Colour Printing 7.0 – New European training network

FUNDED BY: EU FP7, MARIE CURIE ACTIONS, INITIAL TRAINING NETWORK
AWARDED TO: LEAD – NORWEIGAN COLOUR RESEARCH LAB, GJOVIK, NORWAY. PLUS 5 NETWORK PARTNERS, INCLUDING UWE BRISTOL.
PROJECT FUNDING: €1,592,149.03.
FEATURED IMAGE: INKJET ON PAPER, CARINNA PARRAMAN, 2010

The CFPR are partners in an exciting new European funded research project, ‘Colour Printing 7.0: Next Generation Multi-Channel Printing (CP7.0)’, which will address a significant need for research, training, and innovation in the European printing industry. The team will take the colour printing field to its next generation of technological advancement by fully exploring the possibilities of using more than the conventional four colorants: cyan, magenta, yellow and black, focusing particularly on spectral properties. It will also train a significant new generation of printing scientists who will be able to assume science and technology leadership in this traditionally technological sector.

This project is funded under Marie Curie Actions, Marie Curie Training Networks (ITN) call: FP7-People-2010-ITN. The ‘People’ programme of the 7th framework programme aims to make a career in research more attractive to young people.

The project is to be led by The Norwegian Colour Research Laboratory, Gjøvik University College, and includes the following five full partners: Centre for Fine Print Research, UWE, Bristol UK; Institute of Printing Science and Technology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany; Digital Printing Centre, Mid Sweden University, Sweden; Digital Innovation and Application Team at Océ Print Logic Technologies, SA, France, Image Reproduction and Publishing at Linköpings Universitet, Sweden. As well as 8 Associate partners, including IKEA, Fraunhofer FIRST, and the National Gallery, England.

The network aims to provide a multidisciplinary and practical understanding of colour, paper optic, ink paper interaction and use of multispectral colour reproduction techniques to reproduce colour on displays, paper substrate (using n-colorant printers). The network will utilise the relevant skills provided by experts within the field to bring theory, analysis and practise together in the training events. The primary objective of this activity is to enable early stage researchers to benefit from the experience of leading researchers in the field.

Carinna Parraman will lead the project at UWE, and will be seeking to appoint an early stage researcher to study the application of multi-channel printing in fine art, and to create a range of printed samples that address and demonstrate the different requirements of the fine art user.

This project network includes two private sector partners and eight associated partners, including academic institutions, research institutes, and companies from the private sector, collectively covering an entire value chain from research to end users of new technology. Through joint efforts, and with the invaluable sought funding from the EU of about 2.16M EUR, they will be training a new generation of researchers (seven Early Stage Researchers and 2 Experienced Researchers) in the field of colour printing; researchers who will be well prepared to assume research and development leadership in this traditional manufacturing sector.

The project objectives will be reached through the following sub-goals:

• Increase and enhance multispectral colour reproduction technologies and methodologies.

• Establish a robust network (between the proposed network partners) for multispectral colour processing and reproduction and spectral colour workflow.

• Attract competent young researchers to the field of colour and multispectral colour reproduction.

• Network with current and new partners to sustain further activity in the field, for example through new projects financed by industry and/or the EU.

• Strengthen/increase the competence of the young researchers and the network partners in the research field of colour image science, in particular, methods which take into account spectral aspects of digital media and colour imaging system.