Imaging and colour management

Imaging and colour management

By Steve Manik, BDEE writer

We live in a world of ever-changing technology, where nothing remains still. Things change at a fast pace for the betterment of the society/trade world and the ‘experts’ are busily applying knowledge to invent something new to meet the goals, goods and services desired by the general public.

The process of rapid change to remain competitive is not new in the imaging and colour management industry. For years businesses have been surviving, depending on colour management devices and their contemporary output. Scanners, digital cameras, monitors, film printers, offset presses and other corresponding mailing equipments were supposed to be the pillars of printing technology.

The task of developing low-cost, three-dimensional printers that could provide best output and be mobile has kept most of the printing experts around the world busy. If we peer into the history of printing technique, we can picture the “Daisy Wheel”, an age-old print mechanism that used a plastic or metal hub with spokes. These spokes were similar to an old-fashioned wagon wheel minus the outer rim. Things have undergone a huge transformation since then with the Daisy Wheel printing mechanism was successfully replaced by digital and laser printers.

Many organisations need to publish and print information in hard copy format. The information may be related to legal matters within the company or may be concerning business or even personal requirements. The crux is that an organisation must print on multiple devices with multiple attributes on a daily basis, and must be able to do so securely. This requires adept printing technology and services.

Communication, advertisement and promotional activities depend on the printing activities of an organisation. The techniques utilised by the organisation to print brochures, bills, etc., speak volumes about its reputation and quality services it offers.

One of the most common techniques followed by major organisations across the globe for printing brochures and other associated tasks is digital printing. The technique efficiently transmits image and texts from the computer to the printing press equipment. This technology was enhanced by a newcomer to the field – laser printing. This technique offers the best output to users. Here, laser beams fall upon a photosensitive cylinder and generate the electrostatic latent images and texts. The successful transmission of these images and texts in a toner are then attracted by electric changes on the cylinder and finally the images and letters are transferred to paper.

In the past, all but the biggest most advanced companies were stuck with black and white printing. However, with the advent of modern technology and the internet, most companies have shifted priorities and are relying on colour management as the only solution to all their printing problems. This hasn’t been straightforward as most businesses strived hard for “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” results in the products they buy. Different illuminants and colorants, gamuts, colour space, gamma curve and other characteristics became seemingly insurmountable obstacles and the destination seemed far away.

The fault doesn’t lie in the efforts put in by the organisation itself. We can blame the colour science for all the inaccuracy. It is so complex that it is impossible to eradicate the above-mentioned obstacles completely. But the system can be substantially enhanced with the help of colour management. Colour management accomplishes three important tasks:
• Maps colours between devices that have different gamuts (scanners/monitors).
• Transforms colours from one colour space to another (e.g. RGB to CMYK).
• Provides accurate on-screen or print previews that remedial action.

Many reputed and well-established organisations that have been trading copiers, printers or mailing equipment successfully and ruling this industry such as Xerox, Pitney Bowes, and IKON, have developed an interest the newest “controller” technology. The “controller” is a development that facilitates enhanced communication and colour management.

It is essentially a software product that goes into copiers or big digital printers and allows them to get connected to network; compresses the data and feeds it to the engine at the colour management stage. This latest addition to printing technology could spark a revolution in the industry and many organisations and corporate offices expecting best output are already embracing this technology.

Electronics For Imaging (EFI) is leading this technology breakthrough and controller products sold under Fiery and EDOXTM brand names are widely used by graphic artists, advertising agencies and leading corporations worldwide.

Xerox was the first company to acknowledge and embrace EFI’s colour controller technologies on its widely appreciated DoCu colour products. There has been no looking back since then. Customers have been relying on EFI’s controller to print colour and black and white proofs, posters, brochures, internet pages and presentations since 1991.

Chirag Bakshi, General Manager, Inkjet Products, EFI says: “Customers want plug-and-play networking, a superior control solution, and fiery workflow software solves the purpose. The combination of the Fiery X2 with EPSON stylus pro 7000 or 9000 brings the print quality that creative professionals demand.”

The Fiery X2 controller offers efficiency to graphic arts environments such as advertising agencies, fine art studios and many other organisations that are in to creating colour composites and proofs for press runs. It is of great benefit to organisations aiming for superior throughput, job control and workflow flexibility.

Controller technology supports all the major networking environments, thereby facilitating the connection to any network. These were substantial benefits, but as we know, technology does not stand still. Technology and the professionals in this field are under constant pressure to research and invent something new that could be the next big thing.

But EFI’s technological advancement in the field of imaging and colour management has not been limited to controller. Digital Storefront, with new remote print centre workflow integration, JDF-based job tickets and visual job ticket wizards, stronger VDP capabilities and more robust print messenger drivers, offers a complete, streamlined workflow from the document creator. .

“With the introduction of Digital Storefront 2.5, we are setting a new standard for web-to-print applications,” said Chuck Gehman, EFI Director of Product Marketing. He believes that Digital Storefront is the pioneer solution and has set an example in the field of colour management. The solution, according to him supports the varied business relationships and products that print service providers require to achieve success in their business and satisfying customers online.

He adds: “Unlike ‘point solutions’ or custom-developed websites, which are targeted at niche applications, Digital Storefront 2.5 is the first generally available and easy to deploy application that has broad enough capabilities to answer these challenges.”

The world of printing technology has been offered a new dimension with organisations that are consistently producing new technologies. This has in turn, offered a one-stop solution to many organisations that have been striving hard to achieve first place in their business through imaging and colour management.

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