For all the fuss about soft proofing and using colour-accurate screens, you might think it was game over: soft proofing - one, hard copies - nil. According to Colyer London, it isn't so simple and there are good reasons why sticking with hard copy proofs is better. With Printstorm, the firm has a product it believes can at least halve the cost of proofing, and also make sure digital colour output is more accurate and consistent too.
"Most businesses don't want to calibrate their screens and to work under controlled lighting conditions," says Colyer London creative support specialist Luther Golledge. "It's an expensive business, especially for anyone working in listed premises, and it produces an unpleasant working environment."
He's referring to the grey walls and furnishings, daylight-balanced lighting and absence of stray sun beams that screen-based proofing strictly requires, which creates a Soviet-era Eastern Bloc ambience that isn't terribly conducive to the creative pursuits of publishers, designers and agencies who are Printstorm's primary audience.
"Why not have one device that is colour accurate and that you can absolutely trust, which is also simple to use and cheap," says Golledge.
Printstorm is the firm's package of printer, proofing RIP and calibration services. You could go out and buy the components from other vendors, but Colyer has put its experience into the package to take away the complex and time-consuming bits for customers.
Training inspiration
The idea came about a couple of years ago after Golledge had undergone Fogra colour training with EFI so he could implement inkjet proofing systems using EFI's ColorProof XF proofing RIP.
"Having gained my Fogra certification, I decided to find out what happened if I treated a toner-based printer like an inkjet," he says.
After experimenting with EFI ColorProof XF and a number of Xerox digital colour printers, ranging from the desktop Phaser 7760 through to the production workhorse DocuColor 8000, to produce proofs to the ISO coated V2 (Fogra 39L) specification, he found that it was possible to get an acceptable proof using toner technology.
Subsequently, Fogra has launched its Validation Printing System certification for toner-based technology, which has a wider tolerance than its Proofing System certification. Golledge is sceptical of its validity for proofing. "It's a tolerance that you could drive a truck through. I think Validation Printing is just something to keep the printer manufacturers happy."
He has found (although it doesn't carry any independent verification) that Printstorm can drive toner machines to produce results within the tighter Proofing System tolerances. "You need to calibrate more often and to replace some components such as the drums more frequently, as laser imaging tends to be a little bit unstable," he says.
That isn't as daunting as it sounds. As part of the Printstorm package, Colyer offers the optional Verifier module for ColorProof XF and the EFI ES1000 (or equivalent X-Rite i1) spectrophotometer. This can be used to measure every proof to check its accuracy and, to date, three-quarters of systems have included it. Verifier will highlight when a machine is drifting out of acceptable tolerance, at which point it's time to recalibrate and re-profile the printer. More colour savvy operators can buy the Colour Measurement module of XF to carry out the process themselves. However, most clients have opted to buy it as a service as and when needed. This is typically every one or two months, depending on the printer used.
Productivity boost
When using a laser or solid ink printer for proofing, you have to consider the productivity achievable. Although the 7760 is quoted at a maximum colour output speed of 35 A4 pages per minute (ppm), that figure doesn't include ripping time, which can be significant for large and complex files.
"The 7760 is a great little printer, but the RIP and RAM are limited," says Golledge. Adding the XF in front of the printer makes it possible to speed up processing and to handle more complex jobs. Colyer has also extended the life of earlier Phasers by putting XF on the front to get the twin benefits of better colour and faster processing. However, it's still going to be considerably faster than an inkjet.
Colyer will configure Printstorm to meet each situation, which includes selecting the right Mac to run XF on. A basic system could run on an iMac, or even a Mac Mini, while for larger studios with bigger printers or multiple printers an X-Serve can be supplied. The most basic configuration is an iMac to run the XF RIP with the Xerox Phaser 7760 printer. However, Golledge says most installations have been with the bigger Xerox DC242.
