Flint and X-Rite form global color management partnership

Flint Group noted that increasing demands for color equity across ever wider geographies and packaging substrates means, ‘it is essential that every provider from brand owner specifier, to print and packaging supplier, contribute to establish a consistent and robust color communication workflow.’

Vivo Colour Solutions is a dynamic color communication and service platform supported by Flint Group’s centralized color service provider, the Global Colour Centre (GCC). Vivo ColourCloud utilizes the X-Rite eXact device to provide a central web-based self-service digital color repository, containing thousands of approved and tested colors. Customers can benefit from the ability to easily search and download CxF files, DigiSwatches and ink recipes, Flint explained.

Ray Cheydleur, printing and imaging product portfolio manager at X-Rite, added: ‘This partnership will benefit Flint Group’s customer base of printers around the world. Utilizing X-Rite's NetProfiler software for verifying device performance, along with the award-winning eXact handheld spectrophotometer, will provide ultimate agreement of measured colors amongst Flint Group and its printing and converter clientele. 

‘When paired with Vivo Colour Solutions, this technology will provide the basis for converter confidence in their ink supply, and a competitive advantage to deliver consistent color packaging.’

Stuart Duffy, director of professional services at Flint Group Paper & Board, said: ‘Following rigorous beta testing at a number of corrugated sites, our initial expectations have been surpassed. The sites conducted hundreds of searches from Vivo ColourCloud with every download achieving 100 percent “right first time”. This level of performance can only be delivered through a consistent and managed digital workflow along with the support of X-Rite’s eXact spectrophotometer. This results in an effective end-to-end color management process that fits the needs of pre-press, printing and packaging companies of all sizes while reducing variability and improving efficiencies. I have no doubt Vivo Colour Solutions, in combination with X-Rite equipment, can become an industry benchmark.’