Great Expectations...

pP: Would you elaborate on the difference between color management and “brand” color management”?

Pike: Color management most often refers to assuring quality reproduction of 4-color process printing. This process has been very successful, as evidenced by the IPA, The Association of Graphic Solutions Providers, proofing shoot-out campaigns where most vendors, including soft-proofing and hardcopy proofing solutions, were able to match press materials very closely based solely on the ICC (International Color Consortium) profile of the press configuration. Brand color management, on the other hand, focuses specifically on spot colors associated with key brands and related branding elements on packaging materials and structures. In these instances, the use of process color is often limited to images, while branding elements are reproduced with special match colors to deliver higher chroma (saturation) and greater vibrancy, as well as to achieve more consistent reproduction—and in some cases, reduce costs via fewer printing units.