Consistency in brand colours is critical. However, achieving that consistency often comes at a price, especially across different materials and suppliers. For decades, packaging printers have relied on custom spot colours, such as Pantone, to match brand identities perfectly.

That approach might be accurate, but it creates costly inefficiencies on the press. That’s where extended gamut printing comes in.

The (Expensive) Traditional Approach: Spot Colours and Slowdowns

To accurately reproduce brand colours, printers traditionally added spot colours on top of CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black). But this method quickly becomes rather complex:

• More inks mean more mixing, cleaning, and storage.
• Changing colours between jobs requires stopping the press and flushing the ink units.
• Each added colour adds time, cost, and potential for error.

Je merkt: nog voor de eerste verpakking gedrukt is, stapelen de kosten en vertragingen zich al op.

The Future-Forward Solution: Extended Gamut Printing

Extended gamut printing expands the traditional four-colour CMYK set with additional base colours—usually orange, green, and violet. This wider palette allows printers to simulate up to 97% of the visible colour spectrum using just one consistent ink setup.

Sounds complex? Well, it just means:

• No need to create or store dozens of custom inks.
• Far fewer press stoppages for ink changes.
• Lower cost per job and higher throughput.
• Cleaner, more efficient production lines.

This approach, sometimes referred to as expanded gamut printing, unlocks new levels of efficiency without compromising on colour quality. But precision is key to implementing it properly.

Extended Gamut Printing: Why Rely on Steurs

At Steurs, we’ve been working with extended gamut printing workflows for years. We know exactly how to evaluate whether a design or substrate is suited for this approach.  And of course, we know how to guide printers and brands through the transition.

Our experts analyse your packaging design and print environment, identify where expanded gamut printing is feasible, and offer tailored recommendations. We meticulously simulate the outcome and ensure it’s achievable, repeatable, and aligned with your quality standards.

The key? A stable, monitored print process. With the right calibration, control, and experience, extended gamut printing becomes a game-changer.

The Benefits: By the Numbers

Sure, extended gamut printing is a technical upgrade. But above all, it’s a business advantage:

• More jobs, less downtime: no time wasted on ink changes.
• Fewer inks in stock means reduced inventory and storage space.
• Sustainable printing: less ink waste, fewer cleaning cycles.
• Consistent colour output across jobs, materials, and print runs.

In a nutshell? It means faster, cleaner, more economical packaging production without compromising your brand identity.