CGS ORIS has announced the launch of Real Substrate Proof, a breakthrough that is set to transform the way prepress houses and packaging converters communicate color with their brand customers.
Developed in partnership with Mutoh, Real Substrate Proof enables production of proofs and mock-ups on the final target production substrate. Unlike other solutions, Real Substrate Proof retains the look and feel and all other physical properties of the substrate.
“We are very excited to bring this unique and exclusive solution to market,” said Heiner Müller, Sales Director Packaging, at CGS ORIS. “One of the key challenges in proofing of packaging designs in the past was the need to use special coated substrates not quite resembling the final stock or to use UV inks which add a distinctive ink layer to the substrate. Worse, UV inks quite often have an offensive odor.
Also, a basic prerequisite for packaging proofing is the ability to match brand and spot colors. Our brand-new ink set, specifically designed for use with FLEX PACK software, include CMYK as well as orange, green, blue, and white, matching that requirement and covering nearly the complete Pantone Library.
The inks are non-toxic, odorless, highly stretchable, and print on a variety of substrates such as extremely thin flexibles, shrink and IML film, solid carton, or corrugated board. They are heat resistant and can be over-varnished, making it suitable even for applications like printing on metal. This makes proofs not only more realistic, but also easier, faster, and cheaper to produce, important in a highly competitive marketplace where quality and time to market are critical to the success of prepress houses and packaging converters, as well as their brand customers.”
The Solution
Real Substrate Proof, developed jointly with Mutoh, is part of the FLEX PACK solution. It consists of the Mutoh VJ-628MP printer, or the new larger hybrid version, the VJ-1629MH, together with newly developed inks and designed specifically for use with FLEX PACK software (CMYKOrGrBlWh). These special water-based resin inks are characterized by their excellent adhesion and their unique stretching and shrinking properties, enabling printing directly on all kinds of packaging media, including shrink films.
“Real Substrate Proof is a brand-new approach to proofing and prototyping in packaging,” Müller added. “The combination of the Mutoh printers, CGS FLEX PACK software and the inks enables this new approach available exclusively from CGS ORIS. It delivers best-in-class print quality in a compact footprint that fits in even the most space-constrained operations. FLEX PACK software was specially designed to meet the most demanding requirements of the packaging industry. It is based on CGS ORIS´ patented iterative 4D color management technology tailored to the needs of the packaging industry. Cloud-based color databases such as the CxF CLOUD or PantoneLIVE, as well as brand owner proprietary color databases, can also be integrated into the FLEX PACK solution. FLEX PACK includes integrated preflighting, soft proofing and proof certification and supports spectral color data such as CxF/X-4.2."
