ASPColourManagement.com WEB-BASED COLOUR SOLUTIONS

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1 WEB-BASED COLOUR SOLUTIONS Device Link Profi le Workfl ow Version 1.6 Language: English

2 Table of Contents What is a Device Link Profile 3 Prerequisites Optimize Create new workflow on ASPColourManagement.com Device Link Settings Default settings Preserve (Custom) Colours Preserve Primary Colours only Preserve any Custom Colour Preserve Paper White Preserve Neutrals in RGB-CMYK Device link Saving preserve colour list Select preserve colour list Device Link (DL) Editor Open Edit Tab Color or Fixed CMYK based Select the input colour value Define the new output colour When 100% Black is less Calculate output tables Edit the Device Link profile Spot colour matching in CMYK only (AFP/IPDS) workflows 10 4 Usefull info CMI Hybrid Rendering IntentTM and DL Perceptual Rendering and ISOCoatedV Relationship between CMYK values and Colour Import DeviceLink in EFI Destination profile (step 1) DeviceLink profile (step 2) Colour workflow settings for the Verify/Production queue (EFI) 14 PUBLISHED BY: CMI B.V. Version 1.6 (August 2014) Copyright 2013 by CMI B.V. All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Authors: Chris Trimbach, Jaap Schalken 2

3 What is a Device Link Profile A device link profi le is a special kind of ICC profi le that converts the colour space of the input device directly into the colour space of the output device, whereby the output device can be either a physical printer or a fi le format. Unlike ordinary source or destination profi les, device link profi les do not describe a specifi c colour space, but defi ne the total conversion from a source colour space to a destination colour space with one fi xed rendering intent setting. The basis for creating a device link profi le are, therefore, always ordinary ICC profi les. Device link profi les are most commonly applied to direct CMYK-to-CMYK transformations because converting via a device-independent colour space can lead to undesirable effects, such as unsmooth colour gradients. In a device link profi le the colour separations can be maintained like preserving the black channel of the source profi le. Indeed, preserving the black channel of the input colour space is one of the main advantages of using a device link profi le. For this reason, device link profi les are often used during data preparation, e.g. to convert from ISOcoated to ISOuncoated. Furthermore, device link profi les enable you to by-pass the L*a*b* colour space, thus preventing contamination by other colours, e.g. the CMYK value 0,50,100,0 will have after conversion still no Cyan or Black in it. However, you should be aware that device link profi les are not as fl exible in use as other ICC profi les. Each device link profi le can only be used for the specifi c combination of source and destination profi les for which it was created. Prerequisites You have followed the standard ASPColourManagement.com set-up routine and have successfully created a [OPTIMIZE] & [Verify]queue on your DFE and used those queues. You have confi gurated and successfully used the solution where you have a successful CYMK workfl ow. ColorPort WorkFlow Overview Print queue: Optimize (Calibration applied) (No colour management on) Print Engine ASPColourManagement.com Print Queue: Verify (Calibration applied) (NEW Destination Profi le Applied) Output PDF through printer Scan target using a Spectro or Scanner. Save as CGATS fi le Upload CGATS fi le to ASPColourManagement.com 3

4 1.0 Optimize If you have created and used the optimized queue you DO NOT need to make another queue on the DFE for this process. The same CGATS.txt file you create when following the optimized process can be used for creating both standard GraphicArts Profi les and PhotoOptimized profi les and Device Links with or without an CMI Hybrid Rendering Intent TM. WorkFlow Overview Only 1 Optimize queue is needed per DFE. The Verify and Production Queues (per application) are the same for colour set-ups. However we conceptually split them here, as Verify always needs 10 copies, and production may have imposition and over document production setting. Input queue: Optimize (Calibration applied) (No colour management on, Direct ) Input queue: Verify (Calibration + ICC applied) Input queue: Standard production (Calibration + ICC applied) DFE Print Engine Engine based calibration 2.0 Create new workflow on ASPColourManagement.com 1. Log into your account as nornal and select [Service Page]. 2. Click the [ + ] the add workfl ow button 1 2 4

