I have been very involved in color management since well before the ICC was created and the resultant standards and processes were introduced. Prior to that time, achieving good color management was like trying to accurately hit the head of a pin with a shotgun. Tools and processes were very vendor-specific and relied on highly-skilled color professionals. The subsequent introduction over time of color management standards and process controls have streamlined the process. However, it has also raised the bar on client expectations and the need to meet those expectations in color reproduction. Add to that the introduction of more cross-platform and cross-media packaging and marketing campaigns and it becomes a difficult task. How can we accurately predict, prepare, and communicate expected conformance results before the job is printed?

There are a lot of color management applications available from stand-alone color management servers like the gmg ColorServer, ColorLogic Smart Server, and Esko’s Color Engine, among others. There are also solutions promoted to work with print device DFEs (Digital Front End) from companies including EFI, Canon, Xerox, etc. However, none of these solutions really have taken the unique approach to the solution of predicting, preparing, and communicating as ChromaChecker. Initially introduced in 2015, over the course of the last three years, this “color conformance platform” has evolved into what I believe is a must-have for almost any print service provider, but especially for those involved in labels and packaging.

ChromaChecker is a very interesting application that takes a holistic approach to its view of color management. First of all, it can assess any digital or conventional output device. This could include proofers, toner, inkjet, offset, flexographic, gravure, etc. It assesses not only process control metrics, such as whether or not the device, ink, and media combination pass G7 compliance, but more importantly provides a metric that defines the relative difference of prints to “the client’s expectation.” It does this from the ground up, by comparing media characteristics, ink characteristics, press characteristics, and viewing characteristics independently as well as in combination to help determine if and which combination is going to be possible to meet a client’s visual and measurable expectation.