The three-colour primary system is an invention of the 1700s and is very limited when it comes to violets or oranges in particular. With these colours and their biases you can achieve the fullest gamut possible using six colours, said Wilcox.
He has been granted full international patents and has been in contact with Sun Chemical to get the inks made up. He hopes to conduct on-press trials at the London College of Printing.
He would like the set to be produced for the same price as standard process inks, but it would save printers money by reducing colour management costs.
Wilcox said his ink set would end the use of black ink to darken colours, which can give dirty-looking hues.
However, if the set were used to produce a print with large amounts of text then a black would be needed.
Wilcox believed that the set did not have to be limited to printers with six or more units, and that four-colour printers, with the right software, could select the most appropriate four of the six for a specific job.
LCP director of digital media Chris Linford said: Our colour research has not found a system like this in the industry. It is unique.
Mellow Colour colour consultant Alan Dresch said Wilcoxs system could well extend the colour gamut as long as the right inks and pigments were used.
It would be a bit like separating Hexachrome colours from RGB files to get a fuller colour range, said Dresch.
Wilcox has also showed the system to Frome-based book specialist Butler & Tanner. Its director of printing, Andrew Pang, said:
Its very early days, but as a principle it has credence. Theres a long way to go before going to any print trials.
Story by John Davies