5 3. Create a Workflow, choosing the curve. [ TIP! Choose Graphic Arts for offset look and feel or Photo for RGB] 4. Click the [ ] + icon In the Device Link Panel setting click the [ ] edit icon (see also chapter 3). 6. For ISO/Fogra workflows change the setting as shown click the [ ] save icon. (see appedix for expanded explanations on these options) 5 6 (Preserve see 3.2) 7. Go back to your home page and you have a new workflow. 8. Up load your CGATS file and wait for your downloads, click the orange Download button Click the download. NOTE, For EFI there are 2 profiles in the download, this is because of the way the EFI works. 9! The the device link profile ASPColourManagement.com makes is a 100% device link profile. In this example this is a ISO -to- Printer. However the nature of the EFI RIP demands also a standard destination profile too. (This was a surprise to CMI also!). You need both. 5

6 3.0 Device Link Settings Device Link profiles are based on several hard settings. This makes it very stable because no changes possible afterwards. The steps to make a device link is that we first create a standard ICC profile with all settings as defined in your workflow. After that we connect that ICC profile with the choosen source profile, the selected rendering intent. On top of that you can make exceptions via the preserve colour options. 3.1 Default settings When Device Link profiles are enabled. The following settings are given. A. Select Source profile. This is the simulation profile, same as the profile used in your dfe to simulate. B. Select rendering intent. Absolute: Simulate the absolute colours inclusive the white point from the source ICC profile Absolute without paper simulation: Same as absolute but with an exception of the white point area. The white point will not be simulated and set to 0,0,0,0 also we add a blend to your first high light colours to get a smooth start. See it we start relative and make a fast transition to absolute. Relative Your white point of the output on top of all absolute colours Perceptual Photographic rendering for smoothing pictures Saturated To get cleaner plain colours from presentation applications C. Select a Preserve colour (explained below in 3.2) 3.2 Preserve (Custom) Colours When single black text needs to be stayed clean from any CMY dot or keep any other colour this is the option you need. Preserve colours is a very powerful tool to delete the unwanted colours after conversion (zero stays zero). This goes automatic via a few simple steps. 1. To enable this function click on the Add button after Preserve colours 2. Give name and Save list 3. Make your list of colours which needs to be preserved 4. Close the list (all items are direct saved in the database) 5. Select this list in the drop-down of preserve colours and with the next task to create a Divice Link profile the service will preserve the colours as listed. The service gives the option to make exceptions in the Device Link profile via a preserve function. Preserving col Step1 Step2 Give name & Save [ ] Click the [ ] + icon.! Dark colours and preserving CMY Grays! Our standard profiles use a high level of black. Preserving dark colours and grays can give a huge colour change because of keeping black as the unwanted colour. Extreme example 75,75,75,0 = 23,21,19,70 -> preserved 23,21,19,0 6

7 Step 3 Just select the needed colour or colour range and the service will deliver an optimized device link profile without the unwanted colours. All values which are 0 (zero) in the source file they stay zero after conversion Preserve Primary Colours only With this function we clean the three other separations of the selected channel Example: Source CMYK colour = 0,0,0,80 after conversion the colour can be 6,5,3,78 the unwanted colours are C,M & Y. With preserve you make it 0,0,0,78 Thus black only stays black only. Same for single Cyan, Magenta or Yellow channels with preserve C, M or Y Preserve any Custom Colour Via Preserve Custom Colour you can select any colour and the service will clean it for you. Unlimited colours can be chosen. Example: Source colour = 0,80,50,0 after conversion the colour can be 3,86,54,5 The unwanted colours are C & K. With preserve enabled it is 0,86,54, Preserve Paper White Here we can give a few options A. Via Preserve custom colours When no paper simulation is wanted with an absolute rendering. Thus the source colour is 0,0,0,0 and the output colour is also 0,0,0,0. Now only the paper white is relative and the highlight colours direct absolute. B. Via Rendering Intent: Absolute without paper simulation Use the default preset in the list of rendering intents under Device Links. This will give a nice blend from 0,0,0,0 (relative) to 100 % absolute. With this function the highlight colours will move smoothly to absolute. Choose Relative to have no paper colour and print all colours Relative C. Hybrid Rendering Intent TM Select CMI Hybrid Rendering Intent TM under workflow. This starts without paper simulation too. (see 3.3) 3.24 Preserve Neutrals in RGB-CMYK Device link When a device link workflow is selected with an RGB ICC profile as source than the service can keep only the neutral colours clean. Example source 127,127,127 is after conversion 42,37,38,15. With preserve 0,0,0,52 Step Saving preserve colour list All selected colours will be saved direct after typing. When all colours are fine just close. 7

