MYIRO-9: New Spectrophotometer from KonicaMinolta in action

MYIRO-9: New measuring device from KonicaMinolta in use at Proof.de

Over the last few months, we at Proof.de have been thinking about further improving our already very good colour measurement technology in terms of speed and measurement precision. Relatively quickly it became clear that only two devices would come into question: The KonicaMinolta MYIRO-9, the successor of the former FD-9, or the X-Rite ISIS 2 XL. 

The starting point: Since we at Proof GmbH have 5 proofing devices, the calibration of targets for profile optimisation is a time-critical undertaking for us. Therefore, we had been looking around for an upgrade of our previous X-Rite i1-iO measurement device for the last few months, because here we always had the difficulty: When we started an iterative colour measurement for profile optimisation, we always had to measure two measurement targets per measurement run. And the calibration on the i1-iO means: Click three times on the target and then click again to start the measurement. After a few minutes, the first target was measured, which then had to be removed from the measuring table, the new target placed on it, clicked three times again, then clicked on “Measure” and at some point an IT8 chart with 1617 or, with a modified target, over 1800 measuring fields was measured. The whole thing was then optimised, and then went into the next print, measure and optimise round, and – depending on the result of the optimisation – this was repeated 3-4 times per printer and per proof substrate. Since the iO also has to scan each line twice for M1 measurements, the measuring speed was reduced even further for all proof substrates containing OBA.

Our choice: The KonicaMinolta MYIRO-9

After some deliberation, we decided on the KonicaMinolta MYIRO-9. 
Why? There were some clear reasons for the X-Rite ISIS 2 XL: We would have stayed further in the X-Rite world, the device is fast and has a low deviation from meter to meter and from measurement to measurement … and due to the good alignment within the X-Rite family, we would have surely come to very good results. But the MYIRO-9 is simply a notch better in speed and measuring precision than the competing device from X-Rite. 

Das neue MYIRO-9 von KonicaMinolta bei der Proof GmbH in Tübingen im Einsatz

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We passed the first proof certification for the 7C proof under FOGRA55

Proof GmbH Tübingen Fogra Certification FOGRA55 7C Matthias Betz examines 7C test form
Fogra Zertifikat Proof GmbH 2021 Fogra 55 7C CMYKOGV eCG 34807

A few days ago Proof GmbH was the first company to be certified for proofing for the new 7C exchange colour space FOGRA55.

Fogra has developed characterisation data for extended multicolour printing with the printing colours CMYKOGV – i.e. cyan, magenta, yellow, black (contrast), orange, green and violet – FOGRA55 as part of a research project over the past few years. The characterisation data and the ICC profile Ref-ECG-CMYKOGV_FOGRA55_TAC300.icc have been published on the Fogra website in recent weeks. We have now carried out the certification via GMG ColorProof, as GMG software can create and process multicolour profiles and already supports the new Fogra MediaWedge Multicolor V1 7C.

Proof GmbH Tübingen Fogra Certification FOGRA55 7C Matthias Betz examines 7C test form
Matthias Betz and Martin Streckfuß look at a proof of the various Fogra 7C test forms for FOGRA55 certification under standard light. Two Fogra Media Wedges Multicolour V1 7C can be seen on the left of the test form, which was output with the test form via GMG ColorProof.

Since the white point and the CMYK components correspond to FOGRA51 (PSOCoatedV3), we have used GMG ProofMedia premium OBA semiMatte 250 for the certification, as this GMG proof paper was specially developed for the output of PSOCoatedV3 proofs.

We are pleased to have received confirmation of successful certification from Fogra a few days ago.

Proof GmbH: FograCert: First CPC certification for FOGRA55 CMYKOGV

In the next few days we will offer the seven-colour proofs according to FOGRA55 in our Proof Shop.

Proof GmbH FOGRA55 Certificate CMYKOGV ECG 7C-Proof Preview

Sphere Head Spectrophotometers and Specular Component explained

Specular Component Spectrophotometric Measurement SCI / SPIN and SCE / SPEX explained

Different surfaces can influence both the colour and the appearance of objects. A colourful and glossy object will usually appear more saturated to the eye, while a similar object with a matte, diffuse surface will appear duller.

If you form a glossy, a semi-matte and a matte surface from the same black plastic, the glossy surface will often appear blackest, while the very matte surface will appear much lighter. The same effect can be reproduced with film lamination of prints: a glossy laminated dark blue or black appears more saturated and darker, a matt laminated black becomes lighter and greyer to the human eye due to diffuse light refraction.

Humans perceive the colour of objects through the light reflected from them, and different surfaces reflect light differently. In general, therefore, there are two ways in which light is reflected from an object: The specular and the diffuse reflection.

