In the past decade, few industries have experienced so many innovations like the image industry. With the development of network technology and information technology, the traditional image reproduction process has undergone inconsequential changes. It can be said that the image industry has entered a period of large-scale computer-controlled production. The goal now is to make process production more stable through computer management, with simpler and faster processes and better quality. The image copying process has been digitized and networked in various procedures from platelet printing to plate making. However, the proofing as an important part of the image reproduction process has hardly changed. It is still an analog, manual operation. This is inconsistent with modern craftsmanship. Future proofing should have data interfaces with the platemaking system. It must also be suitable for different ink-paper systems and printing standards. The process flow of course must be digitized.
People have never stopped the development of ideal proofing equipment. Since the first day of the birth of a color printer, people have started digital proofing attempts. However, due to the fact that the previous computer technology, color management, printers, and printing paper technologies are not perfect, the development and promotion of digital proofing are greatly affected. Today, with the introduction of various professional color management software, the popularity of high-precision, large color gamut, low-cost printers, and the appearance of various types of printing paper that can simulate coated paper, the bottlenecks of digital proofing have been broken. . It is no longer a laboratory semi-finished product, it has been accepted and recognized as a mature technology, and it has already worked on the production line. Some leading technology platemaking companies have begun to benefit from the convenience and speed of digital proofing. Of course, it is more important to adjust the front and rear lanes based on the stability of digital proofing to improve the overall color quality of prints.
BESTCOLOR is color management software that ensures that the printer is actually proofing with a certain printing standard. It implements color reproduction through advanced ICC color management. Dr. Stefan, the founder of BESTCOLOR Software, is the head of the new technology development team at Fogra University in Germany. In 1994, leaders of operating system application software in the global publishing industry developed color management standards under the Fograd Institute's advocacy. This standard enables any company's profile to be compatible with all applications on all computer platforms. ICC color conversion technology has thus been introduced into the field of proofing. BESTCOLOR was born in this environment. Members of its development team participated in the establishment of ICC standards and mastered the core technologies. This guarantees accurate copying of colors by BESTCOLOR software. From the first edition of BESTCOLOR to the latest fourth edition today, each upgrade makes the proofing color more accurate and the operation more convenient and humane.
BESTCOLOR Digital Proofing is a member of the world's digital proofing family and has won awards for its high quality in evaluation events around the world. BESTCOLOR can introduce color management into the production system so that it can be conveniently proofed by BESTCOLOR with a certain printing standard. These standards are the world-famous European printing standards, the United States printing standards. In order to make the proofing system able to meet the domestic printing conditions, we have produced some domestic printing environment parameters to meet the needs of domestic customers. These domestic printing parameters are collected from offset proofs that meet the domestic print reproduction requirements, combining the field density of printed matter, dot expansion, print contrast, and the color values ​​of some patches. In addition to some commonly used print control strips, the sample sheet also includes a standard color block set of ISO 12642/ANSI IT 8.7/3. The color block group contains several hundred color blocks, including different combinations of four colors, three colors, and two colors of the printing primaries. Many color patches have a black version and can easily get a printing parameter from it, and a more perfect color separation table. These color patches are measured in terms of chromaticity and have a wider range of versatility and accuracy. The ICC files created using these standard proofs will represent a certain level of printing. And these standards can be easily digitized. You can use a floppy disk to store or transfer this parameter, and you can easily standard proof using BESTCOLOR software.
What are the advantages of BESTCOLOR digital proofing relative to general color printing? Since the general printer ink has a different color gamut and print color gamut, ICC-based color management can convert two different color gamuts, using the printer's large color gamut to simulate a relatively small process color gamut. Many magazines have already introduced it in detail. However, the color correction method based on ICC theoretically requires the color gamut of the printer to include the color gamut of the entire process color. If it can be done (Epson released its New Ink printing technology on Drupa 2000, its color gamut completely contains the color gamut of the European ink standard, and its color can remain in the room for 100 years without fading), but also because the printer uses the original color The hue of the original color is different from the printed one, so the color of the proofing needs to be corrected.
The fourth edition of BESTCOLOR uses the most accurate Heidelberg CMM in the world as a color conversion method. However, the workload of a color management software is very large, and it is often necessary to process tens or thousands of colors at the same time. The correction range of some of these colors is very large, which is a daunting task for color management engines. Why not make the printer better before color management and make color correction easier and more perfect? Due to the fact that the currently used hardware platform, the large-format ink jet printer, uses a different primary color than the process color, and because of the relationship between the ink jet principle and the paper, there is a serious lack of linearity in the printer. For this purpose, BESTCOLOR has developed a printer linear function, and with the Super Enhancement technology, it can print out more gray levels and complete linearity.
