|
March 2023 Ink Burnout, Chemical Burn, or UV Burn
Why do I have a hard time matching colors on related print pieces? What can I do to manage this better and receive a more satisfying printed outcome? These are great questions and the answers may be related to... In this issue, let me give you the WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHEN, and HOW about burnout, like: WHO does this happen to? WHAT the heck is going on? WHY do some PMS colors fade prematurely? WHEN does burnout happen? WHICH of the 15 base colors are most likely to be affected? HOW do you prevent this from happening? WHO DOES THIS HAPPEN TO AND WHAT KINDS OF PROJECTS DOES IT HAPPEN ON? Some of my clients’ projects have suffered consequences of ink burnout depending on the PMS colors used, color percentages, and added coatings like aqueous, UV, or laminations. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON? (Well, I needed a “What” for my story...) WHY DO SOME PMS COLORS FADE, BUT OTHERS KEEP THEIR HUE? Recently during the bidding stage of a project, I asked a client whether we needed to match any paper types or PMS ink colors to others in their family of pieces. The client said, “no”. While we were on press, however, they brought in a prior piece from another printer. We found that some of the PMS ink colors DID NOT match the PMS book, nor did they match the piece we were currently running (which DID match the PMS book). The reason for the variation—their earlier piece had burned out significantly. The client decided to have us match the previously printed piece. So we used the same paper, ink, and aqueous coating. Although the new piece differs from the company color palette and the PMS book, now all related pieces match each other. WHEN DOES INK BURNOUT HAPPEN? Burnout occurs when certain PMS colors are exposed to chemicals, called amines, in aqueous or UV coatings. PMS colors are made up of a combination of base colors. Those 15 base colors make up all the colors in the entire PMS book. WHICH 7 OF THE 15 BASE COLORS ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED AND PRONE TO BURNOUT? The 7 colors are Warm Red, Rhodamine Red, 032 Red, Reflex Blue, Violet, Purple, and 072 Blue. HOW DO I PREVENT BURNOUT FROM HAPPENING? On aqueous or UV-coated jobs, you can use an HP (high performance) ink. In some cases, HP colors can appear dirtier, weaker, or flatter in hue than normal PMS colors. The difference is that specialized pigments are used to make the HP ink resistant to burnout. (HP inks that contain more Pantone Black base color match PMS colors better than those that contain more Transparent White base color.) To get an idea of how much color variation could occur in the inks you want to use, you can request an ink drawdown prior to your piece running on press. WHAT I NEED TO REMEMBER? (I snuck in another one for you here.) It is very important to remember the 7 sensitive base colors. If your PMS colors contain any of those 7 – and you want to match a family of pieces – be sure to take note of the percentages of these colors and the types of coatings you use. It could mean the difference between completing a very successful project and having one where colors don’t match. HOW CAN I LEARN MORE – FROM TK OF COURSE?! If you would like to learn more about ink burnout, if you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to see the burnout samples, please contact me at TKubinski@shapco.com or call me at 612-760-3700. Before we go... If you have a production issue not discussed above that you would like me to address, or a project that needs to be looked at, please give me a call or send me an email. As always, I will do whatever it takes to ensure you receive the best value for every marketing dollar you invest. Connect with me on LinkedIn You can also check out my profile, join my network and view more client comments on LinkedIn at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tomkubinski Referrals are greatly appreciated. If you know someone I can help, or who might like to receive TK's Korner, please let me know. Take care and have a great day!
Successfully,
Tom Kubinski Printing Consultant Who Helps You Make Good Impressions TKubinski@shapco.com
Our Work Shapco has done it all — showstopping display pieces, innovative packaging, award-winning art books, direct mailers that get results, you name it — and our team is always ready for a new challenge.
Explore our portfolio and start envisioning what we can do for you. Take a Virtual Tour of Shapco and visit our Website for more information.
Virtual Tour: Shapco Printing Inc.
Website: Shapco - Minnesota's Most Awarded Offset & Digital Printer
Our Services: Advertising Specialties, Large Format, Full Service Mailing, Fulfillment / Inventory Management, e Commerce Portal, Offset Printing, Digital Printing, Packaging, Kitting etc.
Our Work: Advertising Specialties, Books, Packaging, Digital, Large Format, Booklets, Brochures, UV Offset, Direct Mail, Specialties, Menus and a whole lot more
Why Shapco: "If You Dream It, Shapco Can Print It. What can Shapco do for you?"
Did you miss an issue of TK's Korner? Click below to view!
|
Tom Kubinski 
www.shapco.com 
|
