Colour Graphic Services has brought back free detailed offset, digital and wide-format colour health checks for PacPrint 2017 in May. These proved very popular at PrintEx, Sydney 2015 when they were introduced, according to the colour management and ISO colour certification specialist.
David Crowther – ‘The Colour Doctor’ – will measure and analyse a special test forme, pre-printed on a device of the visitor’s choice. A report is then produced using the Mellow Colour software suite, with suggested remedies, identifying where any colour issues are by using ISO 12647 as the benchmark.
To take advantage of this, printers from Australia and New Zealand must request the specially constructed test forme (pictured) ahead of PacPrint, and print it out to the best of their ability on the device of choice. The printed sheet can be taken to stand B62 where Crowther will measure it using the latest ISO 13655 compatible Techkon spectrophotometers. The data is then sent into PrintSpec software, which within seconds will produce a full report on any colour management issues present and possible remedies.
“The PDF test forme file we send in advance is big, around 200 Mb,” says Crowther, “so either high bandwidth or a file sending service such as DropBox or SendStuffNow can be used. It’s a PDF so can easily be put into the workflow and printed out.”
A normal visit to a printer to produce the test forme, measure, report and provide one ICC profile costs between $495 and $995 in metro areas, so the free PacPrint service is a really good saving, and arms a printer with some very useful knowledge about their printing output devices, whether digital or analogue.
To get hold of the free PDF file for the test forme, email: info@colourgraphicservices.com And make sure to bring the print-out along to PacPrint!