Elie Khoury to Detail Spectral Breakthrough Underlying Alwan’s Hydra Technology Platform at TAGA NextGen
Session to Cover the Cost, Time, and Accuracy Advantages of Spectral Over Colorimetric Data
Hydra’s Impact on Color Management will be Ground-Breaking, say Experts and Customers
LYON, FR – March 5, 2025 – Elie Khoury, founder and president of Alwan Color Expertise and a guiding force among the world’s most respected color experts and organizations for close to 30 years, will present Alwan’s breakthrough spectral prediction technology, Hydra, at TAGA NextGen at 1 pm, March 26 in Boulder, CO, USA. Alwan is again a silver sponsor of the Conference.
“We’re privileged to be under the same roof as both the current and next generation of industry professionals in Boulder this year,” Khoury says of the TAGA Conference scheduled March 25-27 in Colorado’s picturesque city at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. “The timing is perfect, because the next generation of color experts should be aware that the bar for color management has been raised, significantly, with Hydra.”
“Hydra is the most important technology innovation I’ve seen since direct to plate,” says Meredith Nichols, a veteran color management, workflow and automation, and business consultant to the industry. “In Hydra, Alwan has revolutionized color management. The positive economic impact on printers, packaging companies, digital textile producers and other specialty printers will be huge,” she says.
In the TAGA session; Khoury will reveal how spectral data processing is demonstrated as being superior to conventional CIELAB color management, which is utilized by other color management providers. He will then discuss Alwan’s work to obtain, and maintain, the most accurate color reproduction…
- without 45 min. for initial calibration and profiling using hundreds to thousands of patches,
- without the hours frequently needed to attain brand color accuracy,
- without time-intensive re-calibration and re-profiling necessary after color shifts, and
- without expensive internal solutions or external resources.
The result is Hydra, Alwan’s new application platform based on its patented spectral profiling technology. Hydra-based applications are in continuous development, with HydraFix and HydraSpot now available, and Hydra Profiling now embedded in the company’s popular Alwan ColorHub, Alwan PrintStandardizer and Alwan ToolBox solutions.
Khoury welcomes TAGA attendees to talk to himself and other Alwan representatives who will be at the Conference. He suggests that student attendees stop by to pick-up a registration packet for free versions of Alwan applications.
Khoury says that the message Alwan will deliver to the marketplace is simple: “Hydra powers the fastest, easiest, most accurate color management… for much less money.
“It’s a new day for color management”.
About Hydra
Accurate, high quality color always ranks at the top of brand owner requirements of their printers and packaging suppliers. In the 30+ years since graphic arts reproduction began transitioning into a digital discipline, however, advances in color management have been slowed by complexity, cost, and significant time investment.
Alwan Color Expertise has responded to the market’s need with Hydra, its patented and award-winning spectral prediction technology. Since its earliest iterations appeared on the scene in 2020, Hydra has been called out by industry experts and customers as a turning point in color management for print, packaging, and specialty applications.
A key component of future Alwan solutions, Hydra-based applications now include HydraFix and HydraSpot. Hydra Profiling is now embedded in Alwan’s popular ColorHub , PrintStandardizer and ToolBox solutions.
Additionally, all Hydra-based products save up to 10% more ink than any other ink saving technology, and without compromise to print quality and color accuracy.
A Word from TAGA
TAGA’s Immediate Past President is Mark Bohan, the Director of Color Solutions at Konica Minolta. Bohan says that TAGA is fortunate to have a core group of researchers and manufacturers who support graphic arts with ongoing insights into how the industry can be improved, as well as educational programs for students.
“We are very happy to see Elie Khoury at the Conference, not only presenting but continuing to support the industry directly by giving back to many universities and users,” Bohan says. “I am certain attendees will gain great value from his session on understanding the next generation of color technology.”
The Technical Association of the Graphic Arts is an international community of industry professionals, academics and students dedicated to scientific research and technological innovation in the diverse field of graphic communications. The Annual Technical Conference provides one of the premier platforms for communication, publication, and outreach in the graphic communications industry. During the event, industry leaders, innovators, researchers, scientists, and end users can evaluate the latest R&D and learn how it can impact their own activities and business.
About Alwan Color Expertise
Alwan Color Expertise was founded in Lyon, France, in 1997 by President Elie Khoury. His vision – to demonstrate how important standardizing and controlling color throughout every stage of production is – has resulted in the company becoming a world leader in standardization and color management implementation. The company’s latest core technology, Hydra, is a Pinnacle technology award winner at the heart of Alwan’s latest digital print and packaging color solutions.
Today, Alwan provides software, consultancy and training to key players throughout the graphic arts industry, from printers and publishers to software developers and hardware manufacturers. The company also supports university-level color technology programs with donations of its world-renowned applications.