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CGS ORIS GmbH
CGS ORIS GmbH mit Sitz in Hainburg ist weltweit führend in den Bereichen Proofdruck und Farbmanagement für die Druckindustrie.
Phone: (+49) 6182 9626 0
Email:
Kettelerstraße 24
D-63512 Hainburg
Deutschland
Phone: (+49) 6182 9626 0
Email:
Kettelerstraße 24
D-63512 Hainburg
Deutschland
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Clemson University | Bringing Spectral Color Data into the Classroom
The flexibility of CxF CLOUD to generate spectral data is a great way to explore different options within the industry for making proofs and formulating ink.
Clemson University Teaches Brand Color Management with CxF CLOUD
Client: Clemson University
Industry: Higher Education / Graphic Communications
Location: Clemson, South Carolina, USA
CGS ORIS Solutions: CxF CLOUD
Clemson University’s Graphic Communications program prepares students for careers in modern print and packaging. As part of the curriculum, the program introduced CxF CLOUD from CGS ORIS to teach advanced brand color management using spectral data.
Students gain practical experience defining, measuring, and verifying brand colors throughout the print workflow. The result is a deeper understanding of how color moves from design to final production.
Bringing Brand Color Management into the Classroom
Instructor Bobby Congdon encourages students to explore color management through the perspective of designers and brand owners. This approach helps students understand how brand color decisions affect the entire production process. By focusing on brand color management, students who primarily study design gain a better understanding of the technical steps required to reproduce color accurately in print. To expand the course, Congdon worked with specialists from CGS ORIS Americas to identify tools that could support this learning experience.
“We have a large focus on color profiling for CMYK, but I also wanted to introduce spot color technology that goes beyond a simple Lab value. Students should understand how to clearly define a brand color and use it throughout the workflow.”
Implementing CxF CLOUD for Spectral Color Data
In 2023, Clemson University implemented CxF CLOUD to help students work with spectral color data instead of relying only on Lab values or printed swatches. Students begin an exercise using “Clemson Orange,” defined as a Pantone spot color within their RIP software. They then compare the proof to a flexographic press sheet.
Students quickly notice that the colors do not match perfectly, particularly in tint values. Spectrophotometers and certification tools confirm that the results fall outside acceptable tolerances. This exercise demonstrates the limitations of traditional color definitions.
Creating Custom Spectral Color Definitions
To improve the result, students measure the full tint ramp from the press sheet, ranging from 0 to 100 percent in 10 percent increments. Using this data, they generate a custom CxF file for the orange spot color. The spectral data is then uploaded to the shared database within CxF CLOUD. Within minutes, students have a detailed color definition that can be used throughout the workflow. They then produce a second proof using the new color definition.
The improvement is immediately visible, particularly in the tint areas. Using the certification tools in CxF CLOUD, students measure the output again and confirm that the spot color patches now fall within the defined brand color tolerances.
Student Experience with CxF CLOUD
Students report that the software makes it easier to understand how color measurement and verification work in real production environments.
“CxF CLOUD made color management and correction much easier. Measuring, recording, and certifying colors in one program helped me understand how color data is interpreted and evaluated.”
— Griffin Sanders, Senior Student, Clemson University
Through these exercises, students gain hands-on experience with spectral data and see how it improves brand color accuracy.
Expanding Color Management Education
While CMYK profiling is often the focus of color management training, the introduction of spectral spot color workflows gives students a broader understanding of modern print production.
“We have other applications that use this type of data very well, but nothing else that creates the data at the level this product does.”
— Bobby Congdon
Educators at Clemson University plan to expand the use of CxF CLOUD in future courses. Potential areas include ink formulation and integrating spectral data earlier in the design process.
Preparing Students for the Future of Print
By introducing tools like CxF CLOUD, Clemson University gives students direct exposure to advanced color management workflows used across the printing and packaging industries.
This hands-on approach helps graduates enter the workforce with a stronger understanding of brand color specification, measurement, and verification. CGS ORIS continues to support educational institutions and commercial print organizations with solutions that maintain color consistency from proofing through final production.