Developing accurate colors quickly and consistently remains one of the biggest challenges for manufacturers of inks, paints, coatings, plastics, textiles, and other color-critical products. To address these challenges, Datacolor developed Colibri® Ink Formulation, one of the industry's most advanced color formulation software platforms. TECHKON actively supports and delivers this solution to customers seeking a more efficient, accurate, and sustainable approach to color formulation and recipe management. Designed for laboratories, ink manufacturers, converters, and production facilities, Colibri® helps users create precise color formulations, reduce waste, improve efficiency, and maintain color consistency throughout production.
Professional Color Formulation for Print Shops to Manufacturers
One of Colibri's greatest strengths is its accessibility. Unlike traditional formulation systems that often require specialized expertise, Colibri® is designed to be practical for organizations ranging from large manufacturers to commercial printing companies and packaging converters. Its intuitive interface and automated formulation capabilities allow existing technical staff to work efficiently with minimal training. Businesses can benefit from advanced formulation technology without hiring dedicated color scientists or expanding their workforce. By simplifying recipe creation, color corrections, and leftover material management, Colibri® helps organizations improve quality, reduce waste, and establish a more consistent and repeatable color management workflow.
How TECHKON Powers Advanced Color Formulation with Colibri®
TECHKON actively supports and delivers Colibri® Ink Formulation as its advanced color matching and recipe development platform for the printing industry. By combining Colibri’s powerful formulation engine with TECHKON’s color measurement technologies such as SpectroDENS®, printers and ink manufacturers can accurately formulate colors, reduce trial-and-error, and achieve high first-shot match rates. The software enables precise color matching across different ink and substrate types, supports recipe correction, leftover ink reuse, and enterprise-wide color management, helping organizations improve efficiency, reduce waste, and maintain consistent color quality throughout production. Colibri can be deployed as a standalone solution or integrated across multiple locations, spectrophotometers, dispensers, and ERP systems for a fully connected color workflow.
More Than a Printing Solution
While Colibri® is widely recognized in the printing industry, its capabilities extend far beyond traditional print applications. The software supports color formulation and recipe management for: - Printing inks - Paints and decorative coatings - Industrial coatings - Plastics and masterbatches - Textile color development - Specialty color products Wherever color must be formulated, controlled, and reproduced accurately, Colibri® provides a reliable and efficient solution.
Sophisticated Technology for Accurate Color Matching
At the heart of the platform is advanced formulation technology that delivers highly accurate color matches across a wide variety of substrates and applications. Whether matching a brand color, correcting an off-shade production batch, or developing a completely new formulation, Colibri® helps users achieve target colors with fewer iterations and less material waste. Rather than relying solely on operator experience, the software uses advanced mathematical models and color science to calculate optimized formulations quickly and accurately. With a properly calibrated workflow, many colors can be matched on the first proof, significantly reducing trial-and-error, production delays, and formulation costs.
Understanding Colibri® Ink Formulation and Colibri ColorMatch
A common misconception is that Colibri® Ink Formulation and Colibri® ColorMatch are separate products. In reality, Colibri® Ink Formulation is the complete software platform, while Colibri® ColorMatch is the advanced calculation engine at its core. Think of it like Adobe Creative Cloud and Photoshop. Creative Cloud is the complete software ecosystem, while Photoshop is one of the key applications within it. Similarly, Colibri® ColorMatch performs the complex calculations required to: - Generate accurate color recipes - Predict color behavior on different substrates - Correct production batches - Optimize leftover material reuse - Standardize formulation workflows - Integrate with spectrophotometers - Connect with automatic dispensing systems It is the intelligence that powers the entire formulation process.
Built for Modern Color Workflows
Colibri® can be deployed as a standalone workstation or implemented across an enterprise environment. The software integrates seamlessly with spectrophotometers, dispensing systems, and production workflows, creating a connected digital ecosystem from color measurement to formulation and production. This enables organizations to improve accuracy, increase efficiency, reduce waste, and maintain consistent color quality across multiple locations and production runs.
Reduce Waste. Increase Accuracy. Improve Profitability.
Material waste, formulation corrections, and inconsistent color can significantly impact profitability. Colibri® helps organizations overcome these challenges by enabling faster color matching, improved recipe management, and the reuse of leftover materials in new formulations. The result is a more efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective approach to color development.
The Future of Color Formulation
As customer expectations for color consistency continue to rise, manufacturers need solutions that combine accuracy, efficiency, and ease of use. Developed by Datacolor and actively supported by TECHKON, Colibri® Ink Formulation provides a modern platform for smarter color development across printing, paints, coatings, plastics, textiles, and other color-critical industries. By combining advanced color science with practical workflow automation, Colibri® empowers organizations of all sizes to formulate colors faster, reduce waste, improve consistency, and achieve professional results with confidence.