A Centerline GCMI Ink System… an idea that is a long time in coming.
What exactly are GCMI colors? I am sure you have heard these terms through the years in the Corrugated press room and never fully understood the roots of the acronym. These colors were once offered by the Glass Container Manufacturers Institute and were adopted by the corrugated industry long ago. GCMI colors offer a standardized color palette that is consistent and easy to duplicate for different print jobs.
As they are pre-mixed standard colors, these GCMI colors have become a cost-effective option for corrugated printers. The GCMI colors also have equivalent, but limited, matches on the Pantone and PMS palettes. If you have a color match with a GCMI color specified, the printer can confidently select the specific GCMI ink and know exactly how it is going to look on the box. This relationship allows the printer to offer cost effective options to their customers.
One of the drawbacks to this ink and color system is color-matching. Specifically, matching the proper color to the printed stock. Have you ever had a customer reject a job because the ink did not match the GCMI color specified? It is common to discover that the the operator or ink technician chose the wrong ink for the substrate.
This is a common issue as the GCMI book specifies colors on both Natural Kraft and Mottled White stocks. Some Ink companies work hard to make sure the inks match the sample in the book as closely as possible. The problem occurs when the operator accidentally chooses the correct color for the job – but for the wrong stock.
Magnum Inks and Coatings has a solution for this issue. We have created a “centerline” GCMI ink system. This means that our inks will match the sample in the GCMI book – regardless of whether you run on Natural Kraft or Mottled White stock. This formulation gives you the ability to use one ink series for both substrate types. As we already know, the press operator has a hard enough job as it is. One ink series eliminates the confusion of pairing an ink type to a substrate and reduces your overall inventory of stocked inks.
Magnum Inks & Coatings are strong, possess high-hiding capabilities and are easy-to-run. The “centerline” ink system allows you to service your customers better, reduce ink matching issues and simplify your ink inventory management. Contact Magnum Ink & Coatings to sample some of your most commonly used GCMI colors.