Difference Between IA ECG B1C and IA ECG B1C X ICC Profiles

Investigating the differences (primarily GCR) between the 2 ICC profiles IDEAlliance released in August of 2021 in their updated ECG Characterization Target and Kit.

By Dan Gillespie – Alder Color Solutions – Director of Technical Services

As part of the “Idealliance ECG Beta Characterization Data Set File” download there are 2 different ICC profiles, both 7-color (Multichannel) with CMYK + Orange, Green and Violet. One is called IA ECG B1C and the other is IA ECG B1C X. The difference between these 2 profiles is in how they were created, with different amounts of GCR (Gray Component Replacement) applied.

Here are 2 screenshot showing the CMYK curves from within each profile.

Here you can see the B1C profile is utilizing more Black and less Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. This would be the profile that has more GCR (also commonly referred to as ink savings) applied.

In the B1C X profile it’s the opposite – more Cyan, Magenta and Yellow and less Black…

Take a look at these RGB images that have been converted (aka separated) in Photoshop using both ECG profiles. B1C X on the left versus B1C on the right. The side-by-side comparison is not as noticeable as toggling back and forth, where you can see the difference much more obviously. B1C X appears darker because it’s fuller throughout the tonal range.

Take a look at each channel – this would be the content on each individual plate. The Color for each is listed at the top but they are in order CMYKOGV…

You can clearly see that the B1C X profile has more content/pixels on all of the color channels and less on the black channel. Which profile to use just depends on your preference. The B1C profile will print with less ink and be more manageable on press from color shifts. However, the results are not perfectly equal in terms of color.

Keep in mind that these are not standards yet, only part of the Beta ECG Kit, and will likely be different once approved and officially released. I just thought others might be interested in the specific differences and I was already exploring down this rabbit hole and thought I’d share. If you’re interested in implementing ECG, feel free to contact us for solutions or with questions. We offer a complete ECG ink set for offset and flexo, turn-key proofing and soft-proofing, and all of the training and expertise to help you implement it.