 

Specular and diffuse light reflection of matt and glossy objects

Specular reflection

Specular reflection occurs when light is reflected from the light source at an equal but opposite angle. Simply put, you can think of it as a ball bouncing off a smooth floor and bouncing back at the same angle. This reflection occurs mainly on objects with shiny, smooth surfaces.

Diffuse reflection

If, on the other hand, the reflected light is scattered in numerous different directions, we speak of diffuse reflection. This reflection occurs on objects with matt and irregular surfaces. A ball would bounce off such a surface – for example, an irregular floor consisting of numerous pyramids of different sizes – sometimes at one angle and sometimes at a completely different angle.

Spectrophotometers with an integrating sphere

Today, when colour and gloss are to be evaluated in global supply chains and on different surfaces, this is often done with sphere head spectrophotometers such as the KonicaMinolta CM-26d, with which we at Proof GmbH have also measured the semi-matt and matt free-colour CIELAB HLC Colour Alas XL. With the d:8° geometry and the integrated 60° gloss sensor, which can handle both the SCI – “Specular Component Included” and SCE – “Specular Component Excluded” measuring modes, this measuring device can measure colour and gloss within less than a second without having to use an additional measuring device for gloss and always having to be set up and aligned again.

 

Proof.de: KonicaMinolta CM26d Kugelkopf Spektralmessgeraet mit SCI und SCE Messung: Messung des freieFarbe CIELAB HLC Colour Atlas XL

 

Proof.de: KonicaMinolta CM26d Kugelkopf Spektralmessgeraet mit SCI und SCE Messung: Displayanzeige

 

Proof.de: KonicaMinolta CM26d Kugelkopf Spektralmessgeraet mit SCI und SCE Messung: Beim CK-26d kann durch eine zurückschiebbare Klappe direkt in die Ulbricht-Kugel gesehen werden, und so der Messausschnitt durch die Kugel noch einmal visuell kontrolliert werden.
With the KonicaMinolta CM-26d it is possible to look directly into the integrating sphere through a flap that can be pushed back, and thus the measuring section can be visually checked and readjusted through the sphere once again.

With integrating sphere measuring instruments, the surfaces to be measured are usually illuminated at all angles and measured at an angle of 8 degrees from the vertical axis. This measurement condition is referred to as d/8 or d:8. Most of the integrating sphere measuring devices such as the CM-26d can measure with or without a gloss component as previously described.
In contrast, the 45/0 models used in the printing industry such as the X-Rite i1 Pro2 always measure without the specular reflection. The reflection of the sample surface is therefore perceived differently by the optical geometries d:8 with gloss component – SCI – , d:8 without gloss component – SCE – and 45/0 respectively.

 

Specular Component Spectrophotometric Measurement SCI / SPIN and SCE / SPEX explained

SCI measurement mode

To measure the true colour of an object without the influence of surface texture, the Specular Component Included (SCI) measurement mode is used. SCI mode includes both specular and diffuse reflected light and is ideal for quality control and colour quality monitoring.

  • Illuminates the sample evenly from all sides.
  • Takes into account the total surface reflection.
  • Has good repeatability and is insensitive to surface variations or artefacts.
  • Does not perceive gloss differences of the sample and therefore does not simulate visual assessment.

SCE measurement mode

The Specular Component Excluded (SCE) measurement mode, on the other hand, which excludes specularly reflected light, is used to evaluate the colour of an object to match the visual perception of the human eye. In SCE mode, a glossy surface is typically measured darker than a matte surface of the same colour; similar to how the human eye sees it. This mode is typically used in quality control testing to ensure that colour matches colour standards through visual inspection.

  • Illuminates the sample evenly from all sides, but not in the reflection angle of the measurement.
  • Excludes specular surface reflection, although usually not completely
  • Includes diffuse surface reflection.
  • Is somewhat sensitive to surface variability and unevenness.
  • Measures the colour of a surface similar to how the human eye sees it.

New at Proof.de: The EPSON SureColor SC-P9500 Spectro

Proof.de: Our new EPSON SureColor SC-P9500 Spectroproofer

For whatever reason: December is traditionally the month in which we make the most important new acquisitions. In order not to break with this tradition, the new proof printer generation from EPSON moved in with us this year: The SureColor SC-P9500 Spectroproofer.

Unpacking traditionally has to be done in front of the door, we wouldn’t be able to get the printer into the office on the two-metre-long pallet, but once it’s on rollers, it works fine.

Proof.de: Our new EPSON SureColor SC-P9500 Spectroproofer











The new SureColor P9500 complements our range of SureColor 7000 and 9000 proof printers and, above all, hopefully brings us a further plus in speed, especially for larger jobs. Thanks to a newly developed and now fully loaded print head with 12 inks with up to 800 nozzles each, it is said to print up to 2.4 times faster than our other proof printers, which is particularly advantageous for large proof volumes.

