Comparative analysis of color reproduction in digital and flexographic printing of packaging material

Abstract

The study sought to answer the question of how a given digital printing technology reproduces colours on a typically frequently used packaging material (20μ thick transparent polypropylene) as a printing substrate, and how the colour reproduction characteristics of digital and flexographic (flexo) printing compare. The study revealed the impact of prepress (printing plate production technology) on colour reproduction in flexographic printing. The research focused on 10 flexographic printing samples produced using different printing plate production processes and/or different printing machines. Similarly, a sample was produced using a digital printing process on an HP Indigo 20000 printing machine. The print sample used for the CMYK colour space tests was a GMG Flexo chart. By measuring, comparing, and evaluating the colour profiles of the 11 print samples, it was found that both digital and flexographic printing technologies can cover approximately half of the Lab colour spectrum. Both the technology and type of printing plate production and the screen structure used on the printing plate have a clear impact on the colour gamut reproduction capability of flexographic printing.