Method for digitally printing color selection cards by matching the base inks to the base paints, dyes, or plastics
A system and method are described for the production of color selection swatch cards for point of purchase displays of custom blended paints, textiles or plastics using a digital inkjet printer and custom blended inkjet inks based on a set of base inks that can be blended using commercial match prediction software. The base inks are matched spectrally to the base paints, dyes or plastics.
1. A method for digitally printing a custom color swatch comprising:
a) producing a custom color ink that is a spectral match to a reference color by blending an inkjet base ink having a reflectance factor value with transparent white bases to produce the custom color ink; wherein the reference color is prepared using a paint primary color base; wherein the reflectance factor value of the inkjet base ink differs by no more than 3% from the reflectance factor value of the paint primary color base of the reference color at each wavelength; and
b) printing the custom color ink using an inkjet printer to produce the printed custom color.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reflectance factor value of the inkjet base ink differs by no more than 1% from the reflectance factor value of the paint primary color base of the reference color at each wavelength.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the custom color is a paint color.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the custom color is a textile color.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the custom color is a plastic color.
6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the paint color is part of a paint color selection guide.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the textile color is part of a textile color selection guide.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plastic color is part of a plastic color selection guide.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the custom color ink is produced using a computer assisted colorant recipe prediction system optimized for matching ink colors and containing a library of base inks whose colors are spectral matches to a set of universal colorant dispersions used to produce said color when mixed with transparent white bases.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the use of a portable digital format image file that contains the image of the color swatches to be printed.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inkjet printer is a wide format inkjet printer.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base inks are kept in a container interfaced to a computer capable of digitally dispensing the base ink into a container or package so that the combination of base inks can be thoroughly mixed and charged into a printing head for a digital printer.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital printing is carried out by a digital UV printer that incorporates either UV LED sources or UV arc lamp sources to provide energy for curing UV inks.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital printing is carried out by a digital printer that uses water-borne or latex inks and that incorporates a heating and drying station to dry the water-borne inks.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital printing is carried out by a digital printer that is a solvent-based printer that incorporates a heating and drying station to dry the solvent-based inks.
16. The method of any one of claim 1 , wherein the digital printing is carried out by a digital printer that incorporates hot melt inks.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital printing is carried out by a digital printer incorporating thermal transfer printing.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inkjet printer uses a continuous inkjet printing method.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inkjet printer uses a drop-on-demand inkjet printing method.
20. The method of claim 1 , in which color swatch and graphic text labels are applied in a 1-step printing process.
21. The method of claim 1 , used to produce a printed sheet of color swatches.
22. A color swatch card, palette, or display produced using the method of claim 1 .
23. A method for digitally printing a custom color directly on a product comprising:
a) producing a custom color ink that is a spectral match to a reference color by blending an inkjet base ink having a reflectance factor value with transparent white bases to produce the custom color ink; wherein the reference color is prepared using a paint primary color base; wherein the reflectance factor value of the inkjet base ink differs by no more than 3% from the reflectance factor value of the paint primary color base of the reference color at each wavelength; and
b) printing the custom color ink using an inkjet printer to produce the printed custom color.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the product is a food product.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the product is a pharmaceutical product.
26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the product is a packaging material for food or pharmaceuticals.
27. The method of claim 23 , wherein the product is a wood product.
28. The method of claim 23 , wherein the product is a metal product.
29. The method of claim 23 , wherein the product is a glass product.
30. The method of claim 23 , wherein the product is a plastic product.