Digital Imaging Association members and guests were on-hand at Apple Canada’s facility to learn more about LithoTel Software
Design’s new software – Remote Colour Approval.
When printers and advertisers are looking to save every penny possible, the concept of remote press approvals has great appeal. For the printer, it means faster colour OKs; for the client, it means no trips to the printers for press OKs.
What is Remote Colour Approval?
In essence, this is a method for remotely viewing the colour of the printer’s contract proof and the colour of a scanned press sheet on a single remote high-resolution colour monitor while the job is running on the press.
Remote colour press approval is a Web-enabled system that allows print buying customers anywhere in the world to compare the colour of the printed copy versus that of the approved proof. Remote colour press approval happens when the design is approved, the contract colour proof is approved, printing standards are in place, plates are on the press and the make-ready is done. It is live and in real-time.
Who developed Remote Colour Approval?
LithoTel Software Design Ltd. – www.lithotel.ca – is an industry leader in prepress to pressroom integration. Since 1989, this Ontario-based family business has embarked on numerous phases of development towards becoming a leader in the field of pressroom integration. They have provided consulting services to manroland, Sun Chemical, Gretag MacBeth, Flint Group and Mitsubishi
Lithographic Presses to name a few.
The mainstay of their services provides technical support and press fingerprinting services to hundreds of printers worldwide. And along the way, LithoTel has contributed extensively to the understanding and development of practical density controls and has pioneered methods to effectively use these controls in a production – and productive – environment. LithoTel’s products are registered and in use on five continents.
How does it work?
During an actual press run, a composite proof is transferred to a remote customer site where it is viewed on a gray balanced monitor. A second image is displayed immediately below the proof and represents the colour on the press sheet. The composite proof is created by combining the workflow colour profile data from the printer’s contract proof system. The press sheet colour is created using ink key specific spectrophotometric readings from the press colour bar.
If the customer sees a visual difference between the two images he/she can put a cursor over any part of the proof image, view the spectral values, then move the cursor to the same spot on the press sheet image and compare the numbers. Both images display percentage coverage values, LAB values and Delta E values.
There are additional options to enhance the experience: both images can be viewed on the monitor as colour progressives; both images can be enlarged for better visual assessment. A Web-enabled or telephone discussion follows, adjustments are made on press and a new image transfer follows – all in real time. And, as occurs press-side, the process continues until customer sign-off is achieved. Just as with conventional workflow, press sheet readings are taken throughout the run. LithoTel’s system electronically tabulates the readings, compares them to the approved values and enables live reporting during the press run, thus facilitating productivity. Printers can elect to provide press run reports to their customers to validate acceptable consistency throughout the run.
Why consider Remote Colour Approval?
It’s a natural progression for conventional print into today’s digital environment, and it is designed to fit with existing equipment and workflows. As an accurate and repeatable process, it delivers cost reductions, improved efficiency, as well as enhanced communications between brand owner, design team and printer.
While any visual differences between the proof and the press sheet are real, unless they are viewed on an ICC profiled monitor, they do not represent absolute colour fidelity. The Remote Colour Approval system can be trusted because it can be measured. To quote LithoTel President Art Rosbottom, “as a science, colours make the numbers and the numbers make the colours.” Remote Colour Approval transmits the data, not the images. So, the system may not work for all projects. Visual colour is the complexity of a subject, a light source and a viewer. There will still be some image-critical projects where viewer perception defines acceptable colour.
The demo
Following an insightful overview of the product’s attributes, attendees at the DIA presentation were able to experience a project demo. A lively question and answer session followed, which continued after the formal conclusion of the presentation.
LithoTel contributed a draw prize – a colour viewer. Peter Gilmour from PI Media was the lucky winner – and he expected to put his prize to immediate and frequent use.