Asda Renews X-Rite ColorCert Contract for Packaging Quality Control

With 200% improvement in print quality scores, ColorCert helps Asda increase focus on packaging color and consistency. 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., September 8, 2020 – X-Rite Incorporated and Pantone LLC, global leaders in color science and technology, today announced that Asda renewed its multi-year ColorCert contract for packaging quality control. As one of the largest British supermarket retailers, Asda uses the ColorCert Suite to manage packaging color and consistency across its 12,000 SKUs and multiple print suppliers. Asda print specialists are able to monitor print quality and see data for each and every press run in an easy-to-understand dashboard with objective and consistent metrics. As a result, Asda has increased packaging quality performance scores by 200 percent.

Asda brand packaging is printed globally across a variety of suppliers, print processes and substrates. With a small team of print specialists, it was impossible for Asda to attend every press pass across all suppliers to validate print quality. Five years ago, Asda adopted the ColorCert Suite across primary and secondary packaging printers. Following a successful implementation and significant increase in print scores, Asda also implemented ColorCert with their POS print provider.

Today, a majority of Asda’s approved printers have installed pressroom tools and report data directly into the ColorCert Scorecard Server. Asda sets tolerances for process colors, brand colors, overprints and grey balance to ensure process control. Printers are able to evaluate and monitor their own print quality. According to Asda, ColorCert improves printer performance, reduces rejects, and significantly saves time and costs.  

“Implementing ColorCert has given us the tools to focus on color and consistency,” Jason Gilmartin, Senior Print Manager, Asda. “As brand owners, we can now measure print quality based on agreed criteria and measurable data rather than subjective opinions, which helped to further improve relationships with our approved printers as we clearly define and agree our expectations. We even offer Q&A sessions to interested printers and Brand owners to share the benefits of ColorCert as a quality assurance solution, as we continue to champion smart working.”

“Asda was the first UK retailer to implement a print quality program, and their results have driven a change throughout the UK packaging market,” said Cindy Cooperman, Vice President, Brand Global Strategic Accounts, X-Rite. “Asda’s continued investment and commitment in the ColorCert Suite is a testament to the success of the program. We are very pleased to renew our contract and build upon this long-standing partnership.”

The cloud-based ColorCert Suite enables digital communication of brand color and print requirements across a complex supply chain. ColorCert software supports today’s digital workflows and integrates with X-Rite Color iQC, IntelliTrax2, PantoneLIVE™, XRGA-based pressroom spectrophotometers, and qualified third-party quality control software. 

For more information about ColorCert, visit https://www.xrite.com/categories/formulation-and-quality-assurance-software/colorcert.

About X-Rite

Founded in 1958, X-Rite Incorporated is a global leader in the science and technology of color and appearance. With Pantone, X-Rite employs more than 800 people in 11 countries. The company’s corporate headquarters are located in Grand Rapids, Mich., with regional headquarters in Europe and Asia and service centers across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. X-Rite offers a full range of solutions used by manufacturers, retailers, printers, photographers and graphic design houses to achieve precise management and communication of color and appearance throughout their processes. X-Rite products and services are recognized standards in the printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles and medical industries. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com. For the latest news, information, connect with X-Rite on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.  

About PantoneLIVE

PantoneLIVE is a cloud-based solution that enables the PANTONE Color language to be communicated and targeted for accurate color production across the entire supply chain – from design concept to final color production. The PantoneLIVE family includes PantoneLIVE Design, PantoneLIVE Production - Print & Packaging and PantoneLIVE Production – Plastic, Coatings and Textile. The different offerings are tailored to meet the specific needs of designers, color material suppliers and manufacturers working with paper, film, plastics, coatings and textiles. The PantoneLIVE family is supported by licensed hardware and software that enables each area of the packaging, plastic, coatings and textile supply chains to access spectral data for matching PANTONE^® Colors and specific brand palettes. This results in consistent and repeatable color across product families, for a cohesive brand approach regardless of material, media or print technology. For more information, please visit www.pantone.com/live.

About Pantone

Pantone provides the universal language of color that enables color-critical decisions through every stage of the workflow for brands and manufacturers. More than 10 million designers and producers around the world rely on Pantone products and services to help define, communicate and control color from inspiration to realization – leveraging advanced X-Rite technology to achieve color consistency across various materials and finishes for graphics, fashion and product design. Pantone Standards feature digital and physical color specification and workflow tools. The Pantone Color Institute™ provides customized color standards, brand identity and product color consulting as well as trend forecasting inclusive of Pantone Color of the Year, Fashion Runway Color Trend Reports, color psychology and more. Pantone B2B Licensing incorporates the Pantone Color System into different products and services, enabling licensees to communicate and reproduce certified Pantone values and improve efficiencies for their users. Pantone Lifestyle brings color and design together across apparel, home, and accessories. Learn more at www.pantone.com and connect with Pantone on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

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©2020 X-Rite, Inc. All rights reserved. X-Rite is a registered trademark of X-Rite, Inc. PANTONE®, PantoneLIVE and other Pantone trademarks are the property of Pantone LLC. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Pantone is a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated. Licensed under Sun Chemical Corporation. Sun Chemical’s patented technology enables the communication of a consistent, digital description of the desired appearance of a product.  U.S. Patent Nos. 7,034,960; 7,202,976; 7,268,918; 7,417,764; 7,738,149 and their foreign equivalents. © Pantone LLC, 2020. All rights reserved.