Color Proofing: A Wide-Open Field

The color proofing arena is as dynamic as ever, with a broad range of options available. Unfortunately, standards are nonexistent; the choice of which proofing system to use depends on several factors, such as client requirements and at what phase in the production process the proof is to be pulled. And while digital proofing may gather all the headlines, analog proofing still is a critical step in a printer's workflow. As one vendor noted, fewer than 20% of all plates are being prepared digitally.

"There are many different targets now," says Rich Stoebe, marketing director for Imation Color Technologies. "Everybody has their own color target; it might be Hexachrome, SWOP, or something that has to be matched on the Web as well as in print. What we are trying to do is to offer enough color proofing solutions to help our customers meet their clients' targets, no matter what they are."

Echoes Ken Lowden, marketing and industry relations manager for DuPont Color Proofing, "Sometimes the choice is overwhelming—our customers' customers ask for digital proofs, analog proofs, and PDFs as well. We help our customers evaluate the difference in price/performance levels, as a $5 proof is not the same as a $25 proof. They need to consider what they are proofing, and assess what the risk is and at what price. As the risk goes up, it makes sense to select the higher-cost technology, and vice versa."

Along with the absence of standards and an overwhelming number of choices, graphic arts professionals are under increasing time pressure. "Deadlines are squeezing the production side," says Stoebe. "There is no time to communicate back and forth; the production side gets little time to work around bad files."

On-line soft proofing and remote proofing in general would seem to be the perfect antidote. But like other new technologies, they have been slow to capture the imagination, and the dollars, of the printing industry. Accuracy and consistency (or the lack thereof) remain key issues, if not in reality then in the minds of graphic arts professionals.

"Most graphic arts professionals and their clients are not using soft proofing on line," says Stoebe. "They are communicating with PDF files during the early part of the proofing process, but the problem with soft color proofing is one that continues to haunt the graphic arts industry: the gamut on RGB monitors is so broad that it is hard to reproduce at a print shop."

That said, there are those willing to take the plunge, especially if it means realizing savings in time and cost. In February, RealTimeImage, Inc. announced that London-based Autosport magazine used its RealTimeProof on-line proofing solution to approve all editorial pages for press. Hard-copy proofs were not used at all.

Working with its repro house Colour Systems, a RealTimeProof customer, Autosport was able to fully participate in the proofing process using a Web browser over a dial-up connection to Colour Systems's network.

Even though Autosport's full-color pages typically are about 50 to 100 megabytes in size, RealTimeProof's proprietary technology was able to stream full-resolution proofs over the Web in seconds. Previously, Autosport staffers traveled back and forth to Colour Systems's premises for two days during the proofing process.

When remote proofing was first talked about, it was with the idea that lower-cost ink-jet devices would sit at the customer's site. Today, DuPont is poised to launch a remote proofing system called CromaNet that will allow customers to export a color profile to high-end digital WaterProof color proofing devices. With this system, customers on the receiving end can certify the output within a pre-established quality parameter, says the company.

After having previewed the system at Drupa 2000 and Graph Expo/Converting Expo 2000, DuPont says it will officially launch the product at the Heidelberg Digital Imaging Association annual meeting in June.

Another trend dominating the color proofing arena is the necessity of simulating an expanded color gamut. Manufacturers of color proofing systems have recognized that their customers are printing with more than four colors, and have responded with systems that can simulate a wider gamut than CMYK can produce.

At Graph Expo/Converting Expo 2000 last fall, DuPont Color Graphics launched several products that extend the color gamut and are now in full commercial release.

DuPont's i generation series of ink-jet proofers feature gamut-enhanced inks that enable users to simulate non-process colors. Says the company, the proofers are available in two- or four-page format, and a two-page proof can be produced in less than 10 minutes.

For its analog customers, DuPont created the WaterProof Color Formulator, a computerized color mixing system for its WaterProof Color Versatility (CV) system, the latter of which is designed to make the process of mixing inks easier and more accurate, particularly when mixing special colors, says the company.

