Dr. Danny Clark Rich was an internationally renowned color scientist and standards expert with an infectious and instantly recognizable laugh.
He was the go-to source for all things color, anywhere in the world. And he became just the second individual inducted into FTA’s Hall of Fame on a Legacy basis at the Association’s Fall Conference 2022. He is the 61st person inducted into the prestigious society.
The honor follows his untimely and unexpected death just three months earlier. Danny’s induction into the Hall of Fame did, however, offer friends, colleagues and fellow color enthusiasts the opportunity to reflect on his remarkable career and his unique personality.
Mark Mazur, fellow Hall of Fame member and FIRST Committee Chair, who announced Danny’s selection, recalled, “For those of you who are regular attendees to FTA FORUMs, you will remember Danny as the geek who required ‘degeeking.’ He was selfless, compassionate and always had time to help. He was the one [Steve] Smiley and [Mark] Samworth would go to in order to make sure they got the technical details correct. Danny knew the details behind the details.
“Early in his career, Danny worked to improve spectrophotometers; he explained printing to instrument engineers and instrumentation to printers,” he observed. “He compared different spectrophotometers and then helped write the standards to allow greater agreement between vendors. He was one of the principal scientists behind PantoneLIVE, and then helped develop CxF. He was one of the main drivers behind having all print segments and ink suppliers standardize on common hue angles for cyan, magenta and yellow inks. Danny directly impacted almost every aspect of color measurement we take for granted in flexography today.
“Personally, I relied on Danny time and time again to edit particular sections of FIRST,” Mazur confided. “Danny edited the entire Section 26 of FIRST 7.0 Ink Room Procedures and Testing, making sure every detail was precise. I can’t tell you the number of times I had to change ‘Lab’ to ‘L*a*b*.’ As Danny explained, you don’t want to confuse ‘Hunter Lab’ with ‘CIE Lab.’ My last interaction with Danny concerned the Instrument Geometry Correlation Tables which were part of the FQC Opacity Project. I asked him to summarize the findings so that it could be incorporated into Section 26.3.2 Printed Ink Properties – Dry Ink. He replied with three pages of information. I read that response and felt it was a bit too much information for FIRST. I asked if he could simplify his summary; he sent me back eight pages. I am sure in time we would have gotten to something a bit more useable, but now you understand why all the information is in Appendix G and not in section 26.3.2.”
Robb Frimming, FTA’s new president, added, “I had the great fortune of meeting Danny many years ago while working together on FTA technical projects. It was such a pleasure, and of course, always a learning experience working with him. In addition, we had the chance to speak together on a few occasions at FTA events. I always loved how we (the industry) looked at Danny for an acknowledgment that our own work was on target. Danny was a true treasure for the print industry. His outstanding work has been included in the FIRST 7.0 release.”
Danny’s contributions to many projects in FFTA’s Flexo Quality Consortium (FQC) program, CGATS, the US TAG to ISO/TC 130 Graphic Technology, TC 42 Photography, CIE and the ICC, as well as to the greater graphic arts industry at large, will remain indelible.
Standards Advocate
In fact, in presenting Danny with the FTA President’s Award in 2019, Hall of Fame Member and then-FTA President Mark Cisternino said: “An integral part of FQC and one of the earliest supporters and founding member of the Standards Working Group (SWG), Danny stepped up to lead the team when needed… He joined the FQC Executive Committee—a natural fit given his insight, knowledge and participation within the standards organizations that directly touch the continued work of the FQC and often lead its project subject matter.”
In summarizing Danny’s contributions, Cisternino further recalled, “Hall of Fame member and fellow standards expert Steve Smiley stated very simply that, ‘Danny is one of the smartest people I know. He’s my go-to guy in the world of color.’ Coming from Steve, that’s really a powerful endorsement! An ongoing contributor to FLEXO Magazine on the progress of the SWG and its impact on the flexographic industry, Danny published an outstanding article in the April 2019 issue titled, ‘The Lengthy, Specific & Complicated Process to Codify an International Standard.’ In opening the article, he stated that developing standards ‘may seem like wizardry or perhaps something darker,’ but, in reality, simply takes a great deal of expertise, commitment and patience, all three qualities embodied by Danny as a recognized industry leader in the very important area of color measurement for graphic reproduction. Your commitment is inspiring and very much appreciated, Danny!”
Career Notes
Danny began his career in 1980 with Sherwin-Williams Paint Co, where he directed work on optical properties of coatings, process control, computer modeling and statistical experimental design. He later joined Applied Color Systems in Princeton, NJ, where he researched color simulation, soft proofing, instrument design, and optical metrology and calibration. In 1998, Danny joined Sun Chemical Corp and was the director of the Color Research Laboratory in the Daniel J. Carlick Technical Center in Carlstadt, NJ. He retired from Sun Chemical in August 2021 and established a color/standards consultant practice based in Memphis, TN.
Danny holds 15 US patents, 11 world patents and has 21 applications that are awaiting approval. In addition to the FTA President’s Award, Danny was awarded the Nickerson Service award from the Inter-Society Color Council (ISCC) in 1999, the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) award for Technical Achievement in 2008, the Thomas Alva Edison award for innovation by the Research Council of New Jersey in 2008, the Robert F. Reed Medal from the Printing Industries of America in 2013, the Mattiello Memorial Award from the American Coatings Association in 2015, and the Godlove Award for lifetime achievements in color technology from the ISCC in 2019.
He received his B.S. in physics from the University of Idaho, M.S. in optical physics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Ph.D. in color science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Danny married Phyllis Phillips in 1976 and shares three children with her—twin sons Brandon and Bryan, and daughter Amanda. He too has a twin brother, David.
Mazur, among others, pointed out, “Beyond flexography, Danny was even more altruistic. He taught vacation bible school, mentored children in robotics and was deacon at his church. When asked if science and religion were incompatible, he simply said, “physics does not have all the answers.”
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