Gui d e t o Col o rMatc hin g

U sin g A g f a Cali br a t o r 4 . x w i t h t h e KODAK AP P O!A" Di g i t a l Pr o o f i n g # $ s t e %

D A&'

June 21, 2001

First Draft

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Contents (.)ntroduction................................................................................................................................4 Purpose.......................................................................................................................................4 Compatibility..............................................................................................................................4 General Notes.............................................................................................................................4 About Workflow With this System...............................................................................................5 *.Using Agfa Calibrator #oftware to Pro+ide a Color Match....................................................., Purpose.......................................................................................................................................6 ransfer !esour"e......................................................................................................................6 Prere#uisite Setup......................................................................................................................6 $ow to% Set up a Calibration Cur&e..........................................................................................' $ow to% (nter Calibration )ata..............................................................................................** $ow to% )isplay a Graph Showin+ )ot Gain Compensation..................................................*6 $ow to% (,it (-istin+ Calibration )ata...................................................................................*'

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( . )n tr o d u c t i o n
Pur p o s e This document is intended as a reference guide to the overall procedures for performing a color match when using gfa !ali"rator 4#$ software with %&D % ''(&) * !lassic and %&D % ''(&) * +'/+'4 Digital 'roofing ,-stems# The intent of this .uide is to supplement the standard documentation that is availa"le with pproval s-stems and with gfa !ali"rator software# This standard documentation includes the following/ /o,ak Appro&al 0P1 2ser3s Gui,e. Apo+ee PS Companion 2ser Gui,e# This user manual contains a section on gfa !ali"rator 4#$# The information in this .uide will assist a %oda0 pplication ,pecialist in performing standard color1matching procedures at a site using a gfa pogee (2' with an pproval s-stem# This .uide ma0es two 0e- assumptions/ 314 The pplication ,pecialist has had some e$perience in performing color matching when using (2' utilities from other sources# 324 customer or software support specialist who is 0nowledgea"le gfa pogee software will "e wor0ing on1site with the %oda0 pplication ,pecialist when performing color matching procedures# 2t must "e emphasi5ed that this .uide is not intended to full- train the %oda0 pplication ,pecialist on all aspects of the gfa !ali"rator s-stem# The goal of this document is to familiari5e %oda0 personnel with the overall arrangement and wor0flow aspects of the gfa !ali"rator software, so that the pplication ,pecialist can, with a reasona"le amount of effort, wor0 efficientl- with on1site staff to o"tain a color match# Co m p a t i b i l i t y The information in this .uide is compati"le with gfa !ali"rator software, version 4#$ or later# This software is compati"le with the 2T 3 pproval 2nterface Tool0it4 interface to %oda0 pproval and pproval/+' s-stems# Ge n e r a l No t e s 314 There are man- options not discussed in the procedures that follow# These procedures are intended to show the most straightforward paths through the s-stem for the purpose of generating digital proofs and o"taining a color match# !onsult the gfa !ali"rator documentation for more complete information on the procedures descri"ed here and for information on options and capa"ilities not discussed in this .uide# 324 6enu selections are indicated in the following general format/

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Menu selection --- Co%%and 374 The operator interface is fairl- intuitive with respect to icons and window interaction# There are often multiple methods availa"le for initiating different operations 3for e$ample, dou"le1clic0ing the mouse or entering a menu command4# Ab o u t W or k f l o w Wi t h thi s Sy s t e m 8or0flow organi5ation and e$ecution follow the pattern used "- gfa !ali"rator software# The ne$t section descri"es onl- those eements of the gfa !ali"rator wor0flow that are useful to the pplication ,pecialist for o"taining a color match#

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* . U s i n g A g f a Cali br a t o r # o f t w a r e t o P r o + i d e a Col o r Match

Pur p o s e The "ac0ground and procedural information in this section is intended to provide a starting point for an pplication ,pecialist assigned with the tas0 of preparing a color match# For this reason, the information in this section is limited to a su"set of the s-stem and its operator interface windows# The gfa (2' accepts a 11"it T2FF file as input and processes the file as a set of color separations# 9ach color separation is processed using a cali"ration curve set up in !ali"rator software# The cali"ration curve set up in !ali"rator software accepts "enchmar0 36easured4 and target 38anted4 dot gain values, e$pressed as dot percentages# The !ali"rator software, given this data, then "uilds a curve that allows dot reproduction "- the proofing s-stem to emulate the performance of a target device# gfa !ali"rator 4#$ software e$ecutes on a 6ac client# The procedures that follow assume that a ''D file has "een generated for the output device# Tran s f e r Re s o u r c e The Transfer (esource is a cali"ration file used "- the gfa (2' software# Transfer (esource incorporates dot gain values set up for each color separation and allows these values to "e applied to each print :o"# Pr e r e q u i s i t e Se t u p 2n order to use !ali"rator 4#$ software with the proofing s-stem, it is necessar- that ''D files first "e created and stored for the proofing device# separate gfa,et utilit-, descri"ed in chapter 2 of the Apo+ee PS Companion 2ser Gui,e, ena"les creation of ''Ds for use with an- compati"le output device# ;efore initiating gfa !ali"rator 4#$ software, use !hooser on the 6ac des0top to select the appropriate printer settings for gfa wor0flow# For reading and entr- of cali"ration values, prepare "enchmar0 and target proofs in readiness for the following procedure#

