Bobst has expanded the capability of its oneECG (Extended Colour Gamut) gravure printing process to include metallised colours, enabling converters to create luxury packaging effects without the need for specialist metallic inks.
The system allows converters to produce metallic effects such as gold, silver and bronze using a standard set of process inks, rather than separate spot or Pantone colours. According to Bobst, this approach reduces costs, simplifies production and supports sustainability targets.
By using a fixed ink set that remains on press between jobs, oneECG minimises wash-ups, shortens changeover times and cuts ink and solvent waste. The company said this enables multiple SKUs to be printed in a single run, helping converters meet brand-owner demands for shorter runs and faster turnaround times.
“The ECG process has gained considerable traction among European gravure printers over the past few years, because they recognise the crucial benefits this method brings to their business and the wider implications it has for the industry, and the environment,” said Davide Garavaglia, general manager and head of product lines gravure, vacuum coating and laminating at Bobst.
Poplast Flexible Packaging in Italy was the first converter to adopt oneECG for metallics commercially, integrating the process into its Bobst gravure presses under the name Pop7+1.
“At Bobst, we work closely with trailblazers such as Poplast to evolve the use of oneECG into all markets,” Garavaglia said. “We do this so our customers can respond effectively to current pressures, and we can safeguard the competitiveness of gravure for the future. One such evolution is printing metallised effects in a wide range of hues by using only process colours.”
The company said that replacing metallic spot inks with process inks simplifies colour management and stock control, as process inks can be reused across jobs instead of being mixed and disposed of for single projects.
In addition to efficiency gains, oneECG’s gravure process reduces the environmental impact of printing by lowering raw material use, solvent consumption and VOC emissions. Fewer cylinders are also required per job, cutting resource use and chemical waste in cylinder engraving.
Garavaglia added that almost all colour matching in the digitalised oneECG workflow takes place in prepress, ensuring colour consistency across jobs and presses.
The technology forms part of Bobst’s smartGRAVURE concept, which integrates automation and quality control to create a more digitalised gravure workflow.
“Nearly six years since Bobst first unveiled oneECG for gravure, we continue to develop this technology because we know that it represents the future of packaging production,” Garavaglia said. “Enhancing its potential such as offering the ability to reproduce metallic colours with greater ease, less waste and cost effectively is crucial.”