Frequently asked questions

ECG (Expanded Color Gamut) adds ink channels beyond CMYK — Orange, Green, and Violet — to reproduce a wider color range in press printing. It's an ISO standard (ISO 20654) but uncommon because the equipment investment is higher and the workflow requires specialized press knowledge. Full explanation: Technology page.

Different layers. RGB is a screen color model; ECG is a printing capability standard. A 7-color ECG press can faithfully translate an RGB design file into print because its gamut covers most of what a screen displays — standard CMYK cannot. See Technology for a full comparison.

Both can hit Pantone targets, but ECG uses a fixed 7-ink set covering ~80% of Pantone within ΔE 2.5 as a baseline — no per-color surcharges or press reconfiguration. Spot color adds a dedicated ink station per color, which works for one or two brand colors but breaks down on photography or complex gradients. Details at Technology.

Three signals: Does your brand have a saturated color (orange, green, teal, purple) that looks wrong in print? Is it displayed next to other SKUs where color matching is visible? Are you paying for spot ink runs? If yes to any, ECG likely pays. If your packaging is primarily text and neutrals, standard CMYK is sufficient. See Technology.

Sinso's ECG work runs on the Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 75 in 8-color configuration with inline coater. Conventional CMYK and large-format jobs run on the Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 74 (7-color) and XL 105 (5-color) presses under the same G7-calibrated workflow.

Sinso prefers native design files over pre-exported PDFs. Send a packaged Adobe InDesign file (INDD with all linked images and fonts collected), or an Adobe Illustrator file (.ai with embedded or collected links). If a PDF is the only option, use PDF/X-4 with fonts embedded and all images at 300 dpi minimum at final print size. Standard bleed is 3 mm on all sides with a 3 mm safe zone inside trim; include a dieline from your structural supplier for any custom die shape. For color, RGB source images give Sinso's ECG profiling more to work with than pre-converted CMYK files; Pantone colors should be specified by swatch number rather than built from process values.

Yes — G7 Master Printer, certified through Idealliance. G7 governs proof-to-press color conformance. Full verification details at certifications.

Yes — GMI (Graphic Measures International) qualifies the Ningbo factory as an approved vendor for Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, Academy Sports, and Walgreens. Full details at certifications.

Folding cartons, rigid set-up boxes, blister and display backers. Sinso focuses on three verticals: artist and collector editions, games and puzzles, and retail packaging (which includes toy lines, gift sets, and beauty and personal care).

Flexible packaging like pouches, films, and flow wrap. Corrugated shipper boxes (Sinso partners for outer master cartons). US-based fulfillment and warehousing.

SBS, FBB, kraft, recycled board, and specialty coated stocks. If you have a specific spec in mind, send it with the brief.

Because ECG output is tied to a specific vendor's process — their RIP software, ink chemistry, press profiles, and substrate calibration. Two vendors running the same 7-color process will produce different output from the same file, sometimes visibly so on saturated colors or large flat areas. Splitting a SKU across vendors reintroduces the inconsistency ECG was designed to eliminate.

7 to 10 days from receipt of files and brief. Samples are airshipped to the US.

Brief and file submission → physical sample airshipped in 7–10 days → G7-calibrated digital proof reviewed and approved → production press run with inline color measurement → delivery FOB Ningbo, or DDP on request.

No. Quotes depend on substrate, finishing, run length, and finishing operations. Send a brief to hello@sinso.us and Sinso responds within 24 hours.

hello@sinso.us. Sinso's US operations lead manages briefs, quotes, proofs, and project status from the US side, in direct coordination with the Ningbo factory.

No. 118 Huiming Road, Fenghua High-tech Development Zone, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. The site covers more than 12,000 sqm with 15,000+ sqm of production floor.

Ningbo Sinso Printing Co., Ltd. was founded in 1998. Sinso has 25+ years of continuous operation.