PrintWeek's round-up of the new pre-media, MIS, workflow and W2P products on show
COLOUR MANAGEMENT
Alwan Hall 9, Stand D10
Alwan has yet to unveil its line-up for Drupa, but keep an eye on printweek.com for any announcements.
AVT Hall 3, Stand B69
AVT will unveil its new SpectraLab software, which automatically measures colours by sampling user-defined points on the print image and provides ISO-compliant colour values that match those made off-line. AVT will also exhibit its newly re-engineered family of ink and colour controls for web press applications – CQ/Clarios offers spectral measurement technology for "virtually any commercial web press". It is now fitted with automated ‘wizards’ and simplified touchscreen controls that allow a web press operator to achieve industry-standard print conditions, with little or no manual intervention. Among other launches will be the PrintVision/Argus Elite, a new solution with upgraded viewing capabilities, a brand new interface, and pressure setting from the image.
Barbieri Hall 7, Stand A23
Italian spectrophotometer manufacturer Barbieri will be highlighting its SpectroPad, Spectro LFP, and Spectro Swing products. The SpectroPad is a portable spectrophotometer that can measure colour on a wide variety of wide-format media, while the Spectro LFP is a versatile automatic transmission/reflection spectrophotometer, specially designed for automatic measurements of a wide range of materials in large-format, flatbed and industrial printing.
Bodoni Systems Hall 5, Stand A41
Bodoni Systems says it will use Drupa to launch its most important upgrade to pressSign yet. It claims pressSign will provide "ever-greater flexibility and control over print quality". PressSign 5 enables users to set, measure and score whatever the colour bar or colours they need. Bodoni will demo pressSign’s soft-proofing capabilities to show how clients can complete a press pass without ever leaving their office, whether that is in the same building or on the other side of the world. The company says it will demonstrate how to get accurate colour on both litho and digital devices.
Canon/Océ Hall 8a, Stand C6
Printers will be able to speak to colour specialists on the Canon stand about how to achieve optimum consistency and quality from their digital presses. They will be encouraged to better understand the colour management tools provided as standard with ImagePress technology and the options available to control colour at every stage of the design and printing process, including monitor displays and standardised lighting conditions.
ColorLogic Hal 7, Stand C20
ColorLogic will show its complete product range of solutions, covering DeviceLink profiling and automatic colour conversions. The latest software versions of Copra, Zepra, ColorAnt and DocBees-Reprofiler will be demonstrated with practice-oriented user cases. The main event, however, will be the launch of the new version of Zepra 3.0, the company’s smart colour server. The main innovations include the SmartLink feature. This builds all required DeviceLink profiles for source and targets colour spaces dynamically, as well as providing an intelligent sharpening option for images. In addition, a sneak preview on a number of new technological enhancements in the Zepra colour server will be shown for the first time – in particular, the option to adopt printing data automatically to match a desired printing condition based on a few measurements and a high-quality spot-colour processing option.
ColorWare Hall 7, Stand D16
ColorWare will launch the PressView Printability Test Suite in Düsseldorf. PressView is a server-based colour control system that enables printers to measure, analyse and control the colours in offset, heatset, flexo, gravure and digital printing processes. The new Printability Test Suite means printers can now make a complete print analysis before the final print production. The company says this will take all the guesswork out of colour quality, as in a few minutes the PressView Printability Test analyses the exact colour behaviour for any given ink and substrate combination for all print processes. The test will calculate the closest colour match and density and determines the optimum density value and density bandwidth of any specific ink/substrate combination, predicting the exact colour performance of the ink-of-choice on the selected substrate.
Digital Information Hall 8b, Stand B2
The Swiss company will highlight its InkZone product, a software suite that consists of components for online ink-presets, closed-loop colour control, and the connection of scanning measurement devices from Techkon and X-Rite allowing for real-time on-screen visualisation of target and actual values.
Fujifilm Hall 8b, Stand 25-1 & 25-3
XMF ColorPath, Fujifilm’s new cloud-based colour management system, will be on show. It boasts a range of new features and capabilities designed to help printers calibrate and maintain compliance to printing standards, with the ability to work across multiple print processes.
GMG Hall 4, Stand B25/Hall 7, Stand B11
GMG will give a global launch to its new spot-colour simulation tool for packaging printers, in addition to a cloud-based tool for soft-proofing at Drupa. Although details are being kept under wraps, the developer said its new tool marks a "breakthrough" in calculating profiles for simulating the combined printing of both spot and process colours. In conjunction with GMG FlexoProof, Hanno Hoffstadt, leader of the GMG research team, promises "predictability that was previously thought unachievable". Hoffstadt added: "We know the packaging industry has been searching for technology like this. At the moment, we are working flat-out on the products and expect detailed information to be available just in time for the exhibition." Information on GMG’s cloud solutions will also be fleshed out at the show. The company has developed a completely new cloud-based tool and will be targeting organisations across the entire publishing supply chain, from advertising agencies, photographers and repro studios to printers and publishers, through to the brand owners themselves. The new solution has a highly flexible and clear interface with intelligent tools for central management and control of all correction and approval procedures. The collaboration tool is the first in a series of innovative cloud-based solutions, providing user-friendly integration of GMG color management, says the company.
QuadTech Hall 17, Stand A1
QuadTech will be showcasing its control systems for colour measurement during Drupa. The company says its "automated, image-based control systems offer the newspaper, commercial and packaging printer exceptional colour quality and consistency". QuadTech will attempt to demonstrate this during the show. Of particular attention will be the new QuadTech Color Control and Web Inspection System with AccuCam.
X-Rite/Pantone Hall 8b, Stand A23
On the Esko stand will be a new cloud-based colour management and standardisation tool aimed at the packaging sector. PantoneLive, which has been developed by Pantone and X-Rite in partnership with Esko and Sun Chemical, enables all phases of the packaging design process to access common digital colour definitions and aims to reduce complexity and re-work. It uses Esko’s Colour Engine database to manage colour and device profiles, and to support the colour management process across the packaging pre-press workflow. Sun Chemical is to withdraw its SmartColour colour management system from the marketplace and transfer all current customer licenses to PantoneLive. The new tool features a standard library, which includes all of the colours from Pantone Plus and the Pantone Matching System, and brand owners will also be able to create specific colour palettes and store them in the system. Also on show will be i1Pro 2 colour management solutions, including the newly enhanced i1Pro 2 spectrophotometer. The company says that this provides an even higher level of accuracy, versatility, ergonomics, functionality and value than i1 Pro. "Combined with recently released i1Profiler software v1.3, the new i1Pro 2 portfolio meets the unique needs of pre-press, digital printing and photography imaging professionals," says the company. A new spectrophotometer platform that incorporates the latest touch-and-swipe navigation technology and intuitive software to make colour measurements quick and easy for pressroom personnel, including ways to monitor and control colour the new and emerging ISO standards, will also feature on stand. New products from Pantone that expand its colour libraries will be showcased, alongside additional solutions from X-Rite specifically targeted for pre-press, print, publishing and converting industries