An overview of the most important new features of the EPSON SureColor 9500

  • High productivity thanks to higher production speed
  • Reliability thanks to better automatic jet inspection and dust protection
  • LCD display with 4.3 inch (10.9 cm) touch panel
  • Simultaneous use of glossy black and matte black, eliminating the need to switch inks
  • Lighting at the paper feed for better visibility of the printing process
  • Prints now fall on the reverse side in the delivery, which should reduce scratches
  • Higher print resolution with 1200×2400 DPI
  • “Black Enhancement Overcoating” technology for higher perceptible black density

We are currently still in the process of measuring the large number of media we use on the new printer and gaining experience with the new proof printer. Many of the “advantages” are not really relevant for us, as we have very specific requirements in proof printing. In terms of gamut, i.e. the maximum colour space that can be achieved, we were unfortunately unable to determine any real gain. According to our measurements, the colour space has changed marginally compared to the previous proof printers, but not really increased.

2.4 times the printing speed does not automatically mean that the proof printing will also be faster … 🙂

For example: Admittedly, the printer prints much faster than our other printers. But in return, it takes much longer to transport the proof paper to the fans for drying, and the subsequent measurement of the media wedge also takes longer than on the 7000 and 9000 systems. For an A4 proof with media wedge and test report, the 9500 is only 8 seconds faster, taking just over 8 minutes. In other words, the higher print speed is almost completely lost in other areas.

Therefore, A4 proofs will not be the domain of this printer, but rather we will try to proof the larger formats on the 9500, where the speed advantage comes into play more.

This reminds me a little of the upgrade to Fiery 7, which was supposed to be up to 5 times faster than the previous version with FastRIP technology. In fact, the FastRIP technology was and is so error-prone that we were never able to use it, as we felt that every 20th job was processed incorrectly or could not be processed at all. On the other hand, with the version upgrade, the entire proofing software became considerably slower … So for us as non-FastRIP users, all that was left on average was a slower system.

Conclusion:

And so we are still making our experiences with the new proof printer. The first conclusion we can draw is that many things are better, some are worse and some are simply different. The fact that the printer is still quite new is also evident from the fact that new media updates are constantly being added. We have already run some good jobs through the printer and it has not disappointed us. In this respect, the first conclusion looks fairly optimistic.

Barcode Check: New in ISO 15416:2016

Proof.de: New criteria for barcode checking according to ISO/IEC 15416:2016

The “ISO/IEC 15416:2016 – Information technology – Automatic identification and data capture methods – Test specifications for bar code print quality – Linear symbols” specifies the current criteria for testing bar codes. ISO 15416:2016 replaces ISO 15416:2000 and defines modified bar code quality calculations for some areas. During the barcode check by Proof GmbH, barcodes are checked according to the current criteria of ISO 15416:2016.

An overview of the most important changes in ISO 15416:2016:

  • Proof.de: New criteria for barcode checking according to ISO/IEC 15416:2016Four of the seven barcode parameters – symbol contrast, modulation, defects and decodability – were previously graded by whole numbers, so the evaluation could be 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4. With the adoption of the ISO/IEC 15416:2016 standard, evaluations are now graded to one decimal place. So under the old standard there were only five possible parameter gradations (0/1/2/3/4), now there are forty-one (0.0/0.1/0.2 etc. to 4.0).
  • This also changes the rating with letters. Since this is even less precise than the evaluation by numbers, it is omitted in the new standard, whereby the usual letter notes can still be provided for information purposes. However, the nominative standard must be given as a decimal number.
  • Defects are now calculated methodically differently. A defect is a light spot on a dark bar or a dark spot on a light surface. If a defect was at the edge of a bar or a gap, the old standard gave a worse rating than the same defect that was further from the edge. The calculations in the new ISO/IEC 15416:2016 standard describe the effects on the readability of the barcode much more accurately.

The new calculation methods lead in some cases to a higher averaged score for the barcode compared to the method described in ISO 15416:2000.

We have also updated our REA TransWin 32 evaluation software to the latest version and also provided our barcode checking device with a firmware update.

Order Barcode Checks for EAN13 and EAN8 Codes in our Proof Shop

 

 

Proof cheap. What does that mean?

proof.de Packaging of a Proof/ Digital proof

Proof cheap is a typical search term that people use in search engines to find a cheap, colour and legally binding proof. But what makes a cheap proof?

A proof is one that is produced according to the specifications of the latest revision of the proofing standard ISO 12467-7 and is within the tolerances of this standard. The current revision is ISO 12647-7:2016, which has been tightened even further with this standard and has been supplemented by a certified edition of spot colours such as PANTONE and HKS.

