Your Contract With Quality
Better color management and expanded spot colors are increasing the accuracy of halftone proofs and facilitating an all-digital workflow.
It seems that every flavor of digital proofer is pushing to better mimic press conditions, deliver stable, accurate color and provide printers with the best tool for making the customer happy: the contract proof.
Easier said than done? Maybe not. Contract proofers, sporting better color management, expanded spot colors and flexible multisetting capabilities, are prepared to push the contract digital proof to the next level.
Kodak Polychrome Graphics reports that the Kodak Approval XP4 halftone digital color proofing system with Open Front End (OFE) will let users proof from a selection of digital front ends, including Scitex Brisque, Creo Prinergy, Harlequin, Barco, Rampage and others. The company also plans to add the capability to proof spot colors—including metallics. Additionally, new Kodak Type 2 Color Proofing Media will allow other proofing devices to produce accurate halftone proofs.
Polaroid Graphics Imaging is also planning to do its part in the migration to an all-digital workflow.
"The need for better color means providing high-quality, consistent and achievable color from the proof to the resulting press sheet, without extensive intervention," reports Betty LaBaugh, director of worldwide public relations at Polaroid Graphics Imaging.
Polaroid believes the best way to achieve this is in a proof that replicates the printing process—fixed density pigmented inks imaged on actual printing stocks.
"Contract proofing is now moving toward fixed-density, pigment-based inks," LaBaugh asserts. "Pigmented inks are used on press and they are more stable over time vs. dye-based proofs."
A trend to watch throughout 2000 in streamlining digital workflow is the integration of stochastic screening.
"A big benefit is consistency," LaBaugh reports. "Stochastic screening was once thought of as difficult to reproduce, but now with the fine dot reproduction and minimal gain capabilities of CTP systems, stochastic has the potential to flourish by providing a defining competitive edge."
Watch the proofing directions of Agfa, Creo/Heidelberg, Fujifilm, Kodak Polychrome Graphics, Polaroid, Optronics, Scitex, Screen (USA) and other top manufacturers. Multi-setters will be in vogue in 2000, offering the flexibility of plates or proofs to a market demanding both—fast.
—by Marie Ranoia Alonso
Advanced Color Management
From Agfa comes a digital color ink-jet proofing system for contract proofing called the AgfaJet Sherpa 43. Multi-density ink capability and advanced color management combine to deliver accurate color output. The AgfaJet Sherpa 43 has automated features, system flexibility and a dedicated spectrophotometer. The 43˝ wide system uses six colors—CMYK plus a light magenta and a light cyan. The two extra colors soften highlights making difficult colors such as flesh tones easier to match. The capstan printer uses a piezo-electric ink-jet system that conserves ink with no loss in quality.
Consistent And Reliable
The Creo Proofsetter Spectrum produces a reliable, high-quality digital contract proof. It uses patented Creo SQUAREspot thermal imaging technology. The Proofsetter Spectrum's high repeatability means solid density and tone curves that are consistent from proof to proof and machine to machine. A high-resolution proof imaged on the Proofsetter Spectrum can reproduce intricate features, as well as fine highlight and shadow details. Capable of imaging four- and eight-page proofs on the same device, the Proofsetter Spectrum is suited for quick turnaround jobs and large format proofing.
Low Cost Per Page
The Polaroid PolaProof 1420 Imager Gold System delivers high-quality digital halftone proofs at a low cost per page. This two-up proofer reportedly provides more stable and reliable color than dye-based proofing systems. It uses actual pigmented inks and requires no intermediate transfer steps or wet chemical processing. Since each color is imaged directly onto actual printing paper stock, dot gain is more easily controlled and matches the low gain of CTP plates. The system's PolaProof Finisher provides durable gloss, semi-gloss or matte finishes that anticipate optical gain.
Better Color Control
Jointly developed with CREO, DuPont's Digital Halftone Proofing System is designed to meet the need for better control of color and higher productivity in CTP proofing workflows. It proofs both process colors and a variety of spot colors by imaging process color films on Heidelberg/CREO thermal imaging equipment, then adding special colors with DuPont's WaterProof Color Versatility System. The DuPont system is color-matched to the WaterProof and Cromalin global standards for accurate and consistent print prediction. It offers two-sided proofs of work on the actual printing stock. The system is among the most productive for full eight-page thermal imaging.
