pressSIGN 5.1 standard edition - measures and controls the printing process.

pressSIGN makes it easy to print to all the international printing standards - ISO 12647, GRACol G7, SWOP Japan Color.

Create your own print standards based on any CMYK ICC profile or a previously printed sheet.

Main features of pressSIGN 5.1 include:-

• DDA - Dynamic Density Adjustment predicts the correct density adjustment
• DDA Compensates for dry back
• All internationa print targets supported - customise print targets
• Auto Substrate Adjustment
• Export Tonal Curves to RIP or PDF workflow
• 4CX patending pending grey balance technology
• Includes Pantone® Libraries for spot color printing
• Support for range of spectrophotometers from X-Rite and Barbieri including the eXact
• Adjust print target accordign to paper color
• Color bar generator - create any color bar for CMYK + 2 spot colors
• Generate measurement reports
• Easy to read traffic light scoring system with default settings - fully user configurable
• Register with pressSIGN OnLine to send measurement reports

pressSIGN Print Targets

Users have many options when setting up print targets. All the following international standards are supported:

• 12647-2
• 12647-3
• 12647-4
• 12647-6
• GRACol 2006
• ISO 15339
• Japan Color

In addition, a previously measured printed job can become a future target in pressSIGN. This makes it easy to match previously printed work.

Any CMYK ICC profile can be a print target.

Auto Substrate adjustment

Printers who are asked to print to international printing standards like ISO 12647-2 or GRACol will often be asked to produce work on paper stocks that deviate from the standard. pressSIGN v 5 gives print buyers and printers the option of allowing pressSIGN to automatically amend the print target based on the substrate's white point.

Changing the white point target in response to paper color gives a better visual representation of the original than sticking to a target whatever the paper color is being used.

Traffic Light Scoring and tolerances

The pressSIGN print targets incorporate all the required tolerances for identifying quality print. By default tolerances are based on ISO 12647 but these can be all customised.

pressSIGN's scoring system allows users to set an acceptable print score. Scores are color coded making it easy to judge the quality of print.

Dynamic Density Adjustment

pressSIGN's unique Dynamic Density Adjustment (DDA) predicts the correct denisty adjustment showing operators how to achieve the lowest possible Delta E against the selected target.

All international printing standards set target L*a*b* colour values for the primaries (CMYK). pressSIGN converts these target colours into density settings that the press operator can use. See the pressSIGN main window above where pressSIGN DDA tells the operator that for the best results the magenta density needs to be increased by 5% , the yellow density needs 2% more but the cyan and black are as close to the standard as that ink, paper and press combination will allow.

pressSIGN DDA predicts the best density setting for spot colours as well. Add 5th or 6th spot colour to the job by selecting any colour from the built-in Pantone® Libraries or create your own libraries by measuring a colour patch or typing in a Lab value. pressSIGN will show you how to adjust the spot colour density to get the best possible match to the target colour.

Once pressSIGN has generated ideal target densities for this press sheet, these densities need to be applied across the width of the press sheet by the operator.

For a more sophisticated report see pressSIGN-Pro which tells the operator how to adjust the density of every ink key across the press to meet the L*a*b* value targets.

Compensate for dry back

pressSIGN's DDA compensates for the shift in color as the ink dries. Dry back occurs in all printing processes to some extent. All international printing standards are based on how the customer receives the printed job not on how it comes off the printing device.

Export Tonal Curves

pressSIGN provides two options for exporting tonal curves; traditional TVI (dot gain) and 4CX (4 color Xchange) grey balance. All major RIPs are supported by pressSIGN so that there is no need to type in the tonal curve adjustments in the RIP. The amendments can be quickly imported into the RIP workflow.

For more details on 4CX please go to our dedicated page.

Spot Color printing

pressSIGN standard edition supports up to six color printing - four process colors plus two spots. For 16 color printing see pressSIGN-Pro and pressSIGN Multi-Site Internet Server

The Pantone® libraries are included in pressSIGN. Make sure that the spot color target is the spectral data provided by Pantone® rather than a faded book.

Users can create their own spot color libraries by measuring a swatch, importing CGATs or CxF files or by typing in Lab values. These custom libraries can be imported and exported for sharing with other users.

Color bar generator

pressSIGN users can generate any color bar based on four process colors and two spot colors. Color bars can be the full width of the press sheet (but pressSIGN standard will not show the individual ink zone adjustments). Color bars can be multi-line allowing users to create bars such as FOGRA/UGRA media wedge or the GRACol P2P.

Supported Spectrophotometers

• X-Rite, Eye-One (old and new)
• X-Rite SpectroEye
• X-Rite 530
• X-Rite eXact
• Barbieri LFP

Download a demo version of pressSIGN