With the system, a user enters via a PC laptop the parameters for a color desired to be matched; in turn, the CV formulator calculates the matching formula. Connected to a special scale, the computer then weighs the inks and indicates whether or not the user is mixing the formula correctly; the software will automatically adjust if it is not accurate. Once the correct formula has been attained, the application saves it and establishes it as a standard.

DuPont's newest development, WaterProof Thermal, is being jointly developed with Creo-Scitex for the latter's thermal imaging equipment. WaterProof Thermal, which combines WaterProof's color set with the ability to proof special colors, currently is in field testing stages that are expected to continue over the next few months. Full commercialization is not expected until later in the year, say DuPont officials.

Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. also is expanding the color gamut of its proofing devices. "We are working on special colors for our FinalProof digital halftone proofer," says Don Schroeder, Fujifilm senior product development manager for color proofing. "Our goal is to have two to four special colors; we are working on red, blue, green, and orange. The targeted commercial release will be around Print 01 in September."

Fuji also is close to having its FinalProof media certified for use on CreoScitex thermal imaging equipment. Say Fuji officials, FinalProof TPM (thermal proofing media) is the same material that is used with the FinalProof system. "This lets our customers stay in the same color space, whether they want to output the proof on a FinalProof or on a Trendsetter," says Schroeder. "This gives our customers the legacy link back to our analog proof."

Additionally, states Schroeder, Fuji's PictroProof digital proofer has just received SWOP certification, thereby giving Fuji full SWOP approval for all of its proofing systems, from the high end to the PictroProof entry-level composite.

"All our proofing systems support the legacy of ColorArt, which has been around for 15 years," he explains. "It is a legacy we support. We want to make sure we can offer our customers a proof for whichever price range they want to be involved with—PictroProof is an $8 proof, whereas FinalProof is a $40 proof."

Imation makes its expanded color offerings available for the company's Matchprint Plus analog system, as well as its Matchprint Digital Halftone media for CreoScitex imaging devices.

The new capability for Matchprint Plus allows customers to mix and coat special color sheets to make proofs that better simulate actual inks used in print jobs. The Matchprint Plus system—which consists of a set of 15 aqueous inks, an automated coater, and a receiver sheet—utilizes an Imation Model 447 laminator and Model 2430 proofing processor. In operation, users custom coat the receiver material to simulate Pantone colors; the small tabletop coater spreads and dries the ink over the receiver sheet (up to a 30 x 42" size).

Created for its Matchprint Digital Halftone system, Imation's Custom Color software allows users to take a file and create color values to simulate Pantone colors on the final proof. This offering is being launched in the second quarter of 2001.

Matchprint Digital also is launching a new color set to make Matchprint Hexachrome-capable. Two new colors, green (currently available) and orange (available Q2 2001), have been added to let users simulate a Hexachrome proof.

In other developments, Imation says that it is close to field-testing its direct-to-paper line extension for the Matchprint Digital Halftone system. "Today we proof on a special proofing base, make the proof, and then transfer to another proofing base," explains Imation's Stoebe. "With our direct-to-paper extension, the customer can make a Matchprint digital proof using actual printing stock. We do this by pre-coating common printing stock." Stoebe says Imation expects to launch this offering early this quarter.

In the continuous tone arena, the official launch of the Matchprint Professional server for the Xerox DocuColor 12 copier/ printer occurred on March 1. This means that all certifications, qualifications, and field tests are complete, and that orders are being taken. "What we are excited about, and why Xerox came to us, is our ability to really simulate printing results upstream in the process," says Stoebe.

Elsewhere in proofing growth news, Agfa launched at Graph Expo/Converting Expo 2000 its AgfaJet Sherpa 24, the newest member of the Sherpa family of digital proofing systems.

Using the same advanced technology as the large-format AgfaJet Sherpa line, the Sherpa 24 high-precision capstan printers use an efficient piezoelectric ink-jet system that conserves ink with no loss in quality, claims the manufacturer.

The Sherpa 24 also makes use of an extended color gamut, using six colors: CMYK plus a light magenta and a light cyan. Agfa officials say that the two extra colors soften highlights, making difficult colors such as flesh tones easier to match.