Dual Density Droplets
Epson's latest digital proofing solution, the EPSON Stylus Pro 5000, comes either with or without a RIP server, and is ideal for color-accurate comps and pre-film proofs. It offers 1,440x720-dpi print resolution, is equipped with a six-color CMYK ink system and can handle a range of media up to 13 x19˝. The Stylus Pro 5000 uses Dual Density Droplet (DX3) technology, which prints a precise 11-nanogram dot size for clean, sharp dot placement. The external EFI Fiery LX server is equipped with Adobe PostScript 3.
The Final Word
Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. offers the new Luxel FINALPROOF 5600, an A2 (211⁄2x253⁄5˝) or B2 format (211⁄2x321⁄4˝) digital halftone color proofer that offers true halftone dot screening at the same resolution as the company's output recording devices, with pigment-based CMYK colors and the ability to laminate to printing stock. Other features include: New color-matching software; 2,540-dpi/2,438-dpi/2,400-dpi halftone resolution for a range of output screens, from 120 lines to 200 lines; output speed of about four B2 proofs per hour; true halftone dot screening to replicate CTP output.
More Consistent Than Analog
Using continuous ink-jet technology, Heidelberg's IrisPrint high-resolution digital proofers are reportedly more consistent than conventional analog proofing. Image repeatability is suitable for contract proofs. Photographic-quality images result from variable-sized droplets. These proofers accept a variety of materials. With automatic paper feed and a self-cleaning system, the proofers use environmentally safe vegetable and water-based inks. Heidelberg's workflow, using ICC color management, lets customers profile the IrisPrint proofers matching the press' color output.
Matchprint System
The Imation Matchprint Ink-jet System is specially formulated for use with the Hewlett-Packard DesignJet ColorPro GA printer. The new system consists of software and special proofing media. When the software, called the Matchprint Color RIP, is used with Imation Matchprint Ink-jet Paper, it creates affordable proofs that simulate Imation's Matchprint contract proofs—a recognized and trusted standard for color proofing. The entire system including printer, software and proofing paper is available for under $3,000.
Sixteen Pages An Hour
The Approval XP4 offers reliable and consistent digital halftone color proofing. Available exclusively from Kodak Polychrome Graphics, the four-page Approval XP4 runs at 16 full-color pages per hour, with a 205⁄8x261⁄2˝ image area. It provides an automated/unattended roll-feed system and relies on colorants that allow adjustable density, providing accurate and repeatable quality.
Desktop Proofing System
The Iris iPROOF desktop proofing system from Scitex combines a strong foundation of Iris and Scitex graphic arts experience. A plug-and-play digital front end boasts an intuitive graphical user interface, complete queue and hot folder management and drag-and-drop functionality. Professional color management promotes color accuracy. Thermal drop-on-demand ink-jet technology offers high image quality at twice the speeds of competitive devices. The Iris iPROOF desktop proofing system's sophisticated Iris screening enables professional results that simulate Iris continuous ink-jet proofers.
Large-format Approval Proofs
The new TrueRite 180 proofing system from Screen (USA) automates the job of producing high-resolution color-matched proofs on actual printing stock, using Kodak Approval thermal dye-sublimation materials. TrueRite exposes materials at 4,000 dpi. It uses a 32-channel laser diode along with Screen's external drum technology for fast, high-quality output. It can expose an area up to 20.1x24.6˝, accommodating A2 size output with register marks in place.
Contract-Quality
Presstek's PEARLhdp, is a thermal halftone digital proofing system based on Presstek's PEARL imaging technology. This daylight-safe proofing system uses Imation's Matchprint Laser Proof materials to deliver pressroom accepted proofs that are superior to conventional film-based proofs. The affordable, easy-to-use PEARLhdp closes the gap in the digital workflow, compressing the sequence of printing from design to press, while shortening proofing cycles and printing time.
