Prinect

Color and Quality

Multicolor Workow

Contents

1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5

1.6

1.7

Introduction Get closer to the original with the multicolor workow Developments aiming at expanding the press color space Denition of the multicolor workow The advantages of the multicolor workow opposed to the CMYK workow Prinect workow components 1 Prinect Signa Station 2 Prinect Prepress Manager 3 Prinect MetaDimension 4 ColorProof Pro 5 Prinect Pressroom Manager/Prinect Prepress Interface 6 Platesetters 7 Speedmaster with Prinect Press Center/ Prinect CP2000 Center 8 Prinect Image Control 9 Prinect Color Toolbox 3.5 10 Calibration Tool 11 Prole Tool and Quality Monitor What you need for the beginning Knowledge Prepress equipment Equipment and conditions in the press room The multicolor strategy from Heidelberg The central points of the multicolor strategie from Heidelberg: FM screening is not always the ultimate choice Screening with Prinect IS Classic or Prinect Hybrid Screening and multicolor proles from Heidelberg Color usage and screen angle Selection of inks Flexibility with spot colors Matching rheological properties Which colors are not suited for the multicolor workow? 5, 6 or 7 colors? 5-color process 6-color process 7-color process Preparations for a 7c job Determine the optimum density of the spot color Dene process curve set for spot colors Create multicolor process standard

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2 2.1 2.2 2.3

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2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 3 3.1

Create multicolor test form Linear imaging of test chart plates Printing to the desired multicolor process standard Measuring the dot gain charts for process calibration Analysis and mean value calculation of measured data Create process calibration Generate a multicolor ICC prole Workow step by step Input data 3.1.1 Color space of input data 3.1.2 Color space expansion by inverse Gamut Mapping Create PDF document in the DTP application Job processing in Prinect Prepress Manager 3.3.1 Create job and assign sequences 3.3.2 Congure Prepare sequence 3.3.3 Congure the Imposition Output sequence 3.3.4 Congure Sheetfed Printing sequence 3.3.5 Congure job settings 3.3.6 Edit the job settings Create the layout Platemaking and generation of CIP4 data Check the CIP4 data in Prinect Pressroom Manager Prinect Press Center/Prinect CP2000 Center Measure the multicolor control elements in Prinect Image Control Stand-alone Quality Monitor: analysis of multicolor measurement results Create color proof 3.10.1 Congure the Imposition Proof (Page Proof) sequence

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3.2 3.3

3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10

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Introduction

1.1 Get closer to the original with the multicolor workow Conventional color printing using the four yellow, magenta, cyan and black inks is a compromise between protability and reproducible color space. The standardization according to the process standard offset lets you obtain the (restricted) color space in a stable and safe process and to provide a color quality regarded as sufcient for many jobs at justiable costs. But the brilliance of the original is seldom reached with 4-color printing. Because pigments of different inks are blended, the obtainable color saturation of mixed colors, e.g. green or orange/red is by nature less than the color saturation of a homogeneous green or red ink pigment.
Left picture: 6-color process with orange and green, right picture: 4-color CMYK process.

But more brilliant colors and a color reproduction closer to the original are the distinctive features that make you stand out from conventional 4-color quality. Typical areas of application for Prinect Multicolor are high-quality job printing products and art printing where special uncoated paper is used frequently. During the last decades, attempts to expand the color space limits posed by printing technology were made in two directions.

1.2 Developments aiming at expanding the press color space Improved ink pigments and ink composition. Development of high-pigment inks. Development of color systems with more than the four standard colors. Use of additional process colors (orange/red, green, blue/purple) in 5- to 7-color printing. 1.3 Denition of the multicolor workow In this document, we regard the following as part of the multicolor workow: Expansion of the press color space by additional chromatic process colors. Separation of image data and line art (HiFi Color, Hexachrome, 5- to 7-color printing). The following is not regarded as part of the multicolor workow in this document: Printing of any number of separate spot colors without separation of image data and line art. Today, this is possible without restrictions and does not require any special process. Replacing one process color with a spot color (e.g. cyan, red, yellow, black instead of cyan, magenta, yellow, black). Application of the Prinect products for process calibration and prole generation does not pose any special demands on the process. Use of high-pigment inks. With the Prinect products this does not pose any special demands on the process either. 1.4 The advantages of the multicolor workow as opposed to the CMYK workow The advantages of the multicolor workow: Extended gamut (closer to the original) Better denition and contrast even in pastel hues Better reproduction of saturated colors Exact colorimetric reproduction even of extreme product colors Better reproduction of separated spot colors The Prinect multicolor workow and printing with ve to seven process colors offers your customer better differentiated products and stresses the quality in contrast to competitors products.

1.5 Prinect workow components

Overview of Prinect multicolor workow (with reference points 1 thru 10). Prinect Signa Station Speedmaster Prinect Press Center CP 2000 Center Prinect Prepress Interface Prinect Pressroom Manager

Prinect Prepress Manager

Platesetter Prinect MetaDimension

Color Proof Pro Proofer Calibration Tool Prinect Color Toolbox with: Prole Tool Quality Monitor Prinect Image Control

