Visual Accuracy at Every Stage: How to Ensure Flawless Color and Finish in Your Packaging
Traditionally, controlling color and gloss requires two separate instruments, increasing inspection time and the likelihood of error. This is where accurate, integrated measurement becomes essential.
At trade fairs and throughout the industry, manufacturers are seeking solutions that ensure visual consistency without complicating quality control processes. Color accuracy alone is not enough. Gloss plays an equally important role, particularly for films, varnished board, and rigid packaging. The same color can appear very different depending on surface finish. As a result, tools that combine both measurements within a single workflow have become critical to meeting market expectations.
Two-in-One Efficiency in the Laboratory
For laboratories aiming to optimize quality control, a true two-in-one solution offers clear advantages. The CM-36dG Benchtop Spectrophotometer measures both color and gloss simultaneously. This is enabled by the integration of a 152 mm integrating sphere for spectral color measurement, using d:8° geometry with switchable SCI and SCE modes, alongside a dedicated optical system for 60° gloss measurement. The gloss measurement complies with standards such as ASTM D523 and ISO 2813.
By capturing color and gloss data at the exact same point on the sample, the CM-36dG eliminates extra handling and reduces the risk of discrepancies caused by separate measurements. This leads to faster workflows and more reliable results.
Consistency between instruments is another critical factor in packaging production. The CM-36dG delivers excellent inter-instrument agreement, ensuring that results obtained in a brand owner’s laboratory align closely with those measured by suppliers. This simplifies communication and reduces dependence on physical reference samples.
Its four interchangeable measurement apertures, ranging from 4 mm to 25.4 mm, provide flexibility for evaluating both fine details on a label and larger surfaces on rigid packaging.
For materials such as paperboard containing fluorescent whitening agents, the device’s numerical UV adjustment offers precise control over ultraviolet content. By combining two xenon lamps with cut-off filters, it ensures that packaging appearance remains consistent under various lighting conditions, whether on a retail shelf or in a warehouse environment.
Portable Precision for the Production Floor
Not all quality control happens in a laboratory. Incoming materials often need to be color checked directly on the production floor or at the supplier’s premises. For those environments, the CM-17d Portable Spectrophotometer offers the same accuracy in a lightweight, ergonomic format, ideal for analyzing small samples or curved surfaces.
Its vertical design includes a camera viewfinder that facilitates exact positioning on the sample, especially useful when working with containers with complex geometry or in tight spaces within the production line. With a measurement time of just 0.7 seconds (in SCI or SCE mode) and a repeatability of ∆E*ab 0.02, it enables fast inspections without sacrificing accuracy. Its battery allows up to 2,000 measurements per charge, and thanks to WAA (Wavelength Analysis and Adjustment) technology, the equipment automatically compensates for possible deviations due to temperature changes, maintaining reliability even in demanding production environments.
In this way, while the CM-36dG takes care of the deep analysis, color formulation and management of complex references in the laboratory, the CM-17d becomes the daily ally for verifying incoming batches, adjusting processes online or auditing suppliers. Together, they form a complete strategy to ensure that every package that goes to market maintains the visual quality that the consumer expects.
In an industry where first impressions are almost everything, having instruments that integrate color and brightness, offer consistency between equipment, and adapt to both the lab and the plant, is not just a technical advantage—it’s a competitive necessity. Because in the end, flawless packaging not only protects the product, but makes it stand out.
Not all quality checks take place in the lab. Incoming materials and in-process samples often need to be verified directly on the production floor or at a supplier’s facility. For these situations, the CM-17d Portable Spectrophotometer delivers laboratory-grade accuracy in a lightweight, ergonomic design.
Its vertical configuration and integrated camera viewfinder allow precise positioning on the sample, which is particularly valuable when measuring curved containers, small areas, or tight spaces along the production line. With a measurement time of just 0.7 seconds in SCI or SCE mode and a repeatability of ΔE*ab 0.02, the CM-17d supports rapid inspections without compromising precision.
