Mastering the Spectrum: How Ebi and Mellow Colour Redefined Print Excellence

Mastering the Spectrum: How Ebi and Mellow Colour Redefined Print Excellence

In the world of specialised printing, consistency isn’t just a goal, it’s a non-negotiable requirement.

For Ebi, a printer renowned for handling a diverse and often challenging array of materials, the journey toward perfect colour wasn't just about buying into equipment and tools, it was about shifting an entire culture.

By partnering with Mellow Colour, Ebi has transformed from traditional ‘eyeballing’ to a data-driven approach to Print Quality Management (PQM).

The pre-digital era: Navigating without a compass

Before the collaboration with Mellow Colour, like many printers, Ebi’s quality control looked very different. The primary challenge was the sheer variety of substrates in play. When you are printing on everything from standard board to complex plastics and textured materials, a one size fits all standard simply doesn't exist.

Without a centralised system, controls were fragmented.

While the team was highly skilled, they lacked a unified, robust standard to measure success against. They were working hard, but they were working with a moving target. The goal was clear, Ebi needed a way to develop reliable controls that could handle the challenging substrates that define their brand.

The implementation: From studio to press

The transition to Mellow Colour wasn't an overnight flip of a switch it was a phased rollout designed to ensure total system integrity.

Phase 1: Pre-Press & Studio

The journey began in the studio. Initially, the software was used as a pre-press tool for monitoring rather than live scanning. This allowed the team to analyse plate curves and fine-tune the foundations of the print process before the ink hit the press.

Phase 2: Live Press Integration

Once the pre-press environment was stabilised, the system moved to the pressroom. It became an integral part of the make-ready procedure. By implementing live scanning, the team could now monitor colour accuracy in real time, creating a full system that connected artwork directly to the finished product.

This holistic approach ensured that colour management wasn't just a final check, it was woven through the entire production lifecycle.

Overcoming the human element

Perhaps the hardest challenge wasn't technical, but cultural. In the printing industry, veteran printers often rely on their eye, a subjective, personal visual check learned over decades.

The biggest transition was moving the team away from eyeballing and toward spectral numbers. Transitioning to a system where a computer provides an objective ‘Pass/Fail’ based on data can be daunting for craftsmen who pride themselves on their intuition.

However, by showing that these numbers were a tool to support their skill rather than replace it, Ebi successfully shifted the culture toward a scientific, repeatable methodology.

The rewards: Confidence and compliance

The move to formal print certification has provided Ebi with two primary competitive advantages:

Customer Confidence. When a client sees a Mellow Colour certification, the guesswork is removed. They know their brand colours will be identical across every run.

Quality Compliance. In an era of strict procurement audits, having a transparent, data-backed quality report ensures Ebi meets even the most demanding global standards.

The results speak for themselves.

Since achieving certification, Ebi has consistently hit the "100 Club" a prestigious mark of perfect colour scores.

Furthermore, CARS (Corrective Action Reports) related to colour have seen a dramatic reduction. Problems are caught in the data before they ever become a physical waste of material.

The Mellow Colour partnership

What makes the relationship work? According to the Ebi team, it comes down to more than just the software. While the Mellow Colour interface is famously easy to use, it is the technical support that stands out.

Mellow Colour provides a deep understanding of those difficult substrates that Ebi specialises in. When a substrate reacts unexpectedly, the support team doesn't just offer generic advice; they provide specific, actionable insights that allow Ebi to maintain its edge in the market.

Commenting on the journey, Alan Dresch from Mellow Colour said,

"Ebi don’t approach their customers with a ‘this is what we do’ mantra. More importantly they ask ‘What do you need?’ This often means Ebi need to respond with something new and innovative. It drives them forward into new technologies and markets, and I think this is exactly why we align so well – we have the same philosophy. Ebi don't just supply products; they develop solutions that drive both our businesses forward."

Looking ahead: A culture of excellence

For Ebi, this isn't the finish line, it's a foundation for the future.  The future involves pushing the boundaries of what materials can be printed, further expanding their repertoire of substrates.

Most importantly, colour management is now part of the Ebi DNA.

New apprentices entering the business aren't learning the old way of subjective checking; they are being raised in a culture of spectral accuracy and data-driven excellence.

As the next generation comes through, they carry with them the tools and the mindset to ensure Ebi remains a leader in high-quality print for years to come.