The firm is also in discussions to drive larger Xerox engines. In its own print room, it uses Printstorm in front of Xerox 700, DC5252 and 8000AP presses to ensure colour is correct. In one example, it produced 1,000 one-off 80pp booklets across a range of stocks and got the colour so consistent and so close to the previous year's litho printed version that the client couldn't believe it was produced digitally. As it stands, Printstorm isn't perfect for production print, although with the Fiery link it can drive bigger machines. You need a third-party imposition tool to impose prior to ripping and it's only suitable for static content, rather than variable data.
The substrate used for proofing is also important for ensuring accurate and consistent results. Colyer has found there were problems relying on standard laser grades for proofing, so offers a Printstorm media, which is manufactured by Tecco. Just like specialist inkjet proofing stocks, its white point meets the ISO standard and is produced to tight tolerances to ensure repeatable results. It costs twice as much as standard laser grades, but the argument is that it's a fraction of the cost of an inkjet proof.
Price comparison
Price per SRA3 proof on a Xerox laser machine is 36p, including Tecco media and the click charge, which compares to an equivalent in-house inkjet of £4.04 for ink and media or for anyone that outsources proofing, £15 per SRA3. Those prices don't include the cost of the Printstorm package or the cost of the printer itself.
A basic package for driving a Phaser 7760 costs £3,761 for a set-up including an iMac 21.5in, Colorproof XF with Verifier module ES-1000 spectrophotometer, label printer, installation and training. A system suitable for driving a higher-end toner printer, such as the DC242 and an inkjet up to 432mm (17in) wide running on an eight-core Mac Pro with 24in screen costs £6,491, including the same accessories as before.
List prices for the Xerox printers start at £5,580 for the Phaser 7760 and £16,660 for the DC242. Including the engine costs, Colyer estimates that a system will pay for itself inside six months.
The configuration of the larger system to include a driver for an inkjet is no mistake. Despite the ability to dramatically improve the quality and consistency of the output from solid ink and toner machines to make them suitable for internal proofing, Colyer recommends an inkjet proof for a final proof, particularly a contract proof that is likely to end up press-side.
For early-stage proofing, though, having a more trustworthy output that's also way more affordable is an appealing option. For creatives, Colyer's system and service approach that takes away all the hassle while delivering the benefits looks like a real winner, while the whole approach shows that it is possible to get stable colour from toner-based digital.
SPECIFICATIONS
Description Proofing and colour management package for toner and solid ink printers
Supported printers Xerox Phaser and DocuColor toner-based engines
Speed Engine dependent
Price
Basic system for Phaser 7760: £3,761 (excluding printer)
High-end system: from £6,491 (excluding printer)
Printstorm media: £149 for 500 sheets of 115gsm SRA3
Per SRA3 proof Toner: £0.36 nkjet: £4.04
Contact Colyer London 020 7833 0888 www.colyer.co.uk
THE ALTERNATIVES
The rise of toner-based proofing has led to German industry body Fogra developing what it calls ‘Validation Printing System' (VPS) certification, which has a wider tolerance than the Proofing System certification. Toner equipment manufacturers have leapt on VPS as a way of showing that their systems are capable of consistent colour that is as good as the ISO 12647-2 spec used for litho. That word system is important as the certification covers a specific combination of printing condition, printer, front end and substrate. See http://fogracert.fogra.org/ for the list of certified devices from the likes of Canon, HP, Konica Minolta and Xerox.
It's worth checking if your printer is up to the job, as you may have a machine capable of producing validation prints already installed.
Canon C1+
Canon has pitched the C1+ at the proofing market since it was launched. But it also doubles as a (very) light production device. Its speed won't win any awards, but its flexibility, which includes the ability to coat, spot coat and simulate pseudo-metallics, offers some interesting capabilities.
VPS certified yes
Speed 14 A4 ppm
Price £25,000, package including EFI Fiery Q2 and saddlesitcher £40,000
Contact Canon UK 0800 035 3535 www.canon.co.uk
Océ CS665
The Océ CS665 Pro offers four controller options: Fiery embedded and external, external Creo controller and the new Océ Prismasync controller which allows operators to run all jobs in the same way.
VPS certified yes
Speed 65 ppm A4
Price from £22,497 (with embedded EFI Fiery)
Contact Océ UK 0870 600 5544 www.oce.co.uk