1 Prinect Signa Station Prinect Signa Station is used to combine les to signatures ready to be printed. During this process, you position color control bars the Mini Spots in our case on the press sheet. Prinect Signa Station relays the control bar positions, allowing Prinect Image Control to automatically detect the color control bar positions. You should use color control bars of the current Dipco package only. 2 Prinect Prepress Manager In the Prinect environment, Prinect Prepress Manager provides the Prepress workow that allows for an automation of all prepress production steps from data input via preighting of PDF les to imposition and proof, acceptance cycles and platemaking with this exible digital workow. The multicolor option is available for the Classic or Integrated workow variants. Using the multicolor option you extend the capabilities of Prinect Prepress Manager by processing of multicolor input data and multicolor proles. 3 Prinect MetaDimension Prinect MetaDimension lets you drive proofers and image lm and offset plates on Heidelberg CtF and CtP devices. Processing of multicolor process calibrations and multicolor separations are additional features of the multicolor workow. Control of Prinect MetaDimension occurs via Prinect Prepress Manager. 4 ColorProof Pro ColorProof Pro is the Proof Engine Manager of Prinect MetaDimension and lets you print layout, color and concept proofs. Checking the register and the color reproduction using a layout and color proof is a necessary help, especially for computer-to-plate. The color management system developed by Heidelberg is used in conjunction with ICC proles. This technology
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guarantees true to color reproduction and correct print simulation on the respective proof system. Apart from an inkjet-based proof system with paper output you can also use the monitor softproof function to check the sheet and the individual pages. In the multicolor workow, a true color proof is more difcult to obtain than in the four-color workow: Many currently available proof systems have more than four color inks but process CMYK input data only or perform an internal conversion to CMYK rst. For this reason, the multicolor color space cannot always be fully reproduced on the proofer. 5 Prinect Pressroom Manager/Prinect Prepress Interface Prinect Pressroom Manager is the connecting link between RIP and Prinect Press Center as well as Prinect Image Control. Using the low-resolution previews it calculates the zonal ink coverage values needed by Prinect Press Center/Prinect CP2000 Center for ink fountain presetting. Prinect Pressroom Manager also processes the parameters for workow successors Prinect Press Center/Prinect CP2000 Center and Prinect Image Control received from the RIP. 6 Platesetters The platesetter functions in the multicolor workow just like in a conventional workow. Heidelberg uses all screening systems in the multicolor workow: Stochastic Screening, IS-Classic and Prinect Hybrid Screening. 7 Speedmaster with Prinect Press Center/Prinect CP2000 Center Multicolor printing is only feasible with regard to costs and technology if printing can be done in a single pass. For this reason you must match your multicolor strategy with the conguration of your presses. A 5- to 7-color press offers ideal conditions to enter into the multicolor workow. Prinect Press Center lets you incorporate the press into the integrated Prinect workow management system. With Prinect Prepress Interface you import presettings from prepress. 8 Prinect Image Control Prinect Image Control is a color measurement system for quality control outside the printing press and an ideal measuring equipment for the multicolor workow. It is the only system worldwide that lets you perform a spectrophotometric measurement of the entire print image. Based on the calculated offsets to predened reference values, the operator is automatically given correction recommendations. These are submitted to the press online, which then adjusts the ink fountains in all press units simultaneously. The integrated Quality Monitor lets you carry out a broad range of quality assessments. Prinect Image Control thus warrants a reliable quality check making it easier for the print shop to continuously print at a constantly high quality level. The multicolor workow places higher demands on the colorimetric system than the 4-color workow. In this context Prinect Image Control offers an enormous speed advantage over other colorimetric systems. On one hand, there is the automatic detection of control elements based on the positioning data provided by Prinect Signa Station. On the other hand, there is the online provision of measured data in Prinect Workow, likewise for quality

control of ongoing production but also for calculating and correcting proles in Prole Tool and process calibrations in Calibration Tool. 9 Prinect Color Toolbox 3.5 Prinect Color Toolbox comprises two components that can be licensed separately: Calibration Tool (further development of Calibration Manager), Color Tool (further development of Print Open and Quality Monitor). 10 Calibration Tool Calibration Tool is the stand-alone version of Calibration Manager integrated in Prinect MetaDimension. It is used to create and correct process calibrations. You can use the measurement data of the Mini Spots for correction. Calibration Tool can be operated as stand-alone version or fully integrated in the Prinect workow with online data connection to Prinect Image Control and as central calibration server for the Prinect MetaDimension Rips connected to the network. In the multicolor workow, the Calibration Tool has the same task as in the 4-color workow. It provides the calibration curves for Prinect MetaDimension. 11 Prole Tool and Quality Monitor Color Tool is a further development of the former Prinect Prole Toolbox (i.e. Print Open and Quality Monitor). Both applications now run in a common user interface. You can license any of the two separate functions: Prole creation Creation and editing of DeviceLink proles and ICC output proles for color printers, color copiers, proofers and presses. You can use the measurement data of the Mini Spots to correct proles. When the multicolor option has been licensed, the Prole Tool can also calculate Multicolor proles. In the multicolor workow the Prinect Color Toolbox has the same task as in the 4-color workow. It provides the proles for Prinect Prepress Manager. Process and quality control With the Quality Monitor function you can monitor the measurement data for compliance with printing standards, visualize offsets and make quick decisions whether or not a correction of process calibrations or ICC proles is necessary. You can use the measurement data of the Mini Spots for quality checking. The quality check is identical to the 4-color workow.

Color space comparison between a 7c multicolor process and the ISOcoated_v2 process. The color space in the blue, green and orange/red areas expanded by the additional inks blue, green and orange is clearly visible (the red border indicates the ISOcoated color space, the blue border the multicolor color space).

