Prinect
Color Toolbox
Tools for perfect color management • The new software suite from
Heidelberg® for secure and reliable color calibration encompasses three
programs:
• Profile Tool
• Calibration Tool
• Quality Monitor
Profile Tool
Reliable supplier of ICC profiles • Profile Tool creates ICC profiles for
printing processes, proofers, color printers and color photocopiers. It is
the professional tool to create ICC profiles interactively for general print-
ing standards or individual requirements.
The creation of profiles with Profile Tool is geared towards excellent color
separation. The user can adjust the build-up of black with UCR or GCR for
printing and proof profiles freely and make a flexible selection of the point
where black is used. It is also possible to finely adjust depths and color
saturation in the printing profiles. The reproduction of gray can be kept
neutral. This leads to visibly clearer results in particular when printing on
colored papers.
Rapid profile adjustment • One does not always want to build up a
new profile from scratch. It is often sufficient to adjust an existing profile.
Prinect® offers Mini Spots® for this purpose. These are small measuring
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
elements, which are printed during normal production. Building on an ex Kurfuersten-Anlage 52–60
isting profile and the measuring data of the Mini Spots means that a profile 69115 Heidelberg
adjustment can be calculated within a short space of time and is then al- Germany
Phone +49 6221 92-00
ready available for the next set of plates.
Fax +49 6221 92-6999
[Link]
Any fluctuations related to the equipment can be recognized and smoothed
00.993.3615/01 en
Trademarks
out with a connectable profile smoothing. This makes Profile Tool the ideal Heidelberg, the Heidelberg logotype, Prinect and Mini Spots are registered
trademarks of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG in the U.S. and other
tool for the creation of generic profiles to describe a printing standard. countries. PANTONE and Hexachrome are registered trademarks of
Pantone Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Subject to technical modifications and other changes.
ICC output profiles for the proof • The creation of
profiles for the proof is optimized in order to achieve
the best possible color adjustment. The iterative proof
correction makes it possible to achieve a level of accu
racy in the profile, which reduces the average color
deviation of the proof from the print to an absolute min-
imum. An integrated color calculator converts spot
colors to the CMYK values of the proofer. This means
that the expanded color space of the proofer is fully
utilized. The PANTONE® and HKS color tables are in-
cluded in the software package.
Color measurement and correction • The Profile
Tool measures true spectral values in the color fields.
All the desired values such as Lab, XYZ, CMYK or den-
sity can easily be calculated from this. The program
can therefore use values, which have been m easured
once, in many ways. Optical brighteners in papers,
which are interpreted by measuring devices as shades Profile Tool creates extremely sophisticated device link p
rofiles for
use in the Prinect workflow.
of blue and would therefore lead to errors in the pro-
file calculation, are corrected by the Profile Tool on a
spectral basis. rocess conversions can therefore be carried out
P
from one CMYK printing process to another with a
Calibration and profiling with one proof run • high level of quality.
Normally a test sheet can be printed first to compile an
ICC profile, if a process calibration has been carried out Separation of up to seven colors • By using the
previously. The Profile Tool can also calculate good pro- optional multi color extension, it is possible to produce
files from the measuring data of an uncalibrated print color separations for 5-, 6- and 7-color printing. The
taking account of the calibration data of Calibration inks for this can be selected in a sequence, which
Tool. This means it is no longer necessary to print and makes sense in colorimetric terms. This means that
measure test sheets repeatedly, which is time-consum- frequently used color models such as Hexachrome®
ing. This saves not only time and materials. It also helps or HiFi Color are supported to the same extent as
to cope with color management in the overall printing customer-specific models.
process rapidly and with certainty.
Device Link Profile • In many cases it is necessary
to align the print customer’s documents directly with
one’s own production environment. Profile Tool has
the functions necessary to do this. This also includes
UCR/GCR functions in order to use less colored ink to
achieve the same impression of color. This means that
the gray balance can be stabilized and color fluctua-
tions avoided. In addition, it is possible to limit the
maximum inking of every object, whereby the color ad
justment on the printer can be managed more easily
and quickly. Fine-tuning is generally carried out with
device link profiles. The Profile Tool creates extremely
sophisticated device link profiles for use in the Prinect
workflow. There is no need to buy an expensive addi-
tional solution for this purpose, as all the necessary
functions are already integrated into the profile.
