PANTONE Hexachrome is a radically different printing process when compared to traditional CMYK ink configurations. PANTONE Hexachrome certfied inks are brighter, cleaner inks with higher flourscence making them appear punchy. The addition of Hexachrome certified Orange and Green inks expands the printable color saturation and range enormously. Adding orange and green inks to a regular CMYK setup does not comply with the Hexachrome printing standard. PANTONE has strict standards ink manufacturers need to meet to achieve Hexachrome certification for the ink set.
Continuous-tone images with lots of color, pastels, and especially skin tones are ideally suited for Hexachrome printing. But by far the biggest benefit is those who use multiple PMS (PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM) spot colors in print jobs. Hexachrome configured printing presses enable jobs with several spot colors to run under one ink configuration, allowing more jobs to be printed each day, without necessitating press wash-up between customer jobs.
PANTONE Hexachrome Authorized Printer program
To ensure Hexachrome designed jobs are printed correctly PANTONE has a created a new certification program to distinguish a commerical printer's ability to process and print jobs correctly. Learn more about the PANTONE Hexachrome Authorized Printer program at their website.
PANTONE Hexachrome Authorized Consultant
There are several elements in a Hexachrome workflow that impact your ability to meet the program's minimum standard. RPI offers guidance in creating a workflow, based on color management, that exemplifies the benefits of the Hexachrome print process and prepares you for the audit.
We help determine if you have the correct profiling software to create six-color Hexachrome ICC profile, separate into six color channels, and finally proof the job.
Our on site training assists in resolving software and hardware vendor conflicts that may impede your success in printing Hexachrome.
We reveal the short cuts to quickly capitalize on Hexachrome's benefits by minimizing make ready time and wastage.
We offer an automated solution to converting CMYK plus spot (bump) plate jobs seamlessly to the Hexachrome print process to ease the transition.
