Agfa's InkSave, achieving more with less ink

InkSave is a newly released option of the :ApogeeX product family, which allows printing documents with less ink while preserving the colour quality of the jobs.

"The InkSave technology actually uses the basic idea of GCR (Gray Component Replacement) to replace foreseen colour (CMYK) values," says Agfa's Commercial Prepress Manager Harry Kontogiannis. "The idea of using GCR to reduce ink weight without compromising the colour gamut is not new, however building that application knowledge into software that allows a customer to simply turn it on or off at will is new."

The software relies on little or no operator intervention and calculates the GCR tables on the fly allowing new CMYK combinations having the same colorimetric effect as if they were conventionally separated. The new CMYK colours are selected so that a significantly lower amount of ink is used during the print process. The technology behind Ink Saving is based on Agfa's colour management expertise and the field experience Agfa gathered with the current :OptiInk product in newspaper segments.

In addition to Agfa's global experience, OptiInk has already been in operation in several newspapers around Australia. In addition to this experience, recent technological evolutions in this field have provided enhanced control and proven colour prediction. Savings are not the only benefit to the printers; one could even consider that the side effects of the feature in terms of colour stability on the press as well as global image quality and consistency are even more relevant for the press room.

As a main advantage and key differentiator, this feature is easily manageable by the user: as simple as an "InkSave on - InkSave off" switch. It allows the operator to process his files appropriately and to benefit from the advantages offered by the Ink Saving feature like stable colours during press runs and shortened drying times. No extra colour management settings, no special treatment of the files in the design phase - all integrated in the workflow.

What does InkSave mean for printers?
Replacing a certain amount of CMY ink by black (K) colour results in lower ink consumption, which consequently brings several advantages that can be further characterized in QTC (Quality, Time and cost constraints) as follows :

From a quality standpoint
• When InkSave is applied the grey tones previously composed of colour elements (CMY) are modified and printed in black. They will as such print more stable and avoid colour shifts. Greys built-up in CMY may vary easily with the slightest variation of ink weights on press and introduce colour casts. InkSave avoids this. In other words, colour consistency as well as stability
of printing on presses is improved!!
• Less ink on the paper causes less interference between the different inks.
• Less information in the colour separations makes registration errors less visible.
• Rosette structures are less visible.
• The print quality becomes less dependent of each individual printer as the (colour) ink corrections set on the press now have a smaller impact on the printed work.
• Shorter press set-up time required to stabilize the colour tones, and neutral grey balance in print.
• Less ink is put on the paper; which results in a better ink setting, increased printing speeds and faster drying times.
Faster drying times can further lead to
• The use of less drying powder and the earlier start of post press activities. Namely folding, cutting and binding jobs can start earlier and/or at a faster pace.

From a cost perspective
• The total ink coverage used during the print process is reduced, and black ink now replaces part of the coloured inks previously used. Both factors resulting in substantial savings ($): For commercial print applications Agfa has measured substantial ink savings, ranging between 10 and 25% (depending on specific applications).

In summing up InkSave, Kontogianiss claimed: "There are more than just simple cost savings on ink. The operational effects offered by the InkSave software are even more relevant for the press room than the potential savings. Efficiency on press and quality of the printed result remains the first target. InkSave achieves this without asking heavy extra efforts at the print shop side."

InkSave is optional feature of Agfa's :ApogeeX 4.0 (current version) digital workflow system. Agfa is offering its customers an economical upgrade path for earlier versions to take advantage of ApogeeX 4.0's rich feature set.