Abstract

Expanded Color Gamut (ECG) printing has evolved from an experimental innovation into a recognized strategic approach that enhances both print quality and sustainability. Previous research conducted at Toronto Metropolitan University and Tampere University of Applied Sciences demonstrated that replacing spot-color workflows with fixed-palette systems (CMYK + OGV) can significantly reduce make-ready time, washing solution use, and ink waste. However, most of these findings were based on simulation and production data, not on controlled laboratory verification. The next phase of our investigation aims to bridge this gap by integrating process-control software and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate both colorimetric accuracy and environmental performance under real-world conditions.

The main objective of this study is to evaluate how expanded color gamut printing performs, both technically and sustainably, when compared to a traditional CMYK + 2 PMS workflow - this configuration represents a typical design setup used in commercial print production, although some designs may include as many as 7–8 spot colors, while others rely solely on CMYK. Controlled laboratory tests will be carried out at the Graphic Communications Management (GCM) laboratory at Toronto Metropolitan University. These experiments will focus on the colorimetric behavior of both systems. A calibrated seven-color flexo configuration (CMYK + OGV) will be benchmarked against a reference CMYK + 2 PMS setup to quantify achievable color accuracy and reproducibility across multiple print runs.