Re: Mini-rant on the surreal world of "prepress"
Re: Mini-rant on the surreal world of "prepress"
- Subject: Re: Mini-rant on the surreal world of "prepress"
- From: Randy Zaucha <email@hidden>
- Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2010 12:42:34 -0700 (PDT)
I look at it from a simpler point of view.
I set up toner and inkjet printers for people and deliver a printer that when in calibration, delivers a print with reasonably accurate color. Delta E's for major color and light to dark gray tones are under 4 measured as Adobe RGB from an Adobe RGB file.
Of the four main characteristics of an image (tone, gray balance, color & sharpness/resolution), the tone/detail and gray is very good. Not all colors are perfect but most are very good too. This is "office color" not "fine art color."
If the client gives an offset printer an Adobe RGB file that made a good print on his calibrated profiled "office color" printer, then should he not expect a reasonably good match from a color managed printing press? They should be aiming at a low Delta E too.
My thinking is that if the press is color managed too, it should be able to match most of the tonal detail of the digital printer without any color casts due to gray balance. Those are the two main things people want from an image. Of course a decent paper type must be used to hold the detail. Then, most of the colors should be close too if the profile is properly made.
Any colors that are out of gamut can be created with a spot color if they are that important.When clients complain about out of gamut colors you give them a quote on adding a spot color. It is amazing when faced with extra costs how that missing color is suddenly good enough.
Marco, I think you are referring to "fine art" quality. That requires much more effort.
Unfortunately, most printers do not measure their press color to find the best operating condition and find out where their Delta E's are good and bad. (file CMYK to ink on paper measured CMYK) They leave it up to the pressman to manipulate a very thin film of ink to color correct the result.
This is especially true if the clients supply the CMYK. (The point of my thread) For example, one of the most important aspects of a great color separation is how the black printer is built in relation to the color of the image. I'd be shocked to meet a designer who would know how to make a separation with an optimally made black plate.
If every printing device is aiming at good color accuracy, you should get consistent color with accurate tone, no color casts, and acceptably accurate color.
Randy ZauchaManaged Color
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