Three methods of printing ink color matching

1. Empirical color matching
Experiential color matching refers to color matching only based on the experience and feeling of colorists without color measuring instruments. In the early stage, it is based on the experience accumulated by colorists in practice. In the middle and late stage, 10 basic color maps or printing chromatograms are used as reference standards for visual color measurement. Experience color matching method is often affected by physiological and psychological factors of colorists and other objective conditions in book printing process, so it is difficult to maintain stable product quality. In addition, relying on experience and feeling, color matching can only be qualitative, but not quantitative, so it is difficult to spread and communicate technology.


2. Mechanical color matching
Mechanical color matching method is a more advanced color matching method gradually popular in modern times. In all aspects of color matching, certain machinery and instruments are used as configuration and measurement tools, and curves and charts are drawn as the reference basis for color matching, so that the color matching work can be carried out in a relatively accurate range. This method changes some blindness of the previous experience color matching in book printing process, and improves the speed and quality of color matching, but the accuracy of color matching is low and the error is large.


3. Computer color matching
Computer color matching has a history of about 30 years in foreign countries and has been applied in many color departments at home and abroad. People use the connection between the color database stored in the computer and the relevant color matching software to analyze and process the color data on the sample manuscript. Through calculation, correction and color matching, the color formula suitable for the requirements of the sample is selected, and then the automatic color matching of ink is completed. Computer color matching requires that the colors of standard color samples and ink samples are expressed in numbers, which ensures the accuracy and uniformity of each color matching, and saves color matching time greatly. It is convenient, fast, rapid and accurate for book printing. However, the color matching software developed by different enterprises and companies is developed on the basis of considering their actual production and application conditions. There is no unified standard, which is one of the reasons why computer color matching cannot be popularized.