Locarno, Switzerland - INSTRUMENT FLIGHT^® Color Control Technology from System Brunner adds ability to monitor and control G7 gray balance and tonality on press. The worldwide 1^st Press Control System certification validates the ability to control print production to correct G7 gray balance and tonality metrics, achieving optimal visual appearance and color stability in printing.

Introduced in January, 2016, the Idealliance G7^® Press Control System Certification program validates a press control system’s ability to monitor and control G7 gray balance and tonality in real time. 

Certified G7 Press Control Systems allow print service providers to fully realize the benefits of the G7 methodology in their daily print production, not just as a one-time calibration event. INSTRUMENT FLIGHT technology from System Brunner is the world's first press control solution to pass the new G7 Press Control System Certification Program.

Steve Bonoff, Executive Vice President of Idealliance, said, “The new Idealliance G7 Press Control System Certification program has confirmed that INSTRUMENT FLIGHT Technology can monitor and control a production press run according to G7 gray balance and tonality specifications. We congratulate System Brunner on developing the world’s first press control system to elevate G7 from a calibration procedure to a complete process control system from prepress to pressroom.”

While G7 is a well-proven methodology for calibrating printing systems, most offset press control systems still rely on traditional individual solid ink density measurements and control, with no way of monitoring and controlling G7’s mid-tone gray balance or neutral density aim values. 

“Even when solid ink densities or solid LAB values remain consistent on a G7-calibrated press, significant mid-tone gray variations – up to 12 Delta E – can occur during a production run, resulting in visible color shifts that must be corrected by ink key adjustments or other means. To aid these adjustments, the press operator needs a real-time indication or an automated solution of how gray balance and neutral density compares to the G7 aim values, and how each ink needs to be increased or decreased” commented Don Hutcheson, of HutchColor, LLC, who directed the Idealliance G7 Press Control System Certification Program development.

In addition to G7 metrics, INSTRUMENT FLIGHT also monitors and controls TVI (dot gain) in the individual colors, the spread of TVI, solid ink densities, L*a*b* colorimetric targets and more of a reference print condition or standard such as GRACoL^®, ISO-12647-2 or the System Brunner Globalstandard^®. INSTRUMENT FLIGHT is able to prioritize the different metrics according to different requirements, e.g. G7 settings.

Addressing the value of G7-based press control, Mike Graff, President and CEO of Sandy Alexander, commented, "Sandy Alexander was one of the first adopters of G7 and we continue to rely on its methodology to support our position in the industry as a quality leader. As the first adopter of System Brunner’s Instrument Flight technology in the US (before the introduction of G7), we are eager to benefit from its new G7 capabilities, as we can now control the complete reproduction workflow from proof to printed sheet, according to G7 specifications. This system will help us maximize the value we get from G7 – greater predictability, shorter make-ready times, and more consistent printed results that meet the highest quality levels.”