Colour by emotionDisputed
"Can you make it pop a bit more?""It looked different last time.""That's not our red.""Can we reprint it… again?"
Result: reprints, credits and arguments nobody can win.
100% independent · Solutions, not software
Getting colour right, every time, on every press.
We design the prepress and colour workflows that make jobs print right first time: artwork checked and fixed before the RIP, colour targeted by measurement, presses brought up to standard fast. For printers and the brands they print for, worldwide.
LIVE JOB · Summer_Campaign.pdfArrived from client
RGB imageNo bleedFont missing
- 1PreflightFonts, images, colour space3 problems fixed
- 2Bleed & trim marksEdge pixels extended3 mm · page size unchanged
- 3Ink optimisationRe-separated for the pressInk −19%
- 4Costed from dataPaper, press, coverageTrue cost £633
- 5Colour targetedAim FOGRA51ΔE 0.9 · Pass
Fixed0
Ink saved0%
True cost£0
ΔE to aim–
Operator time0 s
Ready for plate. Right first time, with no person touching the file.
Our principle
What can be measured can be managed.
Most print problems are decided long before the press starts. We put numbers on every stage, from the client's file to the last sheet, so problems are caught where they are cheapest to fix.
0%of print errors start with the client's artwork
0%of colour complaints trace back to colours that were never properly targeted
0%of your print cost is paper. A bin full of make-ready sheets is money lost
1990sworking in colour management, RIPs and PDF workflows since the early days of digital colour
100% independent
Solutions, not software.
We don't sell you a box and leave. We start with your presses, RIPs, people and customers, then design the workflow that fits. If you already own the kit, we make it work harder. If something new is needed, we tell you why, whoever makes it.
- No vendor targets: our advice follows your results, not a licence sale
- Certified across the leading colour, PDF and automation platforms
- One partner, accountable for the whole workflow and the printed result
Certified partnercallas softwarePDF preflight and automation
Certified partner since 2012ColorLogicColour servers and profiling
Certified partnerEnfocusWorkflow automation
Certified expertFOGRA PSO & PSDProcess and digital print standards
Strategic partnerIdeallianceThe graphics industry think tank behind G7 and GRACoL
Workflow design
One connected workflow, from the quote to the press.
Every stage feeds the next. Get it right up front and the press simply prints. Select a stage, or let it run.
01 · Prepress meets sales
Price the job on its true cost of production.
Traditional estimates run on rules of thumb: average ink coverage, a standard make-ready, files assumed print-ready. Count every technical factor and the real cost is usually higher, so the job is under-priced and the printer pays the difference. We scan the data instead: the client's artwork, the paper and press from your MIS, and the ink-optimised separation for that press. Estimating, or your automated quoting system, gets the true cost before the price is set.
- Ink coverage read from the press-ready, ink-optimised separation
- Paper, spoilage and press taken straight from your MIS
- Make-ready, press speed and artwork fixes calculated, not assumed
- Sent to estimating or your automated quoting system
Why it matters: an estimate that misses hidden costs wins the job and loses money printing it. Know your true costs and every quote carries the margin you intended, so you can price with confidence and grow profit.
ESTIMATE · Job 1187Traditional estimate
MIS
From your MISGloss 150 gsm · SRA2B2 4-colour offset · 2-upInk-optimised separationC45 M59 Y47 K22for this press and paper
Paper5,000 sheets + 3% overs?£236
Ink15% average coverage?£18
Plates & make-readystandard 100 sheets · 15 min?£96
Press timerated speed · 25 min?£104
Artwork fixesassumed print-ready?£0
Cost of production+£179 the estimate missed£454
Quoted on the estimate£568
Quoted on the true cost£791–
Both quotes at the same +25% mark-up
→ Sent to estimating · MIS£223 more profit on this job
Illustrative values.
02 · Print-ready artwork, automatically
Use your RIP for plates, not for fixing client files.
Trim marks, proper bleed, fonts, image resolution and the technical details the RIP and imposition need are checked and corrected automatically, as soon as the file arrives. ISO standards call for these prepress actions before the RIP stage.