Such certified proofs can be ordered at shop.proof.de for all proof profiles.

But what makes the certified proof cheap? That’s the low price. Proofs are printed on certified proof papers on very high-quality pigment inkjet printers, usually using expensive proofing software, and measured with spectrophotometers. So how can production be done cheaply here?

1: Using cheap pigment ink?

One litre of ink for proofing devices is around 400 EUR, so it makes sense to use inexpensive alternative ink from China. The problem: there are no manufacturers – neither in China nor anywhere else – who produce inks that would actually produce similar inks in terms of pigment colour and spectral composition. I once called a manufacturer who advertises that his – already quite expensive – inks could also be used for proofing. When I asked him, he said: “No, no, that’s just for advertising, but of course I would never do that or recommend it, and I don’t know anybody who does that. As for the China inks, he said: “They start at 20 EUR per liter, but you get a different ink with every delivery, depending on where the wholesaler buys. Then they have to re-measure the proofer every time… forget it.” In addition, replacing a clogged print head costs around 2,500 EUR, so the risk is too high. A real proof therefore only works with original, very expensive ink.

2: Using cheap software?

GMG ColorProof, EFI Fiery XF and ORIS Color Tuner are just some of the most important proofing solutions on the market. What they all have in common is that proofing software is rather a niche software, so the programming effort is very high compared to the sales figures. Depending on the size of the output device and the range of functions in terms of verification, spot colour display or proofing on special materials such as transparent foils, etc., the software costs between 5,000 and 10,000 EUR, and in combination with other software products from GMG or Colorlogic it can quickly cost considerably more. Although there are a few low-cost solutions here too, these are usually irrelevant in professional proofing, as they are either not suitable for more than one workstation, or important functions such as spot colour libraries etc. are missing.

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Epson launches new generation of proof printers SureColor SC-P9500

In late 2019, Epson will present its new generation of proof printers: the Epson SureColor SC-P9500 and SC-P7500 proof printers.

EPSON SureColor P9500 spectro
EPSON SureColor P9500 spectro

Epson has incorporated many improvements into the new printer generation. For example, fully loaded print heads now work in the new printers, which can finally handle photo black, matt black and the two grey tones LightGray and LightLightGray as well as the colours orange, green and violet simultaneously in one print head. For cyan and magenta there are also the light variants light-cyan and light-magenta, so that besides yellow, cyan and magenta, 12 full colours are available in the print head. The printer uses the new UltraChrome Pro12 ink set, which could possibly bring some detail improvements to the classic K3 inks, although nothing more is known about this yet.

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First online printers switch to PSOCoatedV3 and PSOUncoatedV3

With DieDruckerei.de, the first well-known online printer has switched to PSOCoatedV3 and PSOUncoatedV3. A sign that almost exactly three years after the new Fogra51/52 standards appeared, they are increasingly being used in production and as a requirement for printers to produce data.

DieDruckerei.de hat auf die neuen Normen PSOCoatedV3 und PSOUncoatedV3 umgestellt
Screenshot of the diedruckerei.de website: dieDruckerei.de has switched to the new PSOCoatedV3 and PSOUncoatedV3 standards

The fact that also here the conversion does not run completely smoothly, shows up in the data requirements, which recognize beside the new PSOCoatedV3 also a 300% variant of the profile – a legacy from the ISOCoatedV2 300% times, PSOCoatedV3 is present only in a 300% version, a profile PSOCoatedV3 300% does not exist therefore.

Nevertheless, the conversion shows that the new Fogra 51 and Fogra 52 profiles are also increasingly being used in online printing. A replacement of ISOCoatedV2 is still a long way off, the profile is simply too successfully anchored in the market and also well established as a defacto master standard for numerous printing processes in digital printing, trade fair construction, flexo printing and much more, so that this will take several more years. But with every major player in the printing market that advocates the conversion, the spread will increase and the new profiles will also be used in prepress.

CIELAB HLC Colour Atlas available in the Proof.de Shop

HLC Colour Atlas freieFarbe proof.de 2

It has taken almost a year, but we are all the more pleased now: The “CIELAB HLC Colour Atlas” is completed and can be ordered in our shop. The HLC Colour Atlas is a open source, high-precision colour system based on open standards.

The CIELAB HLC Colour Atlas offers professional users of colour three decisive advantages:

  • The CIELAB HLC colour atlas is based on open, non-proprietary standards that are free of copyrights and trademarks.
  • The colour atlas with all components is available to all users free of charge online and can be downloaded, used and passed on directly.
    It is released under an OpenSource Creative Commons license.
  • The printed reference of the CIELAB HLC colour atlas impresses with outstanding precision and, unlike some commercial products, the colour accuracy is extremely high with a DeltaE00 median of 0.3 and an average DeltaE00 of 0.5. In most cases, the deviation from the ideal colour reference and colour differences between two colour atlases can be measured, but not perceived by the human eye. Each atlas is produced on our best Fogra-certified high-end proofing printer on Fogra-certified paper. Each copy is delivered with an individual, colourimetric test report in accordance with ISO 12647-7:2016 to document the colour accuracy of each individual colour atlas.

