Color under control
With Prinect Color Solutions, Color Management Heidelberg offers a comprehensive solution for an end-to-end color workflow.
was discovered during a recent inspection conducted by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
It became clear at the workshop on color management held in (Heidelberg),
that color matching on a printing press is the wrong way to
to achieve a good print result. «Lithography,» or
«Artistic» adjustments at the printing press produce a lot of
It results in waste and, above all, takes a lot of time. From the perspective of the
Printing company: the fact that, according to this subjective (and belated)
Although complaints about the procedure aren't exactly inevitable, they
but at least can be ruled out with greater certainty.
So far, when matching colors, a little more color is still added here and there
If this were done to make the subject appear «more powerful,» then
Print shops that take color management seriously avoid such manipulations
actually prohibited—a color-accurate, customized proof
provided that. All color corrections to the image/subject should, in fact,
after the "ready for print" approval has been granted (which, under standard lighting conditions,
(which should be approved) are omitted—and the printing company takes care of
ensure accurate color reproduction.
Measure, Analyze, Control
As a tool for its customers, Heidelberg has developed this for the purpose of
color-accurate reproduction under the umbrella of its Prinect-branded
Various workflow management systems for automated print production
Products and solutions grouped by application area. The
The Prinect Color Solutions division (see box on page 26) is involved in this
is responsible for an optimized color workflow and is also expected to
enable faster job changes. This is achieved by
Tools for products in this application area and
Solutions. These include precise color presets (via prepress
(Interface) along with new features in the machine control system
(Color Assistant) as well as color measurement devices (Axis Control or Image
Control) and new products for process control and adjustment.
In color measurement systems, the printed
Measured the print control strip and, based on that, adjusted the printing press
controlled. These measurement fields provide the printer with information about the color and
the increase in tonal value or dot size; the latter results from the
Print processing in conjunction with a number of other parameters such as
Ink and paper, and must be handled during the prepress stage at the
Plate manufacturing must be taken into account.
To meet higher quality requirements, Heidelberg has developed this type of
developed a unique color measurement system called Image Control. Image Control
(Image above) measures the entire printed sheet, rather than, as is done at the control station
Integrated Axis Control, control strip only. 160,000 measurement points
(for the 70 x 100 cm size) reveal even the slightest color variations.
During the measurement process, which lasts approximately 25 seconds, the following can also be
For example, the identical uses of a printing plate were also compared, and possible
Color differences are corrected.
As a special feature, Heidelberg has designed this for use in this measurement and
Regelstation has developed so-called "Minispots" and, more recently, also
released, which can be analyzed using Image Control. The
The advantage of these elements, which can be placed freely on the sheet, is that the
The print quality achieved in the process can be clearly illustrated.
In addition, there is the option to, in the event of changes to the
Production process in conjunction with Image Control for the complex
To skip printing a test form and make adjustments to the existing
Performing calibrations and creating ICC profiles using the Mini-Spots. As
When replacing a test form used for profiling a printing press, the
However, the mini-spots are not being viewed.
Delta-E (DE) values can also be displayed on the Image Control console
that are nothing more than the deviation of the print result from the
specify the desired printing standard (the deviations as
DE values are used as quality criteria, for example, in the relevant
(as specified in ISO standards). The DE values and all other relevant
Information can be presented on an A4 sheet as «Quality Reports»
compiled and printed on the built-in printer, and
They thus serve as proof of quality or a certificate. If
Pulled a sufficient number of sheets from the printer and performed regular sheet measurements
If this is done, then these documents are likely to be found primarily in
Complaints or disputes regarding print quality are handled very well as
Evidence is admissible.
Who can afford that …?
At first glance, a color management workflow like the one from
Heidelberg isn't cheap for a printing company. Up to ten
A percentage of the cost of a printing press can be covered by the investment
in Prinect Color Solutions' products and services.
«Cost savings when switching jobs, thanks to less waste and
Printing plates, as well as working hours, and an overall very significant
Shorter setup times make it possible to recoup the investment in a significantly
»less than a year," explains Axel Zöller, Product Management
Prinect. This was revealed by a representative survey
result in about 50 customers. Whether this and the qualitative arguments in
ultimately be sufficient to address the practice that is still very common
However, eliminating proofs from the printing plants is another matter
History.
Jürgen Franck