- Bleed and trim marks added where they are missing
- Files made technically correct for the RIP and imposition
- Fully automated: no operator time on routine fixes
Why it matters: once you RIP a job you have booked its slot on the press. Bad artwork found then means delays. Fixed up front, you know the job is ready and it prints right first time.
PREFLIGHT · Poster_A3.pdfAs supplied
Trim size297 × 420 mm unchanged
Media with bleed297 × 420 mm
Bleed drawn larger than scale so it can be seen.
03 · Colour before the press
Get the separations right before you print.
Colour in the client's artwork is optimised for your press and paper before plates are made. The mechanical print then works first time, hits the published standard, and you can prove the job was printed to it.
- Separations built for your press, paper and standard
- Hit the published standard from the first sheet
- Measured proof that the job met the standard
Why it matters: paper is around 40% of your print cost. A bin full of sheets spent trying to make a job look saleable is money gone.
PRESS CHECK · Aim FOGRA51As supplied
C 1005.2
M 1006.8
Y 1003.9
C+M7.4
M+Y6.1
C+Y4.4
Grey4.6
K 1002.1
Average ΔE005.1
StandardFail
Illustrative. Same file printed as supplied, then separated for the press and paper.
04 · Ink optimisation
Same colour. Less ink. Lower cost.
Smart re-separation analyses every PDF and rebuilds its separations for your press. Where cyan, magenta and yellow are only building grey, it takes them out and puts black in their place. The colour on the sheet stays the same; the ink you pay for goes down.
- Less cyan, magenta and yellow, more black, no visible change
- Lower total ink: sheets dry faster and run cleaner
- More stable greys and neutrals through the run
- Fully automatic on every file, inside your workflow
Why it matters: ink is a cost on every sheet you print. Taking it out of the job without the client seeing any difference is margin you keep.
RE-SEPARATION · Summer_Campaign.pdfWaiting
Colour unchangedMax ink coverage273%
Less C+M+Y0%
Ink saved0%
Plates and figures measured on this sample image. Savings depend on the artwork.
05 · Spot and brand colours
Every press prints the client's colour, on every substrate.
Spot and Pantone colours are handled fully automatically in your workflow: matched to measured references and converted for each press and substrate, so the brand colour is a visual match wherever it is printed.
- Spot colours resolved automatically, no manual recipes
- One brand colour across coated, uncoated and film
- Consistency is the aim, measured on every job
Why it matters: brands notice when their colour shifts between a leaflet, a label and a banner. Consistency is what keeps the account.
BRAND RED · across substratesΔE00 to target
Coated0.9
Uncoated1.4
Film1.1
ResultVisual match
Illustrative values.
06 · Why a colour server?
One colour engine for every printer and RIP.
Five printers with five RIPs, each colour managed on its own, will print five different results. That hurts most on campaigns printed across different technologies. A colour server puts one engine in charge, so every device works from the same colour decisions.
- One set of rules for offset, digital, wide format and labels
- Campaigns match across technologies
- Jobs can move between devices without colour changing
Why it matters: when every device agrees, you can load-balance work across your print floor without risking the colour.
COLOUR SERVER · 5 RIPs, 5 different redsBrand red
ONE
COLOUR
ENGINE
COLOUR
ENGINE
OffsetΔE 5.8
DigitalΔE 4.6
Wide formatΔE 7.1
Inkjet POSΔE 6.3
LabelsΔE 3.9
Worst device to targetΔE 7.1
Campaign resultFive reds
Illustrative values.
07 · Press make-ready
Bring the press up to colour in fewer sheets.
Automate how you make ready: ink-key presets calculated from the plates, then balanced from measurement, so the press reaches its targets quickly and stays there through the run.
- Ink keys preset from the job, not from memory
- Measured at the press and corrected while it runs
- Less time, less waste and less money on every make-ready
Why it matters: every sheet spent chasing colour is paper, ink and press time you never get paid for.