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1.6 What you need for the beginning Knowledge Knowledge and expertise in process calibration and prole generation in 4-color printing. Knowledge and expertise in printing according to the process standard offset. The multicolor strategy from Heidelberg is based on these foundations. Knowledge of the Heidelberg workow. These three prerequisites must be met before you launch into the multicolor workow. Prepress equipment When you want to work with Mini Spots and automatic position detection: Prinect Signa Station with enabled Presetting Data for Press and Postpress option. Software version 4.0 is used in this example. Prinect Prepress Manager Classic/Integrated. As of version 4, Color Carver Plus is enabled by default. It contains the MultiColor option. Software version 4.0 is used in this example. Prinect MetaDimension. Software version 7.0 is used in this example. Proofer and platesetter that can be controlled with Prinect MetaDimension. Prinect Color Toolbox 3.5 (ProleTool, QualityMonitor, CalibrationTool) with enabled MultiColor option or the Prinect ProleTool. Equipment and conditions in the press room Press with Prinect PressCenter/Prinect CP2000 Center, equipped with ve, six or seven offset print units. Multicolor printing is only feasible with regard to costs and technology if printing can be done in a single pass. Prinect ImageControl with software version 5 and the Color Interface option. Flawless press conditions (machine check). 1.7 The multicolor strategy from Heidelberg There is no such things as the only correct strategy. There are different approaches and recommendations how to reach a stable and predictable production process. And for each strategy you can nd a proof that it is successful. Quite a number of companies have been applying multicolor printing and selling their products successfully for years. The multicolor strategy from Heidelberg presented below is based on standardized 4-color printing and offers a comparably easy start.

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The central points of the multicolor strategy from Heidelberg Screening with AM and FM screens (Prinect IS Classic, Prinect Hybrid Screening, Prinect Stochastic Screening). Use of classical CMYK process colors in process standard offset and one, two, or three additional colors. Gray balance: as with 4-color offset printing using a GCR of 50 %. FM screening is not always the ultimate choice Many multicolor strategies provide for the usage of FM screens in order to avoid the moir issue. But the FM screening process is more difcult to handle than AM screening. There is no equivalent for the process standard offset with multicolor printing either. The combination of FM screening and additional colors places great demands on the production process. You must gather a lot of experience rst unless you are familiar with one of these factors. This is one of the reasons why multicolor printing has not yet become widely popular. Screening with Prinect IS Classic or Prinect Hybrid Screening and multicolor proles from Heidelberg The separation procedure shown here lets you use AM screening. The basis is Prinect IS Classic/Prinect Hybrid Screening and Heidelberg multicolor proles.
The chart shows the structure of the separation with multicolor proles from Heidelberg.

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The inner area of the color space coarsely identied by the bright triangle (Fig. 1/1) can be obtained with conventional inks black, cyan, magenta and yellow. In the dark sectors (Fig. 1/2) one spot color each is used to fully utilize the gamut of the sector. The color composition of multicolor proles from Heidelberg is always restrictive: every color within the dark sectors is mainly made up of not more than four optimal inks. The complementary color of the respective color sector is widely suppressed in the color composition. This prevents the moir issue. Color usage and screen angle The table below shows the color usage in the sectors and the recommended screen angle for the spot colors. For orange and green the screen angle prevents the formation of moirs. For blue it is more feasible to use the same screen angle as for magenta or black.

Selection of inks Continue using standard CMYK process colors The multicolor strategy from Heidelberg is based on the assumption that you continue using the familiar standard process colors. Depending on the sujet and the desired gamut, one, two or three spot colors are added, to be included into the color separation, making them additional process colors. Flexibility with spot colors In contrast to other multicolor strategies you are not bound to the hue of these spot colors. You obtain the largest gamut with colors opposing the respective colors magenta, cyan and yellow in the chromatic circle. Since there is no restriction to exactly dened hues, you save on licensing fees and have more freedom in selecting an ink supplier and an ink series. Well suited for a maximum sized color space are: orange red or bright to medium red, medium green and blue or violet. The major requirement is to use as lightproof colors as possible, decide on a printing order and then generate your own multicolor proles. With multicolor printing you can reach the same process safety as in 4-color printing provided the parameters are kept constant.

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Matching rheological properties Spot colors matching the used standard process colors cyan, magenta, yellow and black with regard to their rheological and printing properties are optimal. These spot colors normally belong to the same ink series as standard process colors. You should ask your ink supplier for advice. During process calibration you will nd out that most spot colors print ner than the CMYK standard colors. Ink manufacturers usually adjust their standard inks so that the optimum desired inking is reached with a layer thickness of 0.8 to 1.0 m. Spot colors are usually adjusted so that the desired inking is reached with a greater layer thickness (approx. 1.4 to 1.8 m). Careful process calibration and prole generation is therefore essential. Which colors are not suited for the multicolor workow? Achromatic secondary colors (e.g. gray, brown, beige, etc.) Metallic colors, bronze colors, glimmer Fluorescent colors Replacement of CMYK with other colors 5, 6 or 7 colors? The number of used colors depends on the sujet to be printed, the machine conguration and the prot that can be made in contrast to a 4-color product. Recommended printing order: black, cyan, magenta, yellow, spot colors in the downstream print units. The rheological sequence of standard colors has been chosen so that they can be printed optimally in the usual order. Please note that the printing order greatly inuences the process calibration and the prole generation. When you change the printing order you will in most cases have to repeat the process calibration and the prole generation. 5-color process Depending on the sujet to be printed, one spot color orange (red), green or blue (violet) is added. 5-color printing is also ideal for gathering initial experience in multicolor printing because compared to 4-color printing the effort is not much higher. Print order black, cyan, magenta, yellow, spot color in print unit 5.

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6-color process In most cases, the two spot colors orange (red) and green (or a palette of six matched colors, e.g for Hexachrome) are added to the 4 process colors. Although 6-color printing does not quite reach the gamut of 7-color printing, it is by far less complex. Print order black, cyan, magenta, yellow, orange, green. (As an alternative, you can also swap the order of orange and green.) 7-color process Here, the spot colors orange (red) and green and blue (or a palette of seven matched colors) are added to the 4 process colors. Print order black, cyan, magenta, yellow, orange, green, blue. The sections to follow describe all necessary workow steps. Required and recommended workow settings Multicolor test documents, test charts Process calibration procedure Creation of multicolor proles Quality check and corrections in the multicolor workow Prerequisites: full expertise in standardized 4-color printing with CMYK. You also need to know how to operate the workow components in 4-color printing. The present document supplements the operating instructions of the each of the components but cannot replace them.

