Product category:
Printing Pre-Press Systems and Materials (Repro, Platemakers, CTP, Workflow, Document Management, Design Software, etc.)
News Release from: GMG GmbH and Co. KG | Subject: Colorserver
Edited by the Printingtalk Editorial
Team on 13 September 2005
Colour Space Software's Automatic
Conversions
GMG has introduced its Colorserver software to provide automatic colour space conversions, scaling, sharpening, separation and optimisation of pixel and PDF image data.
GMG has introduced its Colorserver software to provide automatic colour space conversions, scaling, sharpening, separation and optimisation of pixel and PDF image data Colorserver is available from October 1 as a stand-alone product
This article was originally published on Printingtalk on 21 Aug 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Colorserver Pro, as well as Colorserver Separation, which is a plug-in to Colorproof, GMG Dotproof and GMG Flexoproof, The company believes that increasing digitisation in pre-press has required a way to automatically convert data from an existing colour space to a different, target colour space.
The printing process, inks used, reproducible colour space, individual dot gain and paper all play a decisive role in colour space transformation.
Consequently, manual conversion of data to a different colour space involves a great deal of technical knowledge and investment in time.
Further reading
Software Improves Printer's Colour Mamagement
Integrated design, image and data agency EC2i has installed GMG's colour conversion software Colorserver to enhance its colour management provision for a range of clients.
Trialling Colour Management Online With Print Jobs
Colour management and proofing systems can be trialled via the internet as GMG's Colorserver can be tested so user can understand its benefits.
Proofing System Helps Produce 191m Catalogues
One of the world's largest print production jobs with a total of 191 million copies was significantly helped by the use of GMG's Colorserver proofing system.
Many print jobs prepared for a specific press are printed on a completely different machine because of short-term press schedule changes.
Advertisements appearing in an offset-printed magazine today often must be available tomorrow for a magazine produced on a gravure or newspaper press.
Very often, supplied RGB image data needs to be scaled, sharpened, and separated for the right CMYK colour space.
Colourserver, with automatic hotfolder technology, is claimed to provide a number of functions supporting those requirements.
Fully automatic colour conversions: One of those functions is fully-automatic CMYK colour conversions from one standard (such as ISO, SWOP, GRACoL, or in-house standard) to another.
GMG said that the function allows an image file to be printed perfectly if it is optimally prepared for a specific printing process.
An advertisement prepared for gravure printing cannot be produced on an offset press without color conversion.
It also ensures that image data received from different suppliers have a uniform colour appearance.
Colorserver was developed by GMG in collaboration with gravure printers and is based on GMG's 4D colour management technology.
The software computes original and target values directly in CMYK - without the detour via the LAB colour space.
That means properties of the black channel in the original data are retained in their exact proportions in the transformed, target CMYK colour space, ensuring the visual impression of the output remains identical.
GMG added that an ICC-based approach does not lead to the desired result.
The CIELab conversion colour space used in ICC processes is three-dimensional and lacks information about the black channel generation (fourth colour) required for an accurate colour conversion.
The company also added that the increasing use of digital cameras and RGB-based workflows is driving more and more RGB data use.
However, the RGB data supplied is often in unedited form, meaning the resolution has to be scaled to the final size and the file sharpened in accordance with the changed resolution.
The data is then subsequently separated in to the required CMYK colour space.
Colorserver's hot folder is said to handle that procedure fully automatically.
RGB data placed in a hotfolder are scaled, sharpened and separated in accordance with the parameters assigned to the hotfolder.
Colorserver can also optimise RGB data, converting data from one RGB data space to another, whether Adobe 98 RGB, ECI RGB or sRGB, said GMG.
In addition to the handling of pixel data, it is also possible to manipulate PDF files for both CMYK-to-CMYK and RGB-to-CMYK conversions.
When converting PDF files from one colour space to another, the RGB images within the PDF file can be automatically scaled, sharpened, and separated.
GMG said that it is no longer necessary to revert to image and layout applications during the document creation process.
Gamut mapping ensures optimum conversion of colours during transformation from a large colour space - for example, offset - to a smaller one, such as a newspaper, preserving the overall colour impression.
GMG added that the total ink application can be adjusted, whilst retaining the separation parameters for the respective printing process, such as from 350 per cent for offset coated papers to 240 per cent for newsprint.
That ensures printability using different printing processes on a variety of materials.
The Colorserver Separation plug-in module offers RGB-to-CMYK conversions for both pixel and PDF data, meaning that RGB data embedded in PDF files are separated in to the required CMYK target colour space.
GMG believes that the advantages of Colorserver lie in the acceleration and complete automation of work processes by accurate, high-speed colour transformations via hotfolder technology, which results in cost savings.
Working with standard profiles delivered by GMG means production can be started immediately using reference profiles extensively tested and certified by GMG.
Custom Colorserver profiles for CMYK-to-CMYK colour space transformations can also be generated by users themselves or authorised GMG resellers, added the company.
Colorserver's user base includes agencies with their own pre-press departments, repro houses and pre-press businesses, printing companies of all types, as well as newspaper, periodicals and book publishers.
Robert Weihing, the chief executive of GMG, commented: "We have taken our colour management expertise, particularly in profiling, scaling, and gamut mapping and we are offering a turnkey tool for pre-press departments to take the guesswork and expense out of converting images.
Given the variety of image sources as well as the output needs, different presses, print technologies, and colour gamut there is a need for a product that handles those issues for pre-press operations quickly and painlessly.
Colorserver helps resolve those problems.".
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