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Two years after publication: Large printing companies switch to Fogra 51 and 52

It seems that by the end of 2017 the new standards PSOCoatedV3 and PSOUncoatedV3 are finally arriving on the wider printing market. At least with the printing company Thieme and – as of today – Schleunungdruck, two major operators in the market and Flyeralarm partners have switched to the new standards.

After experts such as Christian Piskulla of Cleverprinting have already provocatively pointed out the failure of the new standards – “Scheitern PSOcoated_v3 und die ISO 12647-2:2013?” (Are PSOcoated_v3 and ISO 12647-2:2013 failing?), the new printing standards seem to be spreading in practice at the moment. Two of the four Flyeralarm partner printing houses are now explicitly demanding the new profile, Flyeralarm itself still refers to ISOCoatedV2. However, it is probably only a matter of time before the large online printing companies will also switch to the new standards. Prognosis: If the first one starts, the others will follow.

Two years after the introduction of the new profiles, the Fogra51 and Fogra52 standards have thus arrived on the larger market for the first time and are also actively demanded by printers.

In the proofing sector at least Fogra51 still plays a subordinate role, Fogra39 is still the absolute top dog here. In the area of proofs for uncoated papers, Fogra52 already has a firm place because of the numerous papers with a high proportion of optical brighteners. On many papers, the colour shades of Fogra47/PSOUncoated simply cannot be achieved anymore.

So it seems that the drumming up of the BVDM in particular with regard to new printing conditions has paid off in the long run. If the large market players change over, the small ones will soon follow or will have to follow.

Proof GmbH is a partner of FreieFarbe e. V.

freeColor e. V. is a consortium of German and Swiss color experts who work to produce consistent color in all areas of application. Sounds reasonable? Exactly. That is the issue that is of central importance to our proofing customers. Therefore we are currently working in a project with the colleagues of FreieFarbe e. V. and are now also as Proof GmbH member and partner of FreieFarbe e. V.

FreeColor relies on open standards such as LAB and HLC, which have long been integrated in computer software and want to show: the computer is an ideal tool for color, it can make color free! The association FreieFarbe e. V. aims to promote colour communication without pursuing commercial goals.

freeColor e. V. would like to promote developments that…

  • Make coulor calculable
  • Make colour applicably
  • Make ink systems comparable
  • Simplify color communication
  • Have no license costs
  • Give Tips and hints for a correct cross-media colour workflow
  • make the multiple mysteries of color understandable

In recent months, Holger Everding, Peter Jäger, Eric A. Soder and Jan-Peter Homann have developed a completely new approach to this, which we were able to develop together with our colleagues into a product that we will present shortly.

We would like to take this opportunity to point out a great feature of the website of FreieFarbe. de: The colour database: Here you can look up the most important colour values for more than 300 colour systems and calculate colour comparisons of all kinds.

For the work within the association FreieFarbe e. V. the association is always looking for competent companions. If you, like us, are touched by the subject of colour in a variety of ways, there are many opportunities at fF to contribute with your knowledge and strengths. If you feel like our good cause, please contact us!

www.freecolour.org

Proof. de offers proofs according to the latest tolerance criteria of ISO 12647-7:2016

The ISO 12647-7 proofing standard was revised in November 2016 and the test criteria for FograCert contract proof creation were adapted. We have now incorporated these changed criteria into our proofing system and are now working to the stricter tolerances of the latest ISO 12647-7:2016.

Why hardly anything changes for our Proof customers

The good news is: you won’t notice that our proofs are now precisely produced according to the latest standards. Why? Quite simply: Because our demands on our proofing system, our FIERY proofing software, our EFI proofing papers and the X-Rite measuring decvices are already so high that all components of our proofing system – and of course our proofs themselves – have been meeting the new criteria of the revised November 2016 standard for years.

The most important new features of the new Proof Norm in brief

1. colour accuracy

The new standard brings the classical formula for the colour distance Delta-E from the traditional definition of 1976 (CIELAB 1976) to the updated version of 2000 (CIEDE2000). Since the values cannot be converted directly, new tolerances for the test report are introduced, which are valid immediately. These new tolerances and new criteria are also the only difference that you will notice on our proof when you take a closer look at it.

