Using proof4press

Everyone can benefit from using proof4press. Publishers and advertisers should be looking to specify proof4press verified proofs as part of their specifi cations; repro houses and other suppliers of reproduction for print should be using pass4press-certified proofing devices; printers should be supporting proof4press as a proof that they are confident of matching on press.

Producers of pass4press proofs should have purchased the pass4press verifier software and have the required spectrophotometer to enable them to check from the proof4press control strip that the output falls within tolerance.

Proofs that match the required standards will have a ‘Pass’ label embedded – enabled from within the pass4press verifi er software – and a copy of the proof4press control strip will be incorporated on all proofs.

Receivers of pass4press proofs, whether advertisers, publishers or printers, should be looking for the proof4press control strip and the accreditation label, but should also consider using the verifi er software themselves as a quality check on the incoming proofs and as a method of ensuring standards are maintained.

Proof4press verification

The proof4press standard is maintained by a verifi cation process. Once a pass has been given at the accreditation stage, data from the pass4press control strip is input into the proof4press verifier software.

The verifier software will then enable any supplier or receiver of proofs to check that the proof conforms to the standard. A proof will fail if any patch has a tolerance of greater than a delta E of 2 compared to the data that has been input into the software. The verifier software is available for purchase from Laurie Mullaney Associates Ltd (www.lmal.co.uk)

Proof4press developments

The initial proof4press standard created in 2003 refl ected the widely-used DP 10 target and is aimed at magazines produced on coated paper. Extensive work has been going on all year with a view to enlarging the range of proofing standards by covering a broader range of substrates. In common with other related initiatives, pass4press is seeking to align to internationally-recognised standards. To this end, the ECI (European Colour Initiative) profi les for offset are presently under consideration. The specifi c profiles under test are:

ISOcoated.icc Paper type 1 and 2, gloss and matte coated, 150 lpi (60/cm), FOGRA27L
ISOwebcoated.icc Paper type 3, gloss coated web (LWC), 150 lpi (60/cm), FOGRA28L
ISOuncoated.icc Paper type 4, uncoated white, 150 lpi (60/cm), FOGRA29L
ISOuncoatedyellowish.icc Paper type 5, uncoated slightly yellowish, 150 lpi (60/cm), FOGRA30L

Testing has already taken place using the internationally recognised Altona Suite and selected magazine images with a number of vendors and devices, but the committee feels that more extensive testing on a wider range of devices needs to be undertaken to establish the full gamut of the ECI tolerance range, before firm recommendations can be made. The intention is to be in a position to offer recommendations in advance of the 2005 PPA Magazine Production conference.