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2 Preparations for a 7c job

2.1 Determine the optimum density of the spot color First you must determine the optimum desired inking for all used spot colors. The best way to do this is to determine the relative print contrast. For this purpose, you print an ink series using a suitable test chart (containing three quarter and solid density patches). This ink series ranges from slightly under-inking to over-inking of the press sheets. A printed product should have as much contrast as possible. To this end, the solids must have a high color density whereas the screen should be printed with as much denition as possible (optimum difference of dot gain). When the inking and consequently the screen dot density increase, the contrast rises. But this can be done up to a certain level only; beyond this point, the screen dots tend to grow and consequently in particular in shadow areas to ll in. This in turn reduces the portion of paper white and the contrast decreases again. The relative print contrast is calculated from the measured values of density of solids and the density of the screen. The screen density value is mostly measured in the three quarter tint patch.

Mathematic formula for calculation of the relative print contrast.

raphical representation of the G relative print contrast.

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2.2 Dene process curve set for spot colors In Calibration Tool 3.5 you rst create a process curve set. You do this in Administration/Process Curve Sets

The screenshot above shows a list of different process curve sets: The status identical indicates that the version in the local database corresponds to the database of the Master Data Server (MDS). First copy an existing process curve set, e.g. HD ISO 60 Papiertypen 1+2 positiv and rename the copy, e.g. Multicolor-7c. Then click CMY on the left, type the name of a new spot color on the right e.g. Orange and click Copy. This will transfer the dot gains from CMY (graph A) to the new spot color.

Process curve Any (other) Spotcolor should always be contained in the process curve set. This ensures a process calibration is also present for spot colors not or incorrectly dened and the RIP process will not abort. For dot gains of spot colors you would normally use curve A. When the established densities exceed D log 1.7, you should use curve B.

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Information Density curves according to ISO 12647-2: The dot gain for a density of 40 percent is: curve A = 13 percent, curve B = 16 percent, curve C = 19 percent, curve D = 22 percent, curve E = 25 percent, curve F = 28 percent. The screenshot below indicates the dot gains of curve A for orange because the orange curve was created by copying the CMY curve. Note A great number of tests have shown that this procedure is a feasible approach.

Byenabling the Master Data Server (MDS), the new process curve set is made available to all workow components.

In the next step you will create a new multicolor process standard in Prinect Color Toolbox 3.5. Here we will use our new Multicolor-7c process curve set.

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Prinect Color Toolbox 3.5 presettings: In the MDS section, the Use tonal values from Calibration Manager option is enabled. 2.3 Create multicolor process standard In Prinect Color Toolbox 3.5 you have three options to create a new process standard in the Process Standard section: CMYK, Spot Color and Multicolor. Choose Multicolor here. In addition to the name of the standard you can type a detailed description for this process standard in a comment box.

To select the dot gains you choose the process curve set created beforehand.

Selected process curve set and dot gain table.

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You can specify the paper white and the CIELab values of all colors as follows: by manual input by importing test data of the 7c multicolor print job (OK sheet)

Paper white, CIELab values and printing order. Now migrate the new multicolor process standard you created in Prinect Color Toolbox 3.5 into the Master Data Server (MDS).

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2.4 Create multicolor test form Use Prinect Signa Station to create test form in dependence of the format . The following control elements are used (present example: 50 70 format): Color control bar for process control and press control 7S_i_F74 for 7c process 6S_i_F74 for 6c process FOGRA_6_F74 for 6c process FOGRA_5_F74 for 5c process Control elements for color constancy and color decrease 7c_ColConst 7c_ColDecrease For gray balance checking ECI_GrayConL_FOGRA39 (or S, M variants) Prinect Mini Spots for checking color location and dot gain MB_100_80_40_7C (all colors are on one control bar) Single color Mini Spots (measuring blocks) MB_100_0_80_40_X MB_100_0_80_40_Z MB_100_0_80_40_U MB_100_0_80_40_S1 MB_100_0_80_40_S2 MB_100_0_80_40_S3 MB_100_0_80_40_S4 To generate the process calibration you should place as many dot gain charts as possible on the sheet. TWZ_7C For generating the multicolor ICC prole: The test forms come in two parts because there is a greater number of color patches. To minimize the inuence of the ink zones you should arrange the test form twice diagonally if possible. 7c_PO1 7c_PO2

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The screenshot below shows the layout of a test chart (here: 70 100 format). The four small color patches on the edge of the test chart (with red frame) make it easier to distinguish between the two test charts 1 and 2.

2.5 Linear imaging of test chart plates Heed the correct angle when imaging the printing plates: CMYK according to the selected screen system Map orange on the cyan angle Map green on the magenta angle Map blue on the magenta or black angle Note In future versions you will be able to use custom screen systems with mixed AM and FM screens in the multicolor workow by way of the Screening Editor. In this case you need to match the linearizations to the respective process. This will be possible as of version 2.6 of the Calibration Tool. Application of CIP3/CIP4 data will optimize the overall workow. In Prinect Press Center you generate optimized ink zone apertures by way of prepress data and ink zone default settings. In Prinect Image Control you can use position data of all control elements and test charts for automatic measurement by way of the CIP3/CIP4 data. You make all necessary settings in Prinect Prepress Manager or in Prinect MetaDimension. Check all separate modules for correct settings. This applies to: Prinect Pressroom Manager, Prinect Prepress Interface, Prinect Press Center, Prinect Image Control.