Why this change: Fogra used measurements from the 116 Contract Proof Certifications from 2016 to show that the old and new tolerances of the old? These colors have so far had a? E-value that is too high in relation to the visual assessment. The new Delta-E values, on the other hand, are much more “equidistant”, i. e. with the human assessment of the colour distance, which Fogra has also demonstrated in tests.

The deviations of the gray axis and hue are now also determined more precisely, the evaluation of the hue spacing? You can also see this on the test report. The Fogra writes:”Since HC mainly depends on the hue angle, the evaluation of neutral grey or similar colours with sometimes very large differences in brightness and saturation did not yield meaningful results. The measure?Ch now describes the actual distance of a color pair in the CIEa*b* plane and is therefore no longer suitable only for the evaluation of the colorfulness difference of very rich colors.

2. durability of proofing papers

The ageing tests for proof papers were clarified more clearly with the introduction of the new standard. All certified proof papers undergo the following tests:

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Colour deviations from PANTONE EXTENDED GAMUT Coated in the proof in Delta-E (∆E)

Comparison of PANTONE U colours to Contract Proof

Current proofing systems can reproduce spot colours like HKS or Pantone very well. Using the Fiery XF 6.3 proofing software and the Epson SC-P9000V proof printer, we evaluated with which colour deviation in Delta-E the PANTONE Extended Gamut Coated colours can be proofed.

The colour deviations were calculated by the proofing software on the basis of the measured colour space of the proofing system of proof.de. Therefore in practice there may be deviations. However, it has been shown that almost all PANTONE colours can be simulated quite well in the large colour space of the proofing device.

The smaller the ∆E value, the smaller the colour distance from the PANTONE reference to the proofed PANTONE colour. Higher ∆E values indicate which PANTONE colours can be reproduced in the proof with greater difficulty.

PANTONE
EXTENDED GAMUT Coated

Delta-E Colour Deviation
Proof

PANTONE
EXTENDED GAMUT Coated

Delta E
Colour Deviation Proof
PANTONE 100 XGC 0.24 ∆E PANTONE 355 XGC 0.84 ∆E
PANTONE 101 XGC 0.24 ∆E PANTONE 356 XGC 0.00 ∆E
PANTONE 102 XGC 0.49 ∆E PANTONE 357 XGC 0.64 ∆E
PANTONE 103 XGC 0.64 ∆E PANTONE 358 XGC 0.27 ∆E
PANTONE 104 XGC 0.93 ∆E PANTONE 359 XGC 0.27 ∆E
PANTONE 105 XGC 0.77 ∆E PANTONE 360 XGC 0.59 ∆E
PANTONE 106 XGC 0.24 ∆E PANTONE 361 XGC 0.65 ∆E
PANTONE 107 XGC 0.50 ∆E PANTONE 362 XGC 0.35 ∆E
PANTONE 108 XGC 0.25 ∆E PANTONE 363 XGC 0.38 ∆E
PANTONE 109 XGC 0.26 ∆E PANTONE 364 XGC 0.88 ∆E
PANTONE 110 XGC 0.57 ∆E PANTONE 365 XGC 0.26 ∆E
PANTONE 111 XGC 0.98 ∆E PANTONE 366 XGC 0.27 ∆E
PANTONE 112 XGC 0.36 ∆E PANTONE 367 XGC 0.55 ∆E
PANTONE 113 XGC 0.25 ∆E PANTONE 368 XGC 0.61 ∆E
PANTONE 114 XGC 0.50 ∆E PANTONE 369 XGC 1.04 ∆E
PANTONE 115 XGC 0.50 ∆E PANTONE 370 XGC 0.00 ∆E

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IDEAlliance launches new V2 ICC Profiles

Idealliance Logo

On idealliance.org, new V2 ICC profile versions of the CRPC Profiles are available. The download includes the following ICC profiles:

  • SWOP2013C5_CRPC5 V2.icc
  • CGATS21_CRPC3 V2.icc
  • CGATS21_CRPC7 V2.icc
  • CGATS21_CRPC5 V2.icc
  • CGATS21_CRPC4 V2.icc
  • GRACoL2013UNC_CRPC3 V2.icc
  • CGATS21_CRPC2 V2.icc
  • CGATS21_CRPC1 V2.icc
  • GRACoL2013_CRPC6 V2.icc
  • CGATS21_CRPC6 V2.icc

No further documentation was available at that point on the IDEAlliance Website. The ICC files can be downloaded in a ZIP file here:

Version 2 (V2) ICC CRPC Profiles

Proof GmbH: First Fogra 51 and Fogra 52 certified company worldwide

fogra cert logo and pdf-x-ready logo

Proof GmbH has again been certified by Fogra in September 2015, this time for the standards Fogra 51 (PSOCoated_v3), Fogra 52 (PSOuncoated_v3) and Fogra 39 (ISOcoatedv2).

