ProCo has invested in GMG proofing and colour management software solutions to provide a higher quality, consistent print service across its digital and litho print devices, reduce ink costs and cut production times.
The Sheffield-based integrated marketing communications provider boasts blue-chip clients such as John Lewis, Waitrose, DFS, and Hallmark Cards. ProCo also works with design agencies and multiple print buyers, offering bespoke solutions to cater for its clients' needs including web based technology platforms, integrated marketing campaign co-ordination and data management. This can throw up a multitude of challenges with colour quality and consistency when having to work with a wide variety of file types.
ProCo's head of reprographic Karl Dalton says: "We are constantly looking to improve and offer our clients the best possible service to fit their needs. We recognised that colour management was becoming increasingly important and as we produce colour critical work across multiple platforms and formats, we needed to ensure we could improve the way we were processing jobs to standardise output and produce consistent high-quality results."
Print requiring a high level of colour accuracy can be costly due to the additional time and technology required. ProCo wanted to reduce the time spent colour matching between its litho and digital work and also ink drying times. The company spent several months looking at GMG products, as well as other providers, and decided to go with GMG due to its reputation of being market leader in the industry, as well as its range of software solutions on offer.
ProCo has invested in GMG ColorProof for the production of high-accuracy digital proofs. Used alongside GMG ColorServer it offers the company the perfect solution for a standardised and simplified proofing and colour management model that delivers consistent colour print results time and again. With GMG ColorServer data from different sources will behave identically on the press; the result is a marked reduction in make ready times and paper waste.
ProCo also uses GMG InkOptimizer software solution for fully automated ink reduction. Using GMG DeviceLink technology, the CMY colour component is reduced and the black component increased, resulting in significant ink savings for the company without affecting the proof to print balance.
ProCo's production environment includes two Manroland 500 litho presses and two HP Indigo digital presses – 7500 and 7800 series versions. Since installing GMG software, the company is able to calibrate its proofing system, digital and litho presses to the same standard. Karl says: "We have had far less issues with RGB images and can offer better quality uncoated printing due to the 47L colour profiling we now use for uncoated work. We have noticed much more accurate proofing when compared with the actual print for both litho and digital. The software has also enabled us to improve litho make ready times, leading to increased productivity, and reduced the amount of ink we are using."
ProCo works to ISO colour standards and submit monthly ISO reports. Karl says: "Since installing GMG software we have noticed an improvement and stabilisation in our ISO test report scores and are consistently scoring in the high 90% range. Before, we were struggling to achieve over 80%."
"GMG have lived up to expectations and been great throughout the whole process. From consultation to the initial stages of development, quick and easy installation and training, the support has been excellent," says Karl. "In fact, we are currently transitioning into the full automation of our production processes and will be speaking to GMG to see where they can assist with our plans."
Toby Burnett, MD, GMG UK, says: "We are very happy to be working with a business such as ProCo. They are a great example of how implementing GMG solutions can enable a company to remove output inconsistencies and standardise across all devices, bringing significant colour management benefits, productivity gains and delivering time and cost savings throughout the production workflow."