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Ho w t o Se t up a Cali br a t i o n Cur ! e ,tart up the !ali"rator software application from the client des0top# <se the following se=uence/ (. Clic. on the Calibrator 4.x icon that displa-s#

2n response, the !ali"ration ,etup window of Figure 211 appears# 4i+ure 25*. Calibration Setup Win,ow

*. Ma.e the a//ro/riate entr$ in the Device/ field# ,pecif- De+ice0 Color #e/arations# 7# !lic0 "oad PPD1 2n response, the s-stem displa-s a ''D selection window, as shown in Figure 212#

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4i+ure 252. PP) Sele"tion Win,ow

4# ,elect the desired ''D file and clic0 O/en# s an optional step, ena"le one or "oth of the ,elect ''D file options displa-ed/ e%e%ber &older &or use with 2alftone "in.ed 'ransfer esources 9na"le to use the current folder as the default address for searching for ''D files# 9na"les saving the cali"ration curve as a >alftone *in0ed Transfer (esource#

The ''D selection determines what options will "e availa"le for dot shape and other screening characteristics# 2n response, the revised !ali"ration ,etup window of Figure 217 displa-s#

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4i+ure 25.. !e&ise, Calibration Setup Win,ow

?# 6a0e appropriate entries in the revised !ali"ration setup window, as listed "elow# Color0 &re3uenc$0 Angle0 ,elect appropriate color for separation# ,pecif- appropriate fre=uenc-# 6ust match a corresponding value availa"le from the ''D# ,pecif- appropriate screen angle# 6ust match corresponding value availa"le from the ''D#

esolution0

,pecif- appropriate resolution value# 6ust match corresponding value availa"le from the ''D# ,elect appropriate dot shape# The listing of dot shapes availa"le from the pull1down menu is ta0en from the ''D selected in step 4#

Dot #ha/e0

?# 2n the '$/e0 field, select the appropriate screening and resolution entr- from the pull1down menu# @# !lic0 OK# 2n response, the s-stem displa-s an arra- of cali"ration values for the first separation, as shown in Figure 214#

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4i+ure 2 4. Calibration 8alues (ntry Win,ow

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Ho w t o "nt e r Cali br a t i o n #at a The cali"ration values entr- window of Figure 214 accepts varia"le entries in each of its three ma:or columns/ #ti%uli A the reference or nominal values for different dot percentages#

Measured A the "enchmar0 values for the proofing s-stem# 9ntr- of 6easured values allows !ali"rator 4#$ software to lineari5e the response of the proofing s-stem, so that a ?0B input dot value provides a ?0B output dot, for e$ample# 4anted A the target values for the imaging s-stem to "e matched# 9ntrof 8anted values allows the response curve of the proofing device to match the response of a printing press, platema0er, or other imaging device# The #ti%uli column lists each of 21 percentage values that correspond to Measured and 4anted values# ;- default, these nominal dot percentages are listed at ?B intervals as shown in Figure 214# >owever, other groupings are possi"le, depending on re=uirements for dot gain matching at the site# For e$ample, it ma- "e desira"le to ad:ust values in highlight, shadow, or midtone regions for a fine1tuned cali"ration curve# The procedures given "elow descri"e how to redistri"ute the value assignments shown in this ta"le# Follow these steps to enter and appl- cali"ration values using the window of Figure 21 4/ 1# 6a0e an- necessar- !alues selection, ena"ling or disa"ling the following options/ #%ooth A applies a smoothing algorithm to the final cali"ration curve#

5egati+e A allows entr- of values for a negative output# 2n such a case, a low ,timulus value maps to a high 6easured value# 3Do not use this setting with a densitometer setting that converts measurements from a negative image to a positive value#4 2# ,elect Units for each column as follows/ Dot 6 11 3Default4 accepts values entered as standard dot percentages# Densit$ A accepts values entered as densities#

