solution can recoup its investment in just 6–9 months. Can reduce preparation work by 30%, and cut waste of ink, paper, and labor by 50%. , and allows for increased work each day.

Closed-loop solutions can meet any customer standards and print according to most global graphic arts standards, including M1 for optical brighteners, M3 for measuring wet ink, as well as full support for G7, GRACoL, SWOP 2013, PSO, and FOGRA 51 and 52. Customized to press size—eXact AutoScan is ideal for print shops running 29-inch/74-cm or 40-inch/102-cm sheetfed presses, while IntelliTrax2 Pro provides highly automated 2-mm color bar scanning for 40-inch/102-cm or larger presses. - Capture process colors, spot colors, PANTONE® colors, paper color, tint values, gray balance, and ink density in under 10 seconds If the color starts to drift, the software notifies the operator to update the ink key, restoring acceptable tolerances with minimal intervention.

• Minimize manual intervention as much as possible.

• Stabilize press performance to improve quality and consistency

• Achieve color targets faster and reduce paper and ink costs.

• Increase profit margins for short-run printing

• Improving G7 Process Control

• Reduce returns and free reprints

• Reduce costs (save over 30% on paper and cut printing preparation time by more than 30%)

• Integrates the latest Pantone Color Library and PantoneLIVE digital standards.

• Provide .cip or .tiff files before printing, containing everything needed for the closed-loop software to automatically preset ink keys. The press operator selects the print job and paper type on the touchscreen display, and the software handles the rest to create a solid starting point.
• The eXact Auto-Scan Pro or IntelliTrax2 Pro scanning system can automatically align to capture color bars in under 10 seconds and send color data to closed-loop software within 15 seconds for real-time on-screen access.

• If color drift occurs, the closed-loop software alerts the press operator and provides recommendations for ink zones; the operator can simply press a button to accept or reject them.
• To ensure color stays on track, operators can periodically scan color data into the closed-loop software throughout the press run.
• Access the PantoneLIVE database to obtain precise spectral target values for corporate colors and other spot colors, extend into the ink room to achieve a standards-compliant end-to-end workflow, integrate with NetProfiler to ensure instrument consistency, and exchange job data with ColorCert for statistical process control.

With closed-loop press quality control solutions, printers and packaging service providers can ensure optimal color quality. Each solution can be customized with the appropriate X-Rite hardware and Rutherford software to meet the specific requirements of an end-to-end connected print shop workflow.

X-Rite color strip scanning device ：

• IntelliTrax2 Pro Automatic Scanning System | For Medium to Large Commercial and Folding Carton Printers
  Following the implementation of a print quality control process, the IntelliTrax2 Pro provides real-time job performance feedback, enhances quality control reporting, and enables compliance with the G7 printing standard.

• eXact Auto-Scan Pro | For Small and Medium-Sized Printers
  Simply press a button and eXact Auto-Scan Pro will perform the scan, providing instant job performance feedback, improving quality control reporting, and enabling G7 printing standards.

Rutherford Closed-Loop Software:

• IntelliPress2 | For Commercial Printers
  After the press operator scans the paper ribbon to obtain spectral and density data, X-Rite color measurement instruments equipped with Easy Loop can seamlessly complete the printing process. IntelliPress2 supports custom prepress job naming rules, enables automatic ink key compensation, autonomously learns parameter settings based on paper type, and provides ink key and spot color management.

• IntelliPack | For packaging and web printing
  Rutherford IntelliSet includes a standalone computer (PreOPS) that automatically processes CIP or TIFF files sent from the prepress department. The IntelliSet software applies personalized learning curves to each ink key, ensuring uniform ink density across the printed sheet and guaranteeing that the ink fountain keys open at varying proportions. By combining IntelliLoop with X-Rite measurement devices, color accuracy is maintained throughout the entire printing process.

Color targets in offset printing are not always easy to achieve. Relying on manual measurement of color patches and adjustment of the ink keys is both time-consuming and prone to error. Moreover, once the press is running, it leads to unnecessary waste of paper and ink. Only by transforming the printing operation into an efficient production process and improving efficiency at every stage can printers achieve accurate, repeatable colors. Closed-loop automation solutions have undoubtedly been a boon for many printers. With such a solution in place, the press can capture spectral data directly from the printed sheet and automatically update the ink keys, thereby automating the workflow. This reduces the accumulated waste of paper and ink caused by repeated failures to quickly reach target colors, boosts profitability in short-run production, and minimizes manual intervention as much as possible.