There are problems with the linearity of ordinary inkjet printers. Darker colors than 90% are generally indistinguishable, and the linearity of each primary color is also different. With this linearity to print a group of color blocks, many composite colors such as IT8 look the same color, and the deep levels are all gone. If this group of color blocks is used as a basis for making an ICC file, the amount of information in this ICC file is relatively reduced. Using this ICC file to print dark composite colors, of course, there will be problems with the color reproduction. Some color errors increase. Of course, color management has tried to simulate this time, but due to the physical reasons of the printer, the correction function is affected. BESTCOLOR Digital Proofing supports printing a set of color patches before proofing. The instrument or the naked eye distinguishes and selects the starting point of a primary color and removes the linear part of the "parallel". This can be differentiated by printing dark colors. The advantages it brings are far from the same. If the EPSON 100% yellow primary color is reddish, so that in the simulation of printing yellow through color management, had to add a lot of cyan. The correction of the dynamic increase guide error also increases. If you use this linear tool to print with 80% yellow instead of 100% yellow, the final color correction phase error will be reduced. BESTCOLOR supports the use of a linear calibration curve that corrects the printer like a photosetter, keeping the printer at a constant linear level.
In addition, the dot expansion of printing is greatly different from that of inkjet printers. Past practice has been to simulate printed dot gains through ICC corrections. In order to achieve this function before printing, BESTCOLOR provides a dot gain adjustment function. In this way, it is possible to set the dot expansion of each printing ink before printing so that it can be artificially increased by 10% to 15% (offset). This reduces the use of ICC correction and the same correction error is reduced. BESTCOLOR also adds GAMMA correction and under color removal before printing. When printing composite colors, 50% of the original ink volume or other ratio is used for printing. The composite color will not be too deep or open. The requirement for print media is also reduced. Finally, use this linear parameter set to print the test sample required to generate the ICC file, such as IT8. The measured ICC file now has the same ink color gamut as before, but contains more information. Use it to simulate printing proofs. The features of proofs can be printed with BESTCOLOR, such as layering, dot expansion, and composite colors, and the color reproduction is more accurate. If you are not satisfied after printing, you can make adjustments individually for a certain percentage of points.
BESTCOLOR has other features that are specifically designed for printing, such as spot color proofing. If a digital proofing system cannot print spot colors, it is flawed. BESTCOLOR supports the use of the printer's full color gamut to print spot colors, as long as the color of the spot color is printed within the printer's ink color gamut, and can be easily adjusted by tools, and the color of the adjustment results can be previewed on the screen. In this way, printing colors and spot colors can be printed on the same sheet once. Of course, printing colors use the color gamut of their process colors; spot colors are not limited by them, and they are printed in the full color gamut.
For seamless integration with Heidelberg's platemaking system, BESTCOLOR can directly print Heidelberg's Delta List data, providing Heidelberg users with a nearly perfect process flow. There are three ways to get BESTCOLOR to print DELTA-RIP data, depending on the workflow.
- Direct plate making, no film proofing.
- Before using a film, use digital proofing to check for errors.
- At the same time as proofing a film.
The above three methods can be used. It is easy for experienced DELTA-RIP users to set BESTCOLOR. Before and after all settings are not available, each setting can be described independently.
ICC-based color management is being widely used as a new technology and is not a new topic in today's printing world. A set of excellent color management solutions can improve product quality, reduce scrap, reduce costs and bring huge economic benefits to the company. In the long run it will promote the development of the printing industry. However, implementing ICC-centric color management is not a simple matter. First of all, to stabilize the printing process, that is, the environment and conditions of all processes can be repeated (since ICC as the core of color management will use a device-independent color description language CIELab to establish the use of the environment's color parameters. Such as the future work environment and The test environment is different and all parameters need to be re-measured). In recent years, with the prevalence of electronic color separation, spectrodensitometers, electronic engraving, direct plate making, and high-controllable printing machinery of multicolor groups, the process flow has become more and more simple and stable, and the preconditions for color management have been met. Digital proofing, as the first step in achieving color management, will give companies a new look and bring greater economic benefits.