8 Step Select preserve colour list This list can be chosen and saved in any DL workflow. 3.3 Device Link (DL) Editor This options is to assist when a different colour is wanted out of a standard conversion. This because there is no access to change the native artwork. The native artwork is still the best place to change colours but that is not always the case. The DL Editor can be used to edit CMYK-CMYK DL Proifles Open Edit Tab This goes via a few simple steps. 1. To enable this function click on the Add button after Preserve and Edit option. Click the [ ] + icon. 2. Give name and Save list. 3. When preserved colours are needed what can effect the edit create first a DL with preserved colors. 4. Go to Edit Colors tab 5. Give the Input value (cmyk from art work) 6. Give the Edit CMYK value (cmyk value from Swatch Book) 7. When a previous DL is available the edits can be checked with Calculate output table If not save and upload a CGTAS to create a new DL inclusive edits 8. Change the edit line for a next upload to Colour if a next upload must be colour stable instead of same CMYK so drifts or different characteristics will find the best match to get similar output. 9. Close the list (all items are direct saved in the database) 10. Select this list in the drop-down of preserve colors and with the next task to create a Divice Link profile the service will preserve the colors as listed.! Note: The Edit Device link can be downloaded via the Service Page only. This will be solved Q so that the edit is also part of the job when a CGATS is uploaded via the Operator page Color or Fixed CMYK based The Device Link editor makes hard changes in the output of the DL. The edit is done via CMYK values. For a next event the edit can be controlled via: - Color so that when the printer is drifted and a new DL profile is needed the tool will pick the closest CMYK value to get the best match with the previous production. The service will calculate the Lab value with the Edit values with the first DL calculation/creation. When afterwards this list of edits is used with a new CGATS or in a different workflow of the SaaS service it takes care for color corrected CMYK values to get similar output in cases of drifts or between different characteristics (in case not out-of-gamut). - Fixed CMYK values. Now the same output CMYK values will be used when a different DL is created. In case a printer is drifted or a different gamut is used the color can be not as before because the same fixed CMYK values are used without a correction for drift or gamut. Give input value and add values via the plus sign 8 Calculate Output values

9 Optimize the Edit values via the pensil sign Select Color or CMYK and Save Edit line Calculate the output value inclusive all edits If okay download the new DL profile or upload CGATS Download edit DL via Service page only (Fix Q ) 3.33 Select the input colour value. Open the print document with an application what is able to measure separation values. For PDF files like Adobe Acrobat Professional via Output Preview, or Enfocus PitStop via the Inspector or open the native document via applications like QuarckXpress / Indesign and find the CMYK values of the item to edit. Ensure yourself that the value what is showed is the absolute CMYK value untouched Define the new output colour. To most easiest way to pick the correct colour is via a swatch book what is printed through the same printer queue as the Optimize target is printed to create the DL. Thus direct / without Colour Management enabled. Go to Service Page / Download/ PrintKit for/ Swatch Book. This colour swatch book gives the directions to find a colour with the related CMYK values. Read in the horizontal axe the Magenta value. The vertical axe is the percentages of Cyan and below the page find the value of Yellow and Black. It is recommended to print these pages in A3 / Tabloid. Smaller page works but with limited swatch size it is harder for the human eye to pick the best swatch. When an edit is made in a DL it will give also effect values close to this new CMYK value. When two values are given close to each other than this can also effect the first value When 100% Black is less. Because of output gamuts and high density toner or inks it can be that when a preserved function is set for the black primairy colors after transform 100% black becomes less than 100% what results in rasterized text or Barcodes. This can with the editor easily fixed via an edit 0,0,0,100 to 0,0,0,100 or via the Black Boost option in Preserve tab Calculate output tables The DL Editor has the option to show the output CMYK values of the last created Device Link profile inclusive earlier edits or preserve settings. This by using the Calculate Output button. This helps to get an output CMYK value of a source CMYK value from that DL. When no DL is available this Button to calulate these output cmyk values is not available. When it is the first DL or these output values are not needed then just continue to create the list or select a known list with edits from the database Edit the Device Link profile When the steps above are understood and we have the source- and the correct output CMYK values we can start the app to edit the DL. Go to the service page of ASPColourManagement.com and select the workflow of the applicable printer. In the Device Link section create an edit list via the plus sign. 9