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2.6 Printing to the desired multicolor process standard The individual penetration behavior of inks requires to set up wet color sets for all used inks. This applies to CMYK colors and also to spot colors. For this purpose, a test print is made where differently thick ink layers are printed across the entire sheet width. You start with under-inking on the left side of the sheet and increase the layer thickness for two to three ink zones each until an over-inking is obtained on the right side of the sheet. Then allow the sheet to dry. Finally compare the measured dry sheet with the desired target values. For CMYK this is usually the process standard offset (PSO always refers to dry values). To create the wet ink set, identify the wet values for CMYK and spot colors across all ink zones that match the target values when measured in a dry state. The best wet value for magenta could be in ink zone eight whereas the value for black is in zone 16. Proceed in the same manner for spot colors. When a CMYK wet ink set is already present, it is now supplemented by orange, green and blue. Control and monitoring of the print process occurs with multicolor control bars and multicolor Mini Spots. 2.7 Measuring the dot gain charts for process calibration For further assessment, sample three to ten OK sheets and measure them with Prinect Image Control. All control elements will be automatically detected if CIP3/CIP4 data is available here. Otherwise, you must manually position the measuring masks for measuring the rst sheet (for further information refer to the Mini Spot Workow documentation). Then save the data of the dot gain charts locally. Note If Prinect Image Control is not available, measurement with a spectrophotometer will be much more complex (e.g. measurement with X-Rite Eye-One iSis). 2.8 Analysis and mean value calculation of measured data The data must now be analyzed with Quality Monitor 3.5. This is best done in the long-term analysis area. Here you can view all data in one array and choose CIE, Dot gain or Density reports. Any outliers will be deactivated before the mean data calculation of measured data. In this way you obtain consistent data ideal for generating a process calibration. Mean data calculation is done in the Analysis tab using the menu item Test chart -> Calculate mean data. Another way is to open all data separately one after the other and then to analyze it in Measure/Open measurement data. Here you must also eliminate outliers. Final mean value calculation is again done in Test chart -> Calculate mean data.

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Analysis and mean value calculation of dot gain data

2.9 Create process calibration Use the stand-alone Calibration Tool 3.5. to create the multicolor process calibration. Proceed as follows (example): Create a calibration group Multicolor-7c Create a process calibration for CMYK Create a process calibration for orange Create a process calibration for green Create a process calibration for blue Import the data for each of these process calibrations and smooth them if necessary. For spot colors you can either choose the Spot colors: Filter (RGB) with maximal density or Spectral density at wavelength with maximum absorption option. Note Import via the spectral density gives more exact, higher density values.

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Parameter set for: cyan, magenta, yellow and black

Parameter set for orange. Set up the other spot colors in the same manner.

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Note To measure the density of spot colors you can choose the lter (RGB) that provides the respective maximum density. The lter colors of spectrophotometers are normally designed for process inks cyan (red lter), magenta (green lter), yellow (blue lter) and black (visual lter) only. But there are spot colors whose absorption behavior cannot be sufciently characterized by these three lters. It is better to use spectral density for measuring spot colors. Here the density values are calculated from the wavelength of maximum absorption.
Example of remission spectrum for orange

Further steps of generating a process calibration: After generation, enable the process calibrations (green dot). Synchronize Prinect MetaDimension Calibration Server (when the stand-alone Calibration Tool 3.5 is used). Image the multicolor test chart as calibrated plate set. Generate CIP3/CIP4 data for Prinect Press Center and for Prinect Image Control. Print to the desired multicolor process standard. Again sample three to ten OK sheets and measure the dot gain charts and ICC prole test charts (consists of two parts). Save the data. If necessary, you will have to correct the process calibration after this step, image new plates and reprint. Corrections that might be necessary are done manually or using the iterative correction method. 2.10 Generate a multicolor ICC prole Like with an analysis of test data prior to generation of the multicolor process calibration, you must analyze the test data of the ICC test charts. The data must now be analyzed with Quality Monitor 3.5. In Measure open both pages of the ICC test chart and save them to one le with a new name. Note We recommend that you capture all parameters involved in the process and to save them in Process Parameters.

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You can perform analysis directly in the Measure or in the Long-term analysis area. Any outliers will be deleted before the mean data calculation of measurement data. Final mean value calculation is again done in Test chart -> Calculate mean data.

After mean value calculation we recommend that you smooth the measurement data. This will result in a more harmonic dot gain spread across the entire gradation and eliminate any measurement errors that may still exist.
Smooth prole measurement data

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In the Create tab you dene the prole parameters prior to calculation of the ICC prole. We recommend the following settings, derived from a great number of test prints: Total ink coverage = 340 percent Maximum black = 95 percent Black generation = GCR 50 percent
Prole settings in the Prole Tool

After having set the prole parameters you can save this parameter set for future use. Now calculate and save the multicolor ICC prole. A normal 4-color prole has a maximum size of up to 2 MB, a Multicolor ICC prole up to 7 MB. This is why calculating the extended tables takes much longer (up to ve minutes).

Finally, store the new multicolor ICC prole in the respective system folders and integrate it in the workow: \\PrepressManager_Address\PTCong\SysCong\Resources\ICC-Proles\ Multicolor

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3 Workow: step by step

3.1 Input data 3.1.1 Color space of input data

Color space diagram

The input data can be in the CMYK, RGB, or Lab color space. By selecting a prole you determine, which proles are to be used as basis for the separation. Lab color space (device-independent) Input data in the Lab color space have a large gamut and are optimally suited for making full use of the multicolor color palette. RGB color space (device-independent when ICC prole is embedded) Input data in the ECI-RGB or Adobe RGB color space also have a sufciently large gamut allowing the multicolor color palette to be fully utilized. Input data in the sRGB color space are suited with restrictions only because the sRGB color space has too small a gamut to make full use of the multicolor color palette. CMYK color space (device-independent when ICC prole is embedded) Input data in the CMYK color space are suited with restrictions because the gamut is smaller than that of the multicolor color space. The device29

dependent CMYK data is mapped to device-independent Lab data using the selected prole. 3.1.2 Color space expansion by inverse Gamut Mapping When the proles of the input data contain the required information, mapping of the CMYK color space to the larger Lab color space is possible. This calculation is called inverse Gamut Mapping because the CMYK color space is inversely mapped to the original Lab color space. You can thus utilize the multicolor color space and obtain a better color reproduction. Inverse Gamut Mapping is enabled with the Perceptual Rendering Intent. For this reason you should use the Perceptual Rendering Intent.