INK KEYS · MagentaSheet 1
StatusOn target
Illustrative. Dashed line: target density.
08 · Digital, inkjet and reprints
Digital print needs colour management. It isn't optional.
Inkjet point-of-sale and digital presses drift, and every digital printer tells us the same thing: they struggle to reprint a job in the same colour. Getting the colour management right up front gives you a standardised job you can reprint in six months or a year, and the colour is the same.
- Devices calibrated and profiled to a common aim
- Jobs stored with their colour, ready to reprint
- Checked by measurement, not by eye
Why it matters: a reprint that doesn't match the first run is a complaint, a credit or a lost customer.
REPRINT CHECK · POS window graphicΔE00
First run
0.7difference
Reprint, 12 months later
ResultSame colour
Illustrative values.
Stage 1 of 7
Where Target Colour comes in
Set expectations based on science, not emotion.
Clients don't understand their colour in a production environment. They judge by eye, by memory and by the last job; presses print to numbers. Target Colour turns a client's colour into a measured target before the job is quoted, so everyone agrees what "right" looks like.
Colour by scienceWaiting for measurements
TARGET
MEASURED
- Target
- Brand red
- L* a* b*
- 52.0 · 68.4 · 48.1
- Tolerance
- ΔE ≤ 2.0
- Worst
- –
- In tolerance
- –
Average ΔE–
Result: agreed before printing, proven after.
Brand colours defined, digitised and shared as measurable targets with every supplier.
Visit targetcolour.com →Who we work with
One colour standard, from the brand to the press.
Colour goes wrong between people: the brand describes it, the agency designs it and the printer measures it. We bring all three onto the same numbers and keep them there.
Printers and print groups
Automated prepress, calibrated presses and quality evidence your customers accept, across one site or many.
- Preflight and print-ready artwork
- Press profiling and make-ready
- Automated QC reporting to brand scorecards
Brands and their agencies
Your brand colours defined as measurable digital standards and reproduced the same way by every supplier, in every region.
- Brand colour definition
- CXF digital standards (ISO 17972)
- Supplier tolerance and approval
Print management partners
We set up and support supplier quality programmes so partner sites measure, report and improve to one standard.
- Partner-site onboarding
- Scorecard compliance
- Ongoing site support and training
Services
Everything between the client's file and the printed sheet.
We design the workflow, configure it, profile the devices, train your people and stay on hand once it is in production. One partner, accountable for the result.
Colour standardisation programmes
A measured colour standard for every site and process, agreed with your customers and written down so it survives staff changes.
ISO 12647 · PSO · G7 · CXFPreflight and workflow automation
Client files checked, corrected, colour-converted and imposed automatically, so your RIP makes plates and your people stop fixing artwork.
Preflight · Imposition · Colour conversionPress profiling and calibration
Offset, digital, inkjet and wide format characterised and validated against agreed aims, with profiles built for production.
Offset · Digital · Inkjet · Wide formatMake-ready and press-side control
Ink keys preset from the job, colour measured at the press and corrected while it runs, so you reach colour in fewer sheets.
Presets · In-run control · Less wasteQuality reporting
Delta E scores sent to brand and print-management scorecards automatically, giving customers evidence instead of opinion.
Brand and print-management scorecardsTraining and annual support
Operators trained, settings documented and an expert on call, for a fraction of the cost of a full-time colour manager.
On site · Remote · Annual serviceOur process
A colour framework that scales from one press to a global supply chain.
Every project runs through the same five stages, so a single-site printer and a 30-supplier brand get the same discipline.
01
Define
Colour standardsAgree the target colours, substrates and tolerances, then measure them.
02
Digitise
ICC / DeviceLinkTurn the targets into CXF references and production profiles.
03
Proof
Ink card simulationProve the colour on screen, proof and press before it goes live.
04
Validate
ΔE / spectral controlMeasure real jobs against the aims and fix anything outside tolerance.
05
Deploy
Global roll-outRoll the standard out to every site and supplier, with training and support.
Service programmes
From reporting colour to controlling it.
