Prepress Sources Optimize Ink

A surprise at last month's Graph Expo was prepress optimization software capable of ink savings up to 25%—generally using forms of gray component replacement (GCR) or under color removal (UCR). It's no wonder, really, with the recent spikes in ink raw materials and the expected continuation of price increases.

Ultimate Technographics' InkReady controls ink density on press by taking the prepress digital plate in PDF or PostScript format and producing CIP3's Print Production Format (PPF) specification, which is widely used in ink key presetting systems. PPF ink density data can be exported to any color-control console on a press that supports it. Or it produces on screen (and as a printout) the densities of each ink zone, as defined by the user.

Agfa's :OptiInk is designed to reduce ink costs from 8% to 30% while preserving quality. It processes PDF files to apply GCR to swap out the right amount of cyan, magenta and yellow and replace it with black. Agfa says it can intelligently deduce any profile, even when it is not provided in the PDF file, using its intelligent Source Space Recognition. Then, :OptiInk not only recognizes the profile but automatically replaces it with the correct or optimum profile. It also converts spot colors to CMYK, and then performs GCR on the resulting color.

Oris Ink Saver is a color-managed GCR/UCR system that reduces total ink or toner use. Its algorithms are applied to line work and continuous-tone image data. Depending on the coverage of the original files, ink savings of up to 25% are possible, says the firm, along with corresponding decreases in drying time, makeready and paper weights. Once a desired ink-reduction setting is achieved, the system processes high-resolution digital files automatically using shared-network hot folders. PDF, PS or other common file formats are dragged to the appropriate desktop icon, and a modified file is generated. All major file formats are supported, so the system may easily be integrated into existing workflows.

GMG InkOptimizer provides automatic ink reduction, calculating CMYK-CMYK color transformations to reduce ink applied to a page. By reducing the amount of chromatic colors, it promises ink savings of up to 25% on press. Makeready is faster and drying time is trimmed. As the quantity of CMY inks used decreases, the proportion of black ink increases. Even though images remain identical to both the naked eye and when analyzed by a spectrophotometer, the amount of color ink used is significantly reduced.

Fujifilm Graphic Systems showed its CD-14 ink blending station, which automates match ink mixing. It includes dispensers, estimating software, spectrophotometers and mixing station.

Side note: Ink gatherings held in the Graph Expo time frame were Van Son Holland Ink's 5th Annual VS Series Ink Council, Oct. 13-14 in Itasca, IL, for printing ink manufacturers who distribute Van Son's VS Series inks for high-speed commercial printers. The NAPIM board gathered immediately following the show in Chicago; and the NPIRI Technical & Manufacturing Conf. concluded in Ft. Lauderdale just before the show opened.

Online: www.napim.org, vansonink.com, fujifilmgs.com, gmgcolor.com, cgs.de, agfa.com and ultimate-tech.com