Fogra Certificate Proof GmbH for Fogra51 and Fogra52 Proofs (PSOCoatedV3 and PSOUncoatedV3 proofs)

The Proof GmbH has thus reaffirmed it’s quality by the strict criteria of Fogra. The tests Fogra conducted went far beyond the pure colorimetric readout of a media wedge. The special proofs for Fogra were evaluated among the following criteria:

  • Color accuracy of the Ugra / Fogra media wedge CMYK 3
  • Overall color accuracy and gamut
  • Uniformity and homogeneity of the proofsProof GmbH has again been certified by Fogra in September 2015, this time for the standards Fogra 51 (PSOCoated_v3), Fogra 52 (PSOuncoated_v3) and Fogra 39 (ISOcoatedv2).
  • Color and gloss of the proofing papers used
  • Tonal range and tonality
  • Register and resolution
  • Status information on the proof
  • Tonal values

The color matching our proofs submitted for the test was confirmed by Fogra with date of September 24, 2015. The Proof GmbH is thus the world’s first company that has certification for the production of contract proofs on a Fogra 51 and Fogra 52.

We are very pleased that our preparation and the efforts of the past few months were rewarded by a successful certification. You can order Fogra51/52 proofs in our proofing shop Order Fogra 51 / Fogra 52 Proofs (PSOCoatedV3 and PSOUncoatedV3).

The full, 12-page report from Fogra can be downloaded here:
Fogra certification report on Proof GmbH of 2015 No. 29712

Fogra 51 and 52: The new printing conditions start in September 2015

With long delay, the new printing conditions Fogra Fogra 51 and 52 – PSOCoatedV3 and PSOUncoatedV3 – will be presented at the end of September and finally come into practice. The German bvdm invites together with Fogra and ECI to a joint “kick-off” of the new printing conditions in the “Hochschule der Medien” in Stuttgart.

On Wednesday, the 30th of September 2015 from 10 o’clock representatives of the associations will introduce in the university the innovations, Karl Michael Meinecke wrote of the ECI mailing list.

In this kick-off the new, jointly developed printing conditions and  to implement the ISO 12647-2:2013 are presented to printing and media professionals. Attendance is expected to be free, but registration with name and company to the email address ks@bvdm-online.de is requested. The event takes place at the HdM in auditorium i003 in the Nobel Straße 10, D-70569 Stuttgart (Vaihingen) in the Stuttgart Media University.

Fogra51 and Fogra52: A difficult start

The launch of Fogra51 and Fogra52 had been marked by delays and disruptions. Large series of measurements had to be discarded after testing, measurement technology as the new SpectroProofer ILS 30 or new proofing papers were delivered only with great delay. Several seminars on how to manage the change to the new ISO standards in the Fogra are running since late last year with numerous participants in full swing – only the new standards were still not in sight. Now there is at least the kick-off date at the end of September in sight.

Cirtainly, all involved representatives of associations and interested companies were often reminded of the negative model of the US standardization bodies:

The IDEAlliance had presented in 2013 probably too hastily developed new printing conditions for GRACol 2013 and SWOP 2013, but so far they hardly play any role in practice. Why? Even the IDEAlliance open most their publications on the new standards with the tenor: “If you are not extremely color-critical, there is no reason to change from the old standards to the new ones … Conclusion: Please stay with their established, old workflow with profiles from 2006 … we are currently working on numerous ‘supplements’ …”

PSOCoatedV3 and PSOUncoatedV3: What definitely comes

But it is clear: The new standards will bring many changes to companies in printing and prepress: The individual changes in detail:

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Heaven 42 proofs on proof paper with optical brighteners

Scheufelen Heaven 42 Heaven42 Comparison with digital proof from Proof GmbH

Good consistency in the paper white of proof paper and original Scheufelen heaven 42 paper color
Good consistency in the paper white of proof paper and original Scheufelen heaven 42 paper color

The Proof GmbH provides proofs for Scheufelen Heaven 42 papers on the new EFI 8245 OBA proofing paper. With this new proofing paper it is now possible to proof the bright-white paper dye of Heaven42l.

With Heaven 42 a bright white paper was developed by the German paper company Scheufelen, which opened up a new color whiteness. Especially technical motifs (shades of gray, silver tones from 4c, strong contrasts) act on Heaven 42 particularly brilliant and neutral. With an unchanged separation (eg with ICC profile “ISOcoated_v2”), but the printed image with the same color and dot gain looks considerably colder. Using images with warm tones (z. B. skintones) it is therefore recommended to do color adjustments.