Note Check whether or not the proles of the input data contain the necessary information for inverse Gamut Mapping. The proles generated by Heidelberg products contain the necessary information for inverse Gamut Mapping. For other proles contact the manufacturer of the product in question. 3 .2 Create PDF document in the DTP application The MultiColor test job shown on the next page was created in Adobe InDesign CS3. Elements and special features of this job: The headers on pages 13 were created in three different Pantone spot colors. These differ from the three multicolor process colors orange, green and blue and only serve to illustrate how spot colors are handled in the multicolor workow. The header on page 4 is in CMY. The images on the rst three pages are RGB images in the ECI-RGB v2 color space. The image at the bottom of page 4 is in the ISOcoated_v2 -CMYK color space. The technical screen patches are in Pantone colors and equivalent CMYK colors. In the three Pantone colors, gradients were created in order to check the gradation shading. On page 4, two vertical RGB gradients were added. Important Pantone spot colors should always be mapped to Multicolor with the LAB color space because the large multicolor gamut can thus reproduce the spot colors better.

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4-up document of the multicolor workow description The 4-up document was created in Adobe InDesign CS3. Heed the following: Check whether ICC proles were embedded prior to image import. Do not use special characters for spot color names Enable color management in the InDesign color settings for PDF export of the InDesign document No color conversion must be enabled Include destination proles must be enabled Make appropriate settings in other DTP applications. QuarkXPress has the following restriction: LAB and RGB objects are incorrectly handled in the color management. In this multicolor workow description the PDF generation occurs via the Export function in Adobe InDesign. You can also generate such a PDF by writing a Postscript le and then convert it with Adobe Distiller later.

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After having created the PDF document you must check whether all color settings have been adopted correctly. You can do this with Prinect Color Editor in conjunction with the Acrobat Output Preview.

Example: Adobe Acrobat Output Preview: CMYK is disabled, all spot colors are enabled. The shown page comprises the spot color orange only.

Example: Prinect Color Editor: This Acrobat plug-in provides information on the color spaces of images and line art objects, embedded proles, and the percentage of the colors (image or line art) in the separations. The checked production PDF serves as input for the production workow.

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3.3 Job processing in Prinect Prepress Manager 3.3.1 Create job and assign sequences First create a new job.

Then select the right Multicolor prole in Job Settings, section Printing Process. In this example: Multicolor-7c.

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Finally assign the required sequences for the Qualify, Prepare, Imposition Proof, Imposition Output and Sheetfed Printing operations.

By default, the Qualify sequence can be used without special conguration for the multicolor workow. 3.3.2 Congure Prepare sequence Congure the Prepare sequence as follows: The Document tab

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The Color Management tab Enable use press prole from job settings, if available

The option Ignore embedded non-CMYK proles is disabled for two reasons: The supplied images with RGB proles could be right. If the proles should prove to be wrong (e.g. Adobe default sRGB), the resulting damage is limited. The damage in case of CMYK would be much greater. The option Ignore embedded CMYK proles must be enabled to automatically remove incorrectly embedded proles. The damage caused by a wrong CMYK prole and the resulting mapping is very severe and must therefore be prevented. For this reason it is better to remove the prole here and to replace it with a custom prole in the Device Independent Colors section. Info These settings are vital because ICC proles are seldom embedded in the images in daily production. It happens frequently that wrong proles are embedded because the operator is not familiar with the Adobe settings and applies the default settings only. As a consequence, the images often contain SWOP proles, which causes inacceptable results. Embedding ICC proles in images is possible in Adobe InDesign and Adobe Acrobat but takes much time and is avoided by users.

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The section Device Colors/Device Link

To correctly map the supplied RGB images to the Multicolor color space, the RGB options must be enabled in the Device Dependent Colors section. You do this by selecting the Perceptual Rendering Intent. Choose an RGB ICC prole matching the used data. The CMYK options must also be enabled to ensure the CMYK images are also correctly mapped to the multicolor color space. You do this by selecting the Perceptual Rendering Intent. For CMYK you will in most cases choose the ISOcoated_v2 prole in the Presettings.

For Overprint and Advanced use the default settings also applicable to CMYK production jobs.

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3.3.3 Congure the Imposition Output sequence Choose the correct curve set for the used screening system here when a linearization is applied. In the Calibration section select the Multicolor-7c calibration group you created earlier. This calibration group comprises curve sets for CMYK and the spot colors orange, green and blue. Required settings Select the multicolor process curve set, here: Multicolor-7c. Match, else error is necessary for transmission of all print-related parameters (paper class, ink series) to the Prinect Press Center or the Prinect CP2000 Center. Selection of press and ink series according to the process calibration. Application of the default ink series for the spot colors. This option is decisive for an automatic selection of the respective color transfer curves for spot colors in Prinect Press Center or Prinect CP2000 Center later. Set the parameters of the screening system according to the process calibration. Enable CIP3/CIP4 data generation.

