New method for comparing colour gamuts among printing technologies

Abstract

The authors have developed a simple method to compare the colour gamuts of different industries (printing, textiles, plastics, etc.) based on representing the reproduced colours in constant lightness L* and hue hab* planes. This method allows the analysis of those aspects related to the comparison between the colour gamuts of different industries and the MacAdam and Pointer limits and also of those aspects related to how the colour solid is filled, whether homogeneously or leaving certain unfilled regions for commercial or design reasons. In particular, the authors have compared the colour gamuts of three printing technologies (electrophotography or laser, inkjet and offset) with the same class of paper and characterisation chart, and in this comparison the laser printer has proved to be the best of three printing devices. On the other hand, the authors have checked that gravure technology is better than the other ones due to the substrate nature used at gravure technology.