Color Consultancy Service Technical Background

Color Quality – Reliable? Repeatable? Accurate?

On the surface, the reproduction of high quality color through a chain of software and hardware ought to be straightforward. However in practice this is not always the case.

Color management technology has now progressed to the point that color can be communicated between devices in a reliable, repeatable and accurate manner. However, achieving this relies on two important prerequisites:

1. Firstly, high quality device color tables are needed, which are typically in the open ICC profile format. The creation of such tables requires solid process control, calibration and characterization.
2. Secondly, color management using those color tables must be organized into an appropriate workflow.

Given the multiplicity of ways in which color management can be applied in different stages of the imaging chain, this can be a particular problem. Having a good color table alone does not guarantee good color. Misapplied, it will most likely result in bad color and low customer satisfaction.

Software Imaging - Achieving Excellence In Color Management

Software Imaging understands the issues behind delivering color quality excellence.

With a worldwide reputation for developing integrating color management for print, we have more than 100 man years of combined experience in the application of color management. From using open ICC based color management throughout the workflow to using proprietary color management in the print back-end, Software Imaging has championed outstanding innovation and technical excellence throughout its history.

Leading edge industry solutions

With continual research and development into color management, Software Imaging has been able to develop leading edge solutions for major industry issues.

For example, it’s widely regarded that unless you are using a Postscript RIP you are limited to creating ICC output profiles for a printer that uses the RGB color space. As printers typically use a subtractive color space such as CMYK, this does not provide the direct control of the printer color channels that’s required to maximize output color quality.

Software Imaging developed a novel solution to this limitation several years ago and makes it available in their AutoEZ-Cal calibration and characterization system. This system allows non-Postscript printer drivers to be characterized as n-channel printing systems. Not only does this allow the creation of CMYK ICC profiles and their integration into a printer driver, it means that ICC profiles can be created and used for Hi-fi color systems such as CMYKOG, Hexachrome® and CMYKRG. Previously, an expensive Postscript RIP would be required to achieve this. This breakthrough is particularly important now that Hi-fi color systems have been introduced into the mainstream desktop inkjet market by both Canon and Epson.

Developed for the industry by the industry

It is against the background of our extensive industry experience that Software Imaging has announced the creation of our dedicated color consultancy group, offering unique, advanced, color consultancy services to our imaging clients.

This new color consultancy group provides a complete set of services, ranging from training and support, calibration and characterization, through to printer driver development and customization for OEM and supplies vendors.

This expertise has always been part of Software Imaging’s development work for their printer vendor customers and this new dedicated consultancy service has been created to add significant value to the industry by assisting imaging companies to overcome problems such as those described. Furthermore the Color Consulting Services team can offer the support of Software Imaging’s color management partners such as GretagMacbeth and the combined engineering resources of the Software Imaging Group to further the ongoing development of color excellence.

For more information contact:

Stephen Lawrence
Product Manager, Color Technologies

Software Imaging
9400 Garsington Road
Oxford Business Park
Oxford OX4 2HN
United Kingdom