CIP3/CIP4 setting at the bottom of the Imposition Output sequence

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3.3.4 Congure Sheetfed Printing sequence

Required settings Sheet Preview Generation with 50.8 dpi Ink Zone Calculation (number of ink zones according to the press) Ink Consumption Calculation (for later evaluation in MIS) Optional settings HDM Image Control (for automatic detection of color control elements) This setting will optimize the procedure of measurements in Prinect Image Control. Without forwarding of PPF data from prepress to Prinect Image Control you must place all color control bars, Mini Spots and test charts by hand after measuring. The application of PPF data automates this process. The PPF data (Print Production Format) contain the positions and names of all used control elements generated by Prinect Signa Station. 3.3.5 Congure job settings In the Job Settings you dene the angles of orange, green and blue.

This controls the multicolor angles and screens.

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The following angle settings are used in this production job Orange is given the angle of cyan Green is given the angle of magenta Blue is given the angle of black (magenta is also possible here) Important To convert the PDF documents into the multicolor color space the multicolor prole must have been selected in the Job Settings even before processing in Prepare. 3.3.6 Edit the job settings It may be necessary to edit the Job Settings and to start a second Prepare step depending on the job. Example Our sample document contains three additional Pantone colors. These must be mapped with the multicolor prole to the multicolor process. Ideally this is done via the LAB color space. In case there are only CMYK denitions of the Pantone colors, you can use these as well. Note The three Pantone colors Pantone 165 C, Pantone 286 C and Pantone 354 C contained in the PDF document are taken from the Pantone solid coated table. Make sure this color table is as close to the top of the list of all custom and default color tables as possible.

Job Settings screenshot: This job contains another three Pantone colors in addition to the multicolor process colors orange, green and blue.

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Required changes in the job settings (screenshot on the previous page) The colors orange, green and blue are output as single printing plates (Imposition Output). The Pantone colors were set to Process in the Job Settings of Output. This means the three Pantone colors will be mapped with the multicolor prole to the multicolor process. In other words, the Pantone colors are created by blends of cyan, magenta, yellow, black, orange, green and blue. 3.4 Create the layout Start the interactive Prinect Signa Station in Prinect Prepress Manager and generate a new layout. Administrative data is imported from Prinect Prepress Manager. An existing layout can be imported.

Follow the Job Assistant step by step and make all necessary settings. Finally, place the color control bars and Mini Spots suitable for the multicolor process on the plate template. These control elements will be detected automatically during the measurement because the JDF data is transferred to Prinect Image Control. Important The Heidelberg workow uses so-called combination marks. In Prinect Signa Station you dene several color control bars or Mini Spots combined in a combination mark. For example, the color control bars 4GS, Fogra5, 6S and 7S are dened as a combination mark. By cooperation between Prinect Signa Station, Prinect MetaDimension and Prinect Prepress Manager, the number of document colors is used to determine the optimum mark in the marks pool. This mark is then selected automatically. In our example it would be Mark 7S.

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The Mini Spots are likewise dened as combination mark: MB_100_80_40_CMYK, MB_100_80_40_5C, MB_100_80_40_6C, MB_100_80_40_7C. The selection of the optimum Mini Spot occurs automatically here as well.
Screenshot: Example for a combination mark

Template with color control elements in place

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There are the following color control elements on the template: 7S_i_F74 (color control bar for 7-color process) ECI_GrayConL_FOGRA39 (special Mini Spot for gray balance control) MB_100_80_40_7C (Mini Spot for 7-color process) When you have saved the job in Prinect Signa Station, Prinect Prepress Manager will import the data automatically. Then the page assignment of the page list is performed and the layout completed.
Page lists and page assignment in Prinect Prepress Manager

Page assignment in Prinect Prepress Manager

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Separation list in Prinect Prepress Manager for a fast overview of the colors that will be printed on the press sheets. 3.5 Platemaking and generation of CIP4 data When the layout is complete, platemaking and CIP4 data generation can be started. To do so, place the layout with drag & drop on the congured Imposition Output and Imposition Proof sequences. The Imposition Proof sequence will be explained from page 58 onwards. Note Platemaking for a multicolor process with a platesetter is nothing special. The additional colors orange, green and blue are treated and output like ordinary spot colors. 3.6 Check the CIP4 data in Prinect Pressroom Manager After the Tiff-B data for platemaking are calculated and the CIP4 data for the optimized workow up to the press are generated, you can check the calculated ink coverage zones in Prinect Pressroom Manager. You can also check whether or not the area for this calculation was set correctly (green frame).

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Both screenshots show the ink coverage zones, the rst for all seven colors and the second for orange only. The correct position of the green frame is vital. 3.7 Prinect Press Center/Prinect CP2000 Center In Prinect Press Center you load the job from Prinect Pressroom Manager (or Prinect Prepress Interface). Apart from administrative data you see the sheet size (here 50 70 centimeter) and a small preview.

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The parameters ink series and paper class are vital for an automatic selection of inking unit settings from the Prinect Press Center database. In our example, these are paper class 1 and ink series OekoSpeed.

In Inking unit settings you can check whether or not the correct values were submitted by Prepress. The screenshot below shows that the inking unit settings OekoSpeed was selected for black, cyan, magenta and yellow. There is a separate inking unit setting of the same name for the three spot colors orange, green and blue.

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The color allocation is also read from the CIP4 data.

Before printing begins you must assign the reference values for all seven inks. You do this directly at the Prinect Press Center (Prinect CP2000 Center) when Prinect Axis Control used for color measurement. When you operate Prinect Image Control, you select the reference values here. The reference values are saved in ink series.

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3.8 Measure the multicolor control elements in Prinect Image Control The use of Prinect Image Control greatly facilitates the multicolor process. This applies in particular to measuring the two ICC test charts where you can save a lot of time in contrast to measurements with other spectrophotometers. Before starting the rst measurement you must load the correct ink series in Prinect Image Control that contains the reference values of all seven inks. This ink series was generated during a test print beforehand.

By way of the online connection to the control console of the press (Prinect Press Center, Prinect CP2000 Center) the color allocation is automatically submitted to Prinect Image Control.