We proofed Heaven42 on EFI Proof Paper 8245 OBA with optical brighteners and measure the Proofs M1 standard with consideration of optical brighteners. The proof can be provided with a UGRA / FOGRA media wedge and test report. Our Heaven42 proofs provide a good simulation of Heaven42 offered by Scheufelen for the ICC Profiles of Heidelberger Druck. The profile can be downloaded from the Scheufelen Website with additional notes from Scheufelen to pressure requirements etc., which are also included in the download of the profile.

Scheufelen offers two ICC-Profiles for Download, we are proofing the profile of Heidelberger Druck (“_HD”).
Profile: Heaven42_AM_U280_K98_G80_HD.icc
Ink Coverage: ~280 % (U)
Black: GCR , 80 % (G)
Max Black: 98 % (K)
Proofing Substrate: EFI Proof Paper 8245 OBA Semimatt
Verification Profile: Made from Reference Data
Verification Light: M1 with OBA

Heaven 42 Proofs can be ordered directly in Proof store of Proof.de. Simply select the profile “Heaven 42”.

Scheufelen Heaven 42 Heaven42 Vergleich mit ISOCoatedV2 Digitalproof der Proof GmbH
Bottom left: ISOcoatedv2 Proof on EFI Gravure Proof Paper 4245, Bottom right: Heaven 42 Proof on EFI Proof Paper 8245 OBA Above: Original paper white Heaven 42 by Scheufelen

Scheufelen Heaven 42 match with ISOCoatedV2 Digitalproof of Proof GmbH
Below: ISOcoatedv2 Proof to EFI Gravure Proof Paper 4245. Above: Heaven 42 Proof EFI Proof Paper 8245 OBA. Middle: Original paper pattern Heaven 42 Scheufelen

Fogra 51 and Fogra 52 Beta Proofs available

By switching to the new Fiery XF 6.1 and the use of the new X-Rite SpectroProofer ILS-30 measuring instruments, we are now able to proof the current beta versions of the new printing standards Fogra 51 and Fogra 52.

Since the current proofing profiles are available only in preliminary beta versions, the versions are of course not color binding and legally binding. Nevertheless, interested agencies and printers can get a picture of the current state of development and evaluate the coming changes of the OBA proofing papers used better match the colors of the new proofing standards.

We have created a new category in our Proof.de Store:
Fogra 51 / Fogra 52 Beta Proofs

The Fogra 51/52 Beta proofs are listed as follows:

Proof profile Coated:
PSO_Coated_v3_ECI Practice Fred15_Oct2014.icc

Proof profiles Uncoated:
PSO_Uncoated_v3_eci_Fred15-July2014.icc
PSO_Uncoated_blueish_v3_ (ECI) -Fred15-July.icc

Software: Fiery XF 6.1
Proof printer: EPSON 7900/9900
Measurement: Epson / X-Rite SpectroProofer ILS30
Measuring standard: M1 with UV

Proof Paper Coated: EFI Proof Paper 8245OBA Semimatt 245gr / sqm
Proof Paper Uncoated: EFI Proof Paper 8175OBA Matt 175gr / sqm

 

Proof.de Introduced new measuring technology: X-Rite SpectroProofer ILS30

Detail of X-Rite SpectroProofer ILS30 Measuring head and comparison to X-Rite Spectroproofer ILS20

With the new SpectroProofer ILS30 made by X-Rite, Proof GmbH has created the basis for automated measurements and Proof verifications according to M1 standard. Proofs with optical brighteners (OBAs – Optical Brightning Agents) can now be measured. Contrary to earlier announcements, the new SpectroProofer are also able to measure the current proofing standards as before in M0 measurement standard.

Because of the new ILS30 SpectroProofer, the layout of the Ugra / Fogra media wedge was slightly modified. For a comparison between old and new media wedge, see the image below.

Detailed X-Rite SpectroProofer ILS30 measuring head compared with X-Rite SpectroProofer ILS20
Detail Spectroproofer ILS30 front, ILS20 at the back

X-Rite Spectroproofer ILS30 Packaging
X-Rite Spectroproofer ILS30 Packaging

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Proof.de updated its proofing Software to Fiery XF 6.1

New Proof Software: Fiery XF 5.2 Proofing

Proof.de has updated its proofing software to Fiery XF Proofing 6.1 and so successfully finished preparations for the production of proofs in the upcoming Fogra 51 and Fogra 52 color standards. The new software version also supports the now available new Spektroproofer ILS-30 made by X-Rite, which is able to measure in the measurement modes M0, M1 and M2.

The color profiles for the automated production of proofs and proof verification Fogra51 and Fogra52 will have to me measured in the new M1 standards, as well as the 2013 Versions of SWOP and GRACoL.

Proof GmbH also updated their RIP to Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE) version 3.1. and updated some PANTONE Plus color libraries as well.

 

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