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Calibration Tool Rapid calibration with Prinect Image Control •
Central management of all the calibration data • The interaction of Calibration Tool and Prinect Image
Calibration Tool makes it possible to create and cen- Control color measurement system provides superb
trally manage all the calibration data for the lineari rapid and precise calibration with Mini Spots. The
zation and process calibration of CtP platesetters and measuring elements are assessed in one go and after
direct-imaging presses. The tool supports both the a few seconds the measuring data are available for a
linearization of platesetters and the calibration of the calibration adjustment.
entire process section right up to printing.
RIP-independent installation • Calibration Tool does
Thanks to Calibration Tool it is possible to set up as not have to be installed on the RIP station. It is also
many spot colors in one data set for process calibra- possible to set up a separate calibration station in
tion as desired. This means that a data set can con- which the curves are measured and compiled central-
tain either all the process colors or be applied indi- ly for the connected RIP imagesetter stations. By ad-
vidually for each separation. ditionally installing Profile Tool, this station can be
upgraded to a central color management workstation
A central data pool • In a company with several plate- within the company.
setters the curves for each output device can easily
be arranged and managed. If several platesetters of Quality Monitor
the same type and using the same materials are de- Seamless process and quality control • Print shops
ployed at the same time, Calibration Tool can be used are increasingly applying for certification to a quality
to organize a central data pool. It is possible to feed standard. This is associated with the requirement of
the RIP imagesetter stations with the right curves for being able to provide evidence of continuous compli-
each job from there – creating ideal conditions for ance with the standard. This is where you need Quality
consistent quality at each station. Monitor: It is the ideal tool for seamless p
rocess and
quality control. It provides every print shop with de-
Simple application of calibration curves • The print tailed analysis results.
parameters such as type of paper, ink used, solid tint
densities and printing press are stored with each cali- Both printing companies, which already document
bration curve. Calling up the right curve is controlled by the high standard through their certification, as well
indicating these parameters. Calibration Tool offers as companies, which are just starting out with standard-
only those curves, which are actually suited to the print ized printing, can demonstrate the high quality of their
parameters in the job. This not only makes operation work and present it clearly at any time with Quality
easier, but also helps to avoid errors. Monitor. Detailed reports, even compiled over a longer
period of time, therefore serve both as documents for
The actual dot gains are generally described by process control as well as evidence of reliable production at a
standards. A range of standards is already provided consistently high level.
with their dot gain curves. It is possible to define one’s
own process parameters individually for corporate All the decisive tasks of process supervision and
standards. monitoring the proof and print can be carried out
with Quality Monitor:
The resulting process curves can be smoothed out in
order to compensate for measuring errors. Measure • Numerous keys, linearization strips and
entire test sheets can be measured out with spectral
In addition, Calibration Tool offers numerous editing photometers, densitometers or plate measuring
functions to compile new curves, which are superim- devices.
posed on an existing calibration. If one parameter
changes, then a test sheet does not have to be printed Compare • Quality Monitor permits comprehensive
and measured from scratch. All that needs to be done comparisons between two sets of measuring data,
is to calculate the changes using the existing curve. e. g. the deviation between the proof and print or
A new, adjusted curve is then available for the next print standard or the deviation in a print run.
set of plates.
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Quality Monitor is the ideal tool for seamless process and quality
monitoring.
Assess • The assessments can be viewed in many Proof report • Quality Monitor supplies a report on
different ways on the screen or issued as a printed the color accuracy of the proof. This report can be
report. Color space comparisons between two sets handed over to the customer in the form of a certifi-
of measuring data can be represented in two or cate together with the proof.
three dimensions.
Measuring devices and tests
Long-term analysis • Several sets of measuring data The programs of the Prinect Color Toolbox work with
can be read in and compared. They make it possible many of the leading spectral photometric and densito-
to analyze color behavior over a longer period of time. metric measuring devices and support standard tests
It is therefore possible to document a quality standard in accordance with ISO 12642, including ECI 2002,
and color fidelity is no longer a subjective sensation. IT8.7/3 and IT8.7/4.