It has had the UK repro contract for the magazine for the past three years and at the start of this year started a project to centralise the pre-press for all European editions at its Islington, London, site.

Colour Systems handles the origination and distribution to three print sites in Europe as well as the conversion of graphics supplied from the US into European colour specification.

Underpinning the project is the firms digital asset management system, System Assets.

Joint managing director Dave Brin is overseeing the project.

The firm is midway through a project with Alwan Color Expertise to ICC colour manage the whole process.

Alwan managing director Elie Khoury has already spent time working with two print sites Maury in France and RR Donnelley in Poland to produce accurate ICC profiles of their presses, based on the printing conditions each site has standardised on and preferred separation settings.

He has just completed a week at Colour Systems preparing the companys scanners, re-touching workstations and proofers and training staff.

The firm anticipates the first colour-managed issues of Readers Digest produced will be for its October edition.

Story by Barney Cox