The psychology of color in marketing and branding is a much-discussed
topic. Since color plays such an important role in advertising products
and services, it is extremely important that color management is spot on.
Color management is an important consideration with any printing or
media project. The colors displayed can be crucial for the best possible
project or campaign outcomes. If there is a lack of consistency or your
colors do not appear the same shade in all of the printed materials as
they do on your computer screen then this can be a big problem at times.
Satish Nayak, CTO Bodhi Professional Solutions and an expert in the field
of colour talks about why Colour Management Solutions are important in
our print process.V
Digital Impressions: What is the importance of
CMS in Graphic Arts?
Satish Nayak: CMS plays a very important role
in managing colour in print, irrespective of
technology used for reproduction. CMS ensures
that we get consistent colour reproduction
irrespective of machine’s age or brand.
The notion of my machine is new and prints
good color is not true. Predictability the system
helps us save a lot of wastage and uncomfortable
situations with clients. CMS will go a long way to
be efficient and effective business practices.
D.I.: Usual questions people ask – “Why is my
print not matching my display?’’ Your take on
this.
S.N. : Very simple. If you are working with
standards - then this becomes easy and when all
standards are followed in print and calibration
process THE PRINT WILL MATCH THE MONITOR
WITHOUT A DOUBT.
Also, important is to have a good Hardware
calibrated monitor and EVEN MORE IMPORTANT
is to have this setup done by a professional and
understand the parameters of these setups and
then VALIDATE this. Often these steps are just
ignored.
D.I.: Digital Print and CMS, what has changed
over the years?
S.N. : The reason is simple: a jobber market
does not look at color and quality as they are
working on volumes and only a few are looking at
color and quality.
These few and offset printers who invest in
digital, now look at Color and Quality as one of
the main points. This Leads to the point how do
we automate these as without this talking about
Quality and Color is not be a reality and this is
where they invest in CMS solutions for this level of
predictability.
Now doing this in today’s date and time is
easier and automated and this makes it simple
and effective to implement these in customers
workflow.
Many customers are doing custom profiles - so
that all of them maintain color consistency across
their laser digital and offset and inkjet digital.
Here I would like to mention many outdoor
signage printers abroad, certify and run to
standards and now this is slowly penetrating into the
process in India too. Quality is a long term solution
and not short term. So one needs to think clearly
where one needs to be today and in next 5 years.
D.I.: How many printers/designers in India
really understand CMS and how many put it in
practice?
S.N. : Very few. We hope to change this, and
printers in the next generation are changing this.
Like I mentioned there are 2-3 distinct segments
and when we talk about digital, this means all and
here many of these growing to offer more than
digital are now seriously looking at CMS (Color
Management Solutions). Many international
companies need digital signage and prints all
based on color management policies that they
know and understand. So slowly but surely you
will shift from the low cost just a print service to a
complete color managed services and this also
brings into effect customer satisfaction, reducing
wastage and bringing up productivity.
So when a customer looks at bringing up
productivity and reducing wastage and KEY
customer satisfaction instead of giving reasons,
this makes a big difference in their customer
preview. Instead of reasons technically one is able
to prove their quality and process.
Putting in practice is a big issue in India and
similar markets where the operator is not a print
technologist or been trained and this training is
now the key to operators educating the process
and tolerance so productivity and quality will
improve.
D.I.: Do you think there is an urgent need of
spreading awareness and training?
S.N. : Earlier we did this and we ourselves felt
that it was too early for our markets. Looks like the
market is now working towards this BUT there is a
catch to this. Yes, the problem in India is not to
educate but to copy and this brings in unnecessary
issues as investing in training and software is not
taken seriously and even some big offset printers
do not want to invest and most of the calculation
in ROI takes a beating as one is only looking at
cost competition and not quality and process
consistency. Bringing awareness is a requirement
but this NEED to learn and reinvent, needs to
come from the printers and they have to look at
training and software for long term benefits and
work out a system which works for them in the
long run.
Like I also mentioned key is also to look at a
consultant who knows his subject and be able to
practically do this instead of just theory and talk.
Many sellers of software just would like to sell
hardware and software and hardly understand the
way forward and the best way is to look at how it
is done by customers who already have
successfully implemented and be reasonable.
Many feel that this needs to be setup and done
as demo which is not practical as process, quality
and consistency is a journey and not the end
point. So my view is to study about this online
and understand the finer points and then plan
this well. Software can be setup in multiple ways
and a good consultant looks for what one has
and what one needs to complete the task and
time lines. This is also a key factor.
D.I.: Where does Bodhi Professional fit into this
need? The role of the company and yourself as
an expert in this field?
S.N. : We at Bodhi are working in educating
customers who are buying our product solutions
and our engineers are able to set these by
practically hands on and guide and help these
customers. As an expert I help guide my team
and also educate the customers in issues they
face taking this journey as this is a start point of
high efficiency production practices.
D.I.: CMS for commercial digital printing and
photo segment – what should one know in
today’s date of hardware and facilities
available?
S.N. : Today is the time of Google but one can
reach so far only. I suggest you find the RIGHT
technical person who can assist in this journey.
Investing in machinery is not a big deal and
many people have that capability today in the
market BUT what sets the company apart is the
ability to deliver quality, time and again, each
time and be able to make this work predictable
and error free.
D.I.: Your message to small printers who do not
have the resources for expensive solutions yet
they want to use colour management for their
jobs?
S.N. : I am not sure if the solutions are
expensive. This is relative as the printers have
invested large sums and taking small steps in
color management is not too expensive or
difficult. This in our view and the need of the
hour. |