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Now the PPF data along with details on the positions of color control elements (information from Prinect Signa Station) generated in Prinect MetaDimension and forwarded by Prinect Pressroom Manager will open. A job preview appears. This optional function makes manual positioning of any color control elements unnecessary and increases productivity.

When you conrm this screen, the next window appears where you see the loaded prepress data and the active color set.

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Now measure the rst pull sheet in the makeready phase of the current print job. When you press the Color control strips button, you see all automatically detected color control elements at he bottom left of the window (with red frame). This applies when the PPF data was loaded during job set-up.

The Save Quality Data button lets you save the color control elements shown. You will receive a message when saving was successful. By default, the data is written to the folder structure of Prinect Image Control. C:\cpc24\QualityMonitor\Results

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In the overview (Overview button) you can verify the inking of zonal deviations to the selected color set (e.g. Delta-E, dEo, dF, S/D, dot gain).

You can analyze the CMYK test data either with the internal Quality Monitor of Prinect Image Control or with the stand-alone Quality Monitor of Prinect Color Toolbox 3.5. The stand-alone Quality Monitor of Prinect Color Toolbox 3.5 offers enhanced analysis options. Here you can also perform long-term and trend analyses for multicolor data. Thus you are given information on the stability of production processes during a certain period of time. In case of deviations you can use the Mini Spots control elements to correct process calibrations and ICC proles.

You can have Quality Monitor opened automatically after every measurement or you can open it manually as shown above.

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In the service area of Prinect Image Control you can specify different tolerances in section Quality Monitor Setup.

Before starting the analysis, you must select the desired process standard. In the internal Quality Monitor of Prinect Image Control this only applies to the CMYK portion of the measurement data. The stand-alone Quality Monitor of Prinect Color Toolbox 3.5 lets you also analyze multicolor data.

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You can dene lters for opening the measurement data such as press, job number, date or control element type.

The screenshot below shows the analysis of CIELab color values.

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In the example below the dot gain in the ECI_GrayConL_Fogra39 control bar is checked.

3.9 Stand-alone Quality Monitor: analysis of multicolor measurement results All measurement data generated with Prinect Image Control can be made available via the network for in-depth analysis and logging. As mentioned before, you can analyze multicolor measurement data with the stand-alone Prinect ColorToolbox 3.5 software only because the multicolor process standards are available only here. The same applies to the necessary long-term analyses. First select the multicolor process standard for the analyses:

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Prinect Image Control can import or directly capture measurement data with a spectrophotometer. For measurement data import you can set up a a maximum of four hotfolders in the Preferences.

When measuring with a connected spectrophotometer you must rst select the correct test chart type. Make sure an appropriate test chart layout is present for the existing spectrophotometer.

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Note To differentiate between Prinect Image Control Quality Monitor and stand-alone Quality Monitor of Prinect Color Toolbox 3.5 we are going to describe the advanced functions of the stand-alone version only. The rst screenshot shows a single imported 7S control bar to be compared with the selected multicolor process standard. The CIELab color values are shown numerically and graphically.

The screenshot below shows the dot gain curve for spot color blue measured with mini spot MB_100_80_40_7C.

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The screenshot below illustrates the possibilities offered by the long-term analysis. It shows several measurement data records of the 7S color control bar as density report.

The following example shows a dot gain report of all seven colors (data records Mini Spot MB_100_80_40_7C). The tolerance range for orange is also enabled. At the 80 percent reference point the relative (not the absolute) dot gain is shown.

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The screenshot below illustrates another possibility offered by the long-term analysis. It shows several measurement data records of the 7S color control bar as CIE report.

There is the option to select two data records in the long-term analysis and to automatically submit these to the Compare section. Here you obtain additional, more detailed information.

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3.10 Create color proof To complete this documentation, we are going to describe how to create a color proof. In Prinect Prepress Manager you can congure the Imposition Proof or Page Proof sequences for this purpose. The present section will close with an example of how to congure the Imposition Proof sequence. Information The screenshot below shows a color space comparison between 7c multicolor and an Epson 9800 color proofer. It is clearly visible that several areas of the multicolor color space the extremely chromatic colors exceed the proofers color space. This prevents the use of todays color proofers such as those made by Canon, Epson, HP as contact proofers for multicolor. The quality of the proof also depends on the number of proofer colors the RIP process can control. There is no use in having a proofer with eight colors if the RIP process can control four channels (CMYK) only. As of today, only a proof print can be true to color. Except for extreme CMY and RGB colors, the proof process nevertheless provides a very good reproduction of all other color ranges. To sum up: Although you cannot print a contact proof contact proof with currently available color proofers, you will obtain results very well suited for an assessment prior to proof printing.

Comparison of a 7c multicolor color space with the color space of an Epson 9800 color proofer (red = Epson 9800, blue = 7c multicolor color space)

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3.10.1 Congure the Imposition Proof (Page Proof) sequence Select the new Multicolor ICC prole you created as press prole. As Rendering intent select absolute colorimetric .

Proof generation can either occur by way of single pages (Pageproof) or imposed pages (Imposition Proof).

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Publishing Information Printed in: 10/09 Photographs: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG Fonts: Heidelberg Gothic MI Printed in Germany

Trademarks Heidelberg, the Heidelberg Logo, Prinect, Axis Control, CP2000 Center, MetaDimension, Mini Spots, Prinect Prepress Manager, Prinect Press Center, Prinect Pressroom Manager, Signa Station and Speedmaster are registered trademarks of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG in the U.S. and other countries. Adobe, PostScript and Acrobat registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Subject to technical modications and other changes.

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG Kurfuersten-Anlage 5260 69115 Heidelberg Germany Phone +49 6221 92-00 Fax +49 6221 92-6999 www.heidelberg.com