Question:
What is Hexachrome printing? What benefits does this process afford me as a packaging buyer? Should I consider printing my packaging in that manner?

Answer:
Hexachrome printing has been around for a number of years, primarily on the commercial side of the fence. It is a six-color process where color separations are done in CMYK plus Hexachrome green and orange. One of the major benefits of Hexachrome is the increased color gamut that it affords. Color ranges that cannot be achieved with CMYK are made possible by using CMYK+G+O.

In some cases the use of Hexachrome can eliminate the need for special color CT's. This is where one or more of the process colors (CMYK) are replaced by a special color (e.g., black replaced by brown in a brownie separation). In addition to food, Hexachrome has great potential in cosmetic packaging to make product and model shots more lifelike.

Look for Hexachrome use to increase in package printing over the next few years. In combination with stochastic screening, Hexachrome will have a greater appeal for a number of product niches.