In the next few months, all Sherpa units shipped will include Agfa's new color management software and a new RIP, the latter of which will allow application-specific screening using Agfa Balanced Screening technology to provide a halftone dot for applications up to 100 lines per inch.

ColorTune color-management software, which runs on the Proofer RIP, uses Sherpa's six colors to generate accurate, ICC-compatible color profiles, says Agfa, adding that users can select from the ColorTune library or create a custom profile to match any output device.

"ColorTune is critical because it provides new gamut mapping capability for specific applications such as scanning, proofing, soft proofing, and offset printing, so users can match technology and type of printing," says Deborah Hutcheson, Agfa senior marketing manager of proofing products. "It provides the intelligence needed to match specific presses or simulate analog proofing devices."

Agfa will bundle with the large-format AgfaJet Sherpa 54 and 62 proofers its exclusive AgfaJet Digital Proofing Base wide-format proofing paper, a resin-coated photo-grade ink-jet paper capable of reproducing a larger gamut of color with sharper edges, says the company. The result is a contract color proof that matches a wider variety of printing standards and presses.

At Kodak Polychrome Graphics, new developments continue to be unveiled regarding the company's Recipe Color software, which uses proprietary technology to enable the Kodak Approval XP proofing system to accurately produce millions of spot colors, reports Kodak Polychrome Graphics.

The technology, which was announced at Drupa 2000, uses a single bitmapped image per spot color plate, and exposes that plate multiple times to deposit the appropriate amount of each colorant to mix the defined spot color. Claim company officials, the accurate reproduction of the spot color is ensured, a result of the fully adjustable density of the donor technology and the ability to expose with dot-on-dot precision. A silver donor, when used in combination with Recipe Color software, also produces a wide range of metallic colors such as gold, bronze, and chrome.

Additionally, says Kodak Polychrome Graphics, in mid-spring clear material for the Approval system will be available for overlays and to simulate diecuts and packaging.

The Approval XP system is designed with an open front-end, allowing the proofer to easily plug into various workflows such as Harlequin PostScript, Heidelberg Delta, PCC, Rampage, and Scitex Brisque. As a result, says the company, customers are assured true file integrity during proofing because they can use the same RIP throughout their entire workflow.

"We feel that halftone proofing is still the preferred contract method," asserts Ken Theodos, Kodak Polychrome Graphics marketing manager of color proofing systems in the U.S. and Canada.

"In recent months, our competition has introduced new halftone devices that will only help drive the market. Companies like Fuji, CreoScitex, and others have embraced halftone for final proofing. Further upstream, other technologies such as ink-jet and electrophotography output are quite useful, but for final proofing, halftone is the clear choice."

Polaroid Graphics Imaging's Prediction 2000 digital halftone proofing system, also introduced last May at Drupa 2000, has received worldwide acceptance of its field-proven product technology, getting off to an even faster start than the successful PolaProof 1420 and 2230 systems, reports Richard Deroo, who serves as manager of strategic relations for the company.

Since the launch, Polaroid Graphics Imaging has shipped almost as many Prediction units internationally as domestically, Deroo states.

Available in two-up format (with plans for a four-up model), Prediction 2000 can proof Pantone colors and metallics, Hexachrome color sets, and industry-standard color sets like GRACoL and SWOP.

Enhancements being introduced for Prediction 2000 include a new release upgrade that provides a second paper tray to support unattended digital halftone proofing on two different types of proofing papers simultaneously, such as matte and gloss.

Also new are remote diagnostic and support capabilities, with "phone home" features that enable the system to send service log reports directly to Polaroid Graphic Imaging's response center. The machine's diagnostics functionality enables the manufacturer to take the pulse of Prediction systems in the field, and with dial-up capabilities make remote adjustments to maintain system operations without the need for on-site service in most cases.

Polaroid Graphics Imaging also is field-testing its SpotOn offering, a new software product that affords the accurate proofing of spot colors with a four-color proofing workflow. This product most likely will be unveiled at Print 01, says the company.