For partner sites in brand and print-management supply chains, we deliver programmes that move colour checks from after the job to the press, while it is running.
Measured and reported
The site measures its work and reports scores to the customer's scorecard.
- Measurement and reporting set up
- Scorecard uploads and job reporting
- Operator training
Controlled at the press
Variation is corrected while the job is running, not found in the score afterwards.
- Every press profiled and validated
- Press-side measurement and ink-key correction
- Scores submitted to the scorecard automatically
- Automated, preflighted workflow
Supported all year
An annual agreement keeps the setup working as presses, staff and jobs change.
- Live support on RIPs, profiles and QC
- New devices profiled and added
- Software licences and updates managed
Results
Results our clients can measure.
Client names are withheld at their request. The numbers and the words are theirs.
One digital colour standard across 110+ countries.
Physical colour references faded, and printers matched them by eye. We measured and digitised the brand's key colours into ISO 17972 CXF files, deployed them to every supplier and set up measurement so results are scored against Delta E tolerances instead of being judged by eye.
110+markets on one colour standard
80%improvement in production efficiency
0colour reprints after roll-out
One smooth delivery across the whole group.
A single colour and prepress workflow rolled out across every site in the group, so files are ready for press sooner and less is wasted on it.
“We have saved time preparing files for press and reduced waste in production.”
Five years of consistent colour, and counting.
Tools from different vendors gave conflicting results. A full colour strategy with one colour engine and measured QC, plus our annual service, made every device agree and reprints match the original run.
“The support team has been instrumental, acting as an extension of our business.”
The same colour on every site and every reprint.
Defined brand colours, calibrated machines and RIPs across print technologies, and a quality system that proves performance on every job.
Talk to the expert
Niall Coady
Founder and Colour Solutions Architect
Niall has worked in colour management, RIPs and PDF workflows since the early days of digital colour in the 1990s. He designs and delivers colour and prepress programmes for brands, print groups and print-management companies, and works hands-on: designing the workflow, building the profiles, training the operators and staying accountable after go-live.
MPX Colour is 100% independent. When a project reaches you, you deal with the person who designed it, and the advice follows your results, not a software sale.
FOGRA PSO ExpertFOGRA PSD ExpertIdealliance strategic partnercallas certified partnerColorLogic certified partner since 2012Enfocus certified partner
Common questions
What clients ask first.
If your question isn't here, ask us directly. A free consultation usually tells you whether we can help.
Are you tied to a software vendor?
No. MPX Colour is 100% independent. We hold certifications across the leading platforms so we can recommend what fits your presses, people and customers, and make the most of what you already own.
Why doesn't CMYK give me the colour I want?
CMYK values say how much ink to use, not what the colour should look like. The same values print differently on different presses and papers. We define the target as a measured colour, then work out the right ink values for each process.
Why fix artwork before the RIP?
Once a job is RIPped, its press slot is booked. Problems found then cause delays. Checking and fixing files automatically as they arrive means you know a job is ready to print, and your RIP is used for making plates, not repairing files.
Why would we need a colour server?
If each printer and RIP is colour managed on its own, they will all print differently. A colour server puts one engine in charge, so campaigns match across offset, digital and wide format, and jobs can move between devices.
What if we don't know our exact brand colours?
We work from your best physical samples or approved proofs, measure them and create a digital reference that matches what your brand has actually been using.
Do we need new equipment?
Often not. We start with an audit of what you already have. Where something new is needed, we specify it and explain why.
Also from MPX Colour
Two more ways to work with us.
Brand colour standards
For brand owners who need their colours defined, digitised and reproduced the same way by every supplier.
targetcolour.com →
Colour management in the cloud
Your automated colour workflow, run for you in the cloud by MPXColour. Nothing to install or maintain.
www.mycloudrepro.com →
Free consultation
Tell us where colour is costing you.
Reprints, slow approvals, artwork problems, a new press or a customer scorecard. Book a free consultation and we'll reply within one working day with a clear next step, usually a short call or a site audit.
Free, no-obligation consultation