Kodak claim that integrated colour control across all devices—monitors, scanners, halftone and inkjet proofers, and digital and conventional presses—is finally achievable using one software solution across the entire production environment.
Kodak announced today that it will launch the new Colorflow Software solution at drupa 2008.
They say that Colorflow Software tackles the core issues that plague the design, production and delivery of colour in the graphic arts marketplace; the ability to achieve a reliable colour match from the original electronic file all the way through the production process to the final output on both digital and conventional presses. Colorflow Software enables print professionals to reduce costs by: helping ensure that critical colour control elements—curves, profiles, and spot recipes—are used together correctly; reducing the number of press runs for setting up colour; and reducing training needs.
“With Colorflow Software, users can meet the print buyers’ expectations while eliminating the hidden costs that can reduce profitability,” said Arjen Van Der Meulen, Director of colour, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group. “Kodak Colorflow Software accomplishes this by making certain that colour control tools work together correctly and in harmony, while reducing the number of remakes, approvals and press runs required to establish
accurate colour. Kodak Colorflow Software provides a complete, colour management solution.”
Colorflow Software will be available both as a standalone product, as well as an integrated solution within Kodak Prinergy Workflow System Version 5.0, which will also be introduced at drupa.
Colorflow Software is ideal for all segments of the market
Historically, many individual tools and devices have been offered for colour control at various stages of the production process. Colorflow Software provides a truly complete solution that can be introduced into virtually any operation, including increasingly common blended production environments.
Once Kodak Colorflow Software is in place in the print production environment, many issues that affected colour management in the past are resolved automatically.
It maintains and manages relationships among the control elements and device print conditions, managing colour setups throughout the workflow and between devices to eliminate mismatched settings.
When a print condition is refined for a specific device, the software can update all the colour control elements automatically, ending the breakdowns in communication between colour management tools that hampered colour matching in the past.
“Not only can Colorflow Software simplify the setup and optimisation of colour control across the entire print production workflow, but it also performs a new level of print condition management that moves colour into a new era,” said Van Der Meulen. “Colorflow Software supports the continued evolution of print as a manufacturing process.”
Fully integrated with the Kodak Prinergy Workflow System, Colorflow Software provides complete colour management through automated communication, control, and tracking of complex PDF pages. Colorflow Software’s one step curve and profile creation can characterize an output device using a single print run, calibrating the output to a desired colour response. In this single print run, Colorflow Software can generate calibration curves, spot colour recipes, ICC profiles and comprehensive print condition reports.
Colorflow Software enhances the Kodak Spotless Printing Solution with improved spot colour recipes and accurate n-colour profiles for image separation. Furthermore, Colorflow Software can use colourimetric information to build curves that optimise colour and grey balance, providing more uniform colour reproduction across devices.
Colorflow Software utilizes Smart DeviceLink technology to create device links for applications such as proofing, press stabilization and ink savings. Kodak Matchprint Virtual Technology allows accurate and consistent on screen colour when editing profiles and curves within the Colorflow Software.
Colorflow Software supports international standards and formats
Colorflow Software is using open standard formats and will work with both Kodak and non-Kodak Systems. Kodak fully endorses the rigorous ISO 12647 printing and ISO 10128 printing system standardization recommendations, as well as supports the international PDF/X data exchange formats (and associated ICC standards), as well as the JDF job control specifications.
Kodak
www.kodak.com.au
