Fingerprinting vs Profiling
Fingerprinting vs Profiling
- Subject: Fingerprinting vs Profiling
- From: "Anderson, Dennis" <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 2 Jun 2004 12:52:41 -0400
- Thread-topic: Fingerprinting vs Profiling
I have been reading the debate over fingerprinting and profiling for the last
4 days. Without giving up my age, I started fingerprinting presses in 1972. I
was in charge of a trade shop (as they were known back then) that supplied
color separations, deep etch and bi-metal plates to printers through out the
greater Chicago land area, and some out of state printers. Color management
wasn't even a dream back then. Fingerprinting was used to measure a presses
dot gain on a particular substrate. Most magazines back then were running
positive plates (to help lessen dot gain) but were still in the 24 to 29%
range. Plate exposures were used to sharpen dots on units (colors) that
printed full or the inks were "doctored" to achieve a respectful gray balance.
There were only 2 main proofs that were accepted by printers and they were
color keys and those god awful manually made chromalins. Most printers, except
the big ones, didn't even own a densitometer or had ever seen one. Color was
"eyeballed" to the proof. We tailored our separations to fit a press
(depending on a client) by sharpening film, plates or altering the screening
made from the continuous tone separations, so the printer had a chance of
coming close to the supplied color keys or chromalins. A majority of the
presses I fingerprinted were 4 to 5 color 60" or 77". Most web runs were
reserved for the million+ runs, because make-readies typically ran into the
12+ hour range.
So much for my history lesson.
My current job now is insuring our client's jobs run as well as possible
whether it is a ad, catalogue a commercial run, or a packaging job.
Fingerprinting is basically used to see how the printer hits a standard. In
some cases I will work with the printer and help him tighten up to a given
standard (SWOP, GRAcol, PROP etc.) or in some cases help them install a CTP
device for multiple presses (web & sheet fed). I saw that picture of the 2
images pulled from the same run, if that was sheet fed shame on the printer.
If that was a web run then that should not have gotten in with the good sheets
/ magazines. That could have been after a blanket wash or a start up after a
web break, but regardless it should not have gone into the "good" stack.
Our company is color managed and has been since the mid 90's. We have been in
a RGB work flow for almost 6 years now. I have never profiled or seen the need
to, any press. If the printer is a subscriber to a particular standard, he
should have no problem running to your proof, as long as your proof is to the
same standard. If he does not subscribe to a standard, I will tell our client
to find another printer, or we cannot give them any type of guarantee their
job will print successfully. I do not want to sound like we turn down work,
but the client has to realize that some control has to be in place to insure
the job will run well. I have run many catalogs, brochures, and ads using
several different printers across the country, and have either separated to
SWOP or 175L/S Gracol. So far we have been very successful.
If I were setting up a proofing device (inkjet or Kodak Approval etc.) I would
pay (about $600.00) a local proofing house to run my target to SWOP or
whatever standard, checking the proof myself to insure it does meet the
standard, then set up my device to match that. Once satisfied with a good
match, profile my device and use that profile for conversions. We currently
have 4 basic profiles we use. SWOP GRAcol 150, 175, and newsprint. Yes we have
others for specialty work but those are the ones we use the most.
My advice is to save your sanity do not profile a press, control it, make it
print the way it was designed to. Create your profiles from your proofing
device, it is much more stable.
Respectfully,
Dennis S. Anderson
225 W. Superior St.
Chicago ILL. 60610
Dir. 312-335-2564
Cell: 312-315-0376
e-mail: email@hidden
_______________________________________________
colorsync-users mailing list | email@hidden
Help/Unsubscribe/Archives:
http://www.lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/colorsync-users
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.