7# 3&ptional#4 2f necessar-, ad:ust the #ti%uli value groupings to suit re=uirements for this setup# To do this, use the pull1down menu selections availa"le within the #ti%uli column# These selections are as follows/ #/read &ull ange A pplies the ad:ustment selection from the su"menu that follows to the full range of values, from 0 to 100B, as specified/ "inear# Default ?B intervals used#

More !alues in 2ighlights# 2ncreases the proportional num"er of rows among the highlight values#

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 More !alues in Midtones# 2ncreases the proportional num"er of rows among the midtone values# More !alues in #hadows# 2ncreases the proportional num"er of rows among the shadow values# #/read #election 1 pplies the ad:ustment selection from the su"menu that follows to a highlighted range of values from the cali"ration values entrwindow, as shown in Figure 21?/ "inear# Default ?B intervals used over the selected interval#

More !alues in 2ighlights# 2ncreases the proportional num"er of rows among the highlight values over the selected interval# More !alues in Midtones# 2ncreases the proportional num"er of rows among the midtone values over the selected interval# More !alues in #hadows# 2ncreases the proportional num"er of rows among the shadow values over the selected interval# 4# 9nter the Measured values# To do this/ 4a# !lear the 6easured column to facilitate entr- of "enchmar0 values# To do this, select !lear rra- from the pull1down menu accessi"le at the top of the Measured column# 4"# 9nter Measured values o"tained from a "enchmar0 proof# ?# 9nter the 4anted values# To do this/ ?a# !lear the 4anted column to facilitate entr- of target values# To do this, select !lear rra- from the pull1down menu accessi"le at the top of the 8anted column# ?"# 9nter 4anted values o"tained from a target proof#

@# !lic0 A//l$# The s-stem responds "- displa-ing the ppl- ,etup window of Figure 21@#

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4i+ure 255. 8alue Groupin+ for a Sele"te, !an+e

4i+ure 256. Apply Setup Win,ow

C# From the pull1down menu, specif- 'ransfer esource# 3This selection appears as the default#4 8# !lic0 OK#

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The s-stem applies the dot gain setup to lineari5ed curves# The window of Figure 21C prompts for a transfer resource name# 4i+ure 25'. ransfer !esour"e Namin+ Prompt

D# 9nter a new Transfer (esource name and clic0 OK# 9nter a descriptive name for the Transfer (esource, with identif-ing cali"ration information, as is shown in the e$ample of Figure 21C# The Transfer (esource name is limited to 71 characters# Eo spaces are permitted# 8hen cali"rating for the first color in a series, define and name a new Transfer (esource# Then, store cali"ration data for su"se=uent colors under that same Transfer (esource name# For the specific color, specif- the correct Transfer Function in the window that displa-s# The s-stem responds with the File ,ave window of Figure 218# 10# 9nter a suita"le file name and clic0 #a+e# 11# (epeat steps ? and @ from the preceding section and steps 1 through 10 of this section for each color to "e used on the proof#

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4i+ure 256. 4ile Sa&e Win,ow

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Ho w t o #is p l a y a Gra p h Sh o w i n $ #o t Gain Co m p e n s a t i o n &nce cali"ration values have "een saved, view an- cali"ration curve using the following main menu command, ending with a color specification, for e$ample/ Calibrator Gra/h 7lac. 2n response, the s-stem displa-s a cali"ration curve, as in the e$ample of Figure 21D# 4i+ure 257. Calibration Cur&e

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Ho w t o "%i t "&is t i n $ Cali br a t i o n #at a To edit an e$isting color cali"ration, use the following steps/ 1# 9nter the following command se=uence from the main menu/ &ile O/en 2n response, the file selection window of Figure 2110 displa-s#

4i+ure 25*9. 4ile Sele"tion Win,ow for Color Calibration

2# ,elect the color cali"ration file to edit and clic0 O/en# The s-stem displa-s a cali"ration values entr- window, as was shown in Figure 214# 7# 9dit the necessar- values, then clic0 A//l$# 2n response, the s-stem displa-s an ppl- ,etup window, as was shown in Figure 21@# 4# ,pecif- 'ransfer esource and clic0 OK# 2n response, the s-stem prompts for Transfer (esource information with the window of Figure 2111# ?# !omplete the window displa-ed for the following fields/ A//l$ to/ 9$isting Transfer (esource 'ransfer &unction/ 3specif- appropriate color4#

Then clic0 OK. 2n response, the selection window of Figure 2112 displa-s#

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4i+ure 25**. Prompt for (,itin+ (-istin+ ransfer !esour"e

@# ,pecif- the appropriate transfer resource file# To do this, highlight the file name with a mouse clic0, then clic0 O/en# The Transfer (esource file is then updated with the new changes# 4i+ure 25*2. Sele"tion Win,ow for ransfer !esour"e 4ile

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