10 3.38 Spot colour matching in CMYK only (AFP/IPDS) workflows The device link editor is a great tool to find the best match for brand colours in AFP/IPDS workflows. When the source CMYK data is known, a swatch book (printed without colour management) is used as colour picker the edit is easy made. Open native document to find the source CMYK value and pcik the best match color out of the swatch book. Add the source value in the Source collum and the picked colour in the Edit collum and click process or upload the CGATS data of the Optimize target. 4 Usefull info 4.1 CMI Hybrid Rendering IntentTM and DL When the workflow is set to CMI Hybrid Rendering Intent TM than the Device Link will also be created with this hybrid rendering intent. When Graphic Art is chosen and a CMYK as source it will be pre-set to relative and when a photo profile with a RGB as source profile is selected it is Perceptual. You can select different but only between relative and perceptual because these two options are only available with a Hybrid Rendering IntentTM. How to select the Hybrid Rendering download the reference manual Hybrid Rendering Intent. 4.2 Perceptual Rendering and ISOCoatedV2 In case of perceptual rendering then we recommend not to use the standard ISOCoatedV2 profile. This profile will darken the perceptual rendering what is not correct. For this we have an optimized ISOCoated named CMI ISOCoated V2. The perceptual tag of this profile is much mroe accurate and inline with the exceptation then the Industry Standard version. When creating a device link profile with or without and Hybrid setting in perceptual mode use alwayds this CMI ISOCoated profile what is visual in the list of source profiles. The CMI ISOCoated profile can aslo be downloaded via the Service page /download/printkit for/ Source Profiles. 4.3 Relationship between CMYK values and Colour It is not always easy to find the exact CMYK value related to a specific colour. In the Artwork are CMYK values used in a generic colour space, those values need to be changed to get the same color intent on a digital printer. With the Swatch book part of the same zip file as this manual it becomes easier to find the directions. Before we print the book we must ask for what reason do we need it. Is it for prepress to select a CMYK value what will be correct printed in production or is it for editing a Device Link profile. Swatch Book used in PrePress. When this Swatch book is printed through a standard production queue with correct calibration curves and profiles then this book can be used as colour picker. Select the colour what is needed and record the CMYK value. When this CMYK value is used in the artwork the printer will produce the same colour as selected in the Swatch Book. Swatch Book to use for editing Device Link profiles. When the output table needs to be changed then this Swatch Book needs to be printed via the same queue as Optimize target to create a Device link. Thus Direct what is with the calibration curve but with out any ICC or DL profile. The printed shows now the gamut of the printer is also used by the profile to get that colour. 10

11 5.0 Import DeviceLink in EFI 5.1 Destination profile (step 1) The Standard destination profile needs to be imported first. This is NOT the device link profile 1. Choose Device Center in the Fiery Command Workstation (as shown in image below) 2. Choose Resources 3. Choose Profiles Choose Import 5. From the drop down menu behind Location select and Browse. (If you profile is not in the list, make sure the profile is installed on this PC/Mac). 6. Choose Import profile as: OUTPUT 7. Click Import 5 6 7! When you import the profile you will be asked to LINK it to a CALIBRATION, choose the calibration which was used to make the profile. 11

12 5.2 DeviceLink profile (step 2) Now you need to import the device link profile (DL at the end of the name). 1. Choose Device Center in the Fiery Command Workstation (as shown in image below) 2. Choose Resources 3. Choose Profiles 4. Choose Import From the drop down menu behind Location select and Browse. (If you profile is not in the list, make sure the profile is installed on this PC/Mac). 6. Choose Import profile as: DeviceLink 7. Click Import

13 8. When import the device link you will be shown this window 9. Name your device link 10. Choose ISO Coated v2 (ECI) (for FOGRA/ISO Workflows) or match the profile you choose in the ASPCM. 11. You choose here the profile you loaded in part one ! This may appear no different than using the device link creator in the RIP, however you will be using the ASPColourManagement.com device link, with all the great options embedded. It is unclear why the EFI works this way. 13

14 5.3 Colour workflow settings for the Verify/Production queue (EFI) 14

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