“At the same time, this marks a first real-world example of a true best-of-breed integration in the spirit of our Open Software Initiative. It underlines our ambition to deliver the best software solutions on the market – not just for Durst customers, but for the entire print industry.” Darrian Young, global partnership manager at GMG, also welcomes the integration, saying that the partnership with Durst brings together two companies with “innovation and quality at the core of their DNA”. He adds: “Integration into the Durst Workflow and Smart Factory architecture enables a consistent, media-neutral production process – a real gamechanger for the market.” Measure and Verify Continuing with the theme of PRINTING United – an event that drew thousands of visitors from all corners of the global industry, including several members of the Print Monthly editorial team – and PRINTING United Alliance is well positioned to support those companies on the lookout for ways to enhance and improve colour in print. Ray Weiss, vice-president for eLearning and certifications at PRINTING United Alliance, says without quality colour management software, you are basically “flying blind” when printing any type of application. He explains that colour management is all about control; controlling the variables that affect colour from proof to press. “The right software lets you measure, verify, and keep everything in line across your devices and materials,” Weiss says, continuing: “When you don’t have that control, you end up guessing, and guessing costs time, money, and credibility. “With a solid colour management system, you can track how your printers are performing, catch drift before it becomes a problem, and hit consistent, accurate colour every time. It takes you from putting out fires to actually preventing them. That is when the printing gets predictable, and indeed profitable. So, what can go wrong if you do not have the right software in place? Weiss puts it simply and honestly by saying “a lot”. He continues: “When your software does not match the kind of work that you are doing, colour starts to wander. You will begin to see inconsistencies, wasted materials, and frustrated customers. With this, the reprints will start to pile up fast. “Without the ability to verify output, drift sneaks in over time, and by the time you notice, it will be too late. Visual checks do not cut it anymore; if you are trying to manage colour across multiple printers or substrates without solid software behind you, it is chaos. You are basically chasing colour instead of controlling it.” With this in mind, what advice can Weiss and the PRINTING United Alliance offer to signage and printing companies seeking new solutions in terms of colour management? He explains that a solid starting point is compatibility and ensuring that the new solution will fit with your established production setup and RIP “Check that it supports the right measurement conditions (M0, M1, M2, and M3) and gives you full ICC profiling and rendering control,” he says, adding: “If you are runIntegration into the Durst Workflow and Smart Factory architecture enables a consistent, medianeutral production process – a real gamechanger for the market Pantone systems feature more than 5,000 recognised colours 5,000 ▼GMG’s spectral colour management technology has been fully integrated into the Durst Workflow software COLOUR MANAGEMENT | ROB FLETCHER 35 www.printmonthly.co.uk Issue 358 - January | February 2026
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