Hybrid Software Helix and Toyo Ink sign worldwide ICC profile distribution agreement

Print Solutions

Hybrid Software Helix, formerly Global Graphics Software, has signed a worldwide distribution agreement with Toyo Ink to enable the development and distribution of ICC color profiles created using ColorLogic technology. The agreement will give Toyo Ink customers access to standard CMYK profiles free of charge, alongside specialised CMYK and multicolor profiles available commercially.

Under the agreement, Toyo Ink will develop ICC profiles for its printing inks using ColorLogic's CoPrA profiling software and ColorAnt colour measurement and analysis software. CoPrA generates ICC device and DeviceLink profiles, while ColorAnt provides tools for analysing, correcting and optimising colour measurement data. Together, these technologies will help Toyo Ink develop profiles that support consistent, predictable colour reproduction across different printing processes and production environments.

Standard CMYK profiles will be available to download free of charge from Toyo Ink's website. These will enable customers to convert RGB images to CMYK, preview printed colours on screen through soft proofing and establish reference colours for digital proofing, helping them assess colour reproduction before going to press.

Toyo Ink will also offer specialised CMYK and multicolour profiles on a commercial basis. These will support customised colour reproduction and Extended Colour Gamut (ECG) printing, enabling printers to reproduce a wider range of colours using additional process inks and reduce their reliance on individual spot colours.

Masahiro Sakazume, division director of Toyo Ink, commented: ‘By making ICC reference profiles available for our ink ranges, we aim to help customers achieve more predictable colour reproduction and simplify colour management in their printing operations. Working with Hybrid Software Helix and ColorLogic gives us access to proven profiling technology and enables us to offer customers both standard and specialised colour management solutions.’

Yoshiyuki Hagiwara, representative director of Global Graphics KK and representative of Hybrid Software Helix in Japan, commented: ‘We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with Toyo Ink through this agreement. By combining Toyo Ink's expertise in printing inks with ColorLogic's advanced colour management technology, we can help printers achieve consistent, high quality results while making professional colour profiling solutions more widely available.’

In addition to licensing ColorLogic's profiling software to ink manufacturers, Hybrid Software Helix offers the ColorLogic SDK, enabling printer manufacturers and software developers to integrate advanced colour management capabilities directly into their own products and workflows.