Hardcover PU Notebook EFI Digital Proofing Color Management Experience

Hardcover PU Notebook EFI digital proofing color management experience

Digital proofing is developed with the development of CTP direct plate-making technology, which is an indispensable link in digital workflow. Of course, digital proofing is not limited to the "print proof" this specific link, it is a specific application of the core technology of color management, based on color management, can not be separated from color management technology. In this paper, combined with EFI digital proofing software, describes the process of printer color management, which can realize the matching of the proof manuscript and the printing manuscript.

First, what is digital proofing?

Generally speaking, publishers or other customers only after getting the printing house to provide proof, signature confirmation, the printing house will formally begin to print the customer needs. In this process, the printing house or proofing company based on the film or electronic documents provided by the plate making company, the process is called proofing. The customer checks the layout design and printing quality of the printed sample and signs to confirm that the sample can be used as a basis for printing. This process is called sample signing.

Digital proofing is a process of using digital proofing equipment to reproduce printing colors based on the color range of printed colors and the same RIP data as the printed content, and can make proofing proofs according to the actual printing conditions of users.

Theoretically speaking, the color gamut of digital proofing equipment is larger than the color gamut of printing, so that the color space conversion between output devices can be carried out through software control, so that the digital proofing effect simulates the color effect of printing output equipment, that is, the color management process of digital printers, to realize the digital proof instead of the traditional proof sample.

At present, the digital proofing system consists of digital proofing output equipment and digital proofing control software. The digital proofing output device refers to any color printer that can be output digitally, such as color inkjet printer, laser printer, etc. However, at present, large format color inkjet printers can meet the requirements of printing speed, format, screening and product quality. Digital proofing software like EFI digital proofing software system, screen digital proofing system, founder digital proofing system and so on. [next]

Two, color management

Color management is to correct all kinds of equipment through scientific and digital methods, and record the color characteristics of the equipment in the "characteristic file", so as to obtain predictable colors on the equipment, and reproduce colors in different output environments. It is necessary to establish a set of objective rules for color communication between equipment, so as to ensure the consistency of color transmission in the whole printing system.

It is because the color management system provides the possibility of color consistency between different equipment and using different raw materials that digital proofing can replace the traditional mechanical proofing and become a new proofing method. Therefore, digital proofing is a specific application of the core technology of color management, which is based on color management and cannot be separated from color management technology.

Color management includes three parts: equipment calibration, equipment characterization, color conversion.

① Equipment calibration. Is the standardization of the color characteristics of the device, capable of producing predictable colors from a specific color input value. Equipment must be calibrated regularly to compensate for aging or other factors.

(2) equipment characterization. Each kind of equipment should have its corresponding color characteristics, the color characteristics of the equipment can be recorded through some software and hardware cooperation to produce a "feature file". Device characterization is to create an ICCProfile that describes the color characteristics of a device.

③ Color conversion. When the same image is output on different output devices, it will produce different effects, because the color gamut size of different devices is different. When we want to transfer from the color setting of device A to the output of device B, we will use the "feature file" of device A to carry out color conversion and matching through the color management software to find out the best color performance.