Extended Color Gamut (ECG) Flexo Printing: Eliminating Spot Inks

How ECG printing with 7 fixed inks matches 90%+ of Pantone colors, eliminates spot ink changeovers, and increases press utilization from 65% to 80%.

LISHG Editorial

March 1, 2026

Article overview

How ECG printing with 7 fixed inks matches 90%+ of Pantone colors, eliminates spot ink changeovers, and increases press utilization from 65% to 80%.

Extended Color Gamut (ECG) Flexo Printing: Eliminating Spot InksTechnologynewsLISHG Machineryflexographic printing machine

Article Content

In-depth analysis, specifications and editorial commentary

What is ECG Printing?

Extended Color Gamut printing uses 7 fixed inks — CMYK plus Orange, Green, and Violet (OGV) — to reproduce over 90% of the Pantone library without mixing spot inks. The expanded gamut covers the red-orange, green, and blue-violet regions that standard CMYK cannot reach.

Business Impact

A converter running 20 brand SKUs/week typically stocks 40–60 spot ink formulations. With ECG: ink inventory reduces to 7 fixed inks, job changeover time drops by 60%, press utilization increases from 65% to 80%+, and ink waste reduces by 70–80%.

Technical Requirements

ECG requires: 8-color CI press minimum, HD flexo plates (2400+ dpi output), advanced RIP with N-color separation (Esko, GMG, or ORIS), and rigorous color management including regular ICC profiling. LISHG King and Master Series 8-color presses are fully ECG-ready with appropriate anilox roll selection.