Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Hi-Fi color - 8 strategies to implementation

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9 comments:

  1. Perhaps you can help me out. I'm running the brisque for my ripping software, and my company has requested that we try hexachrome printing. Now that the brisque is no longer supported, I'm having a hard time finding any documentation on how to properly rip hexachrome inks. Could you at least point me in the right directions?

    Thanks!
    Amanda

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  2. Hi Amanda,
    I think you might have a couple of options to explore:
    1) The Hexachrome part of Pantone's web site is currently in a shambles. I'm not sure if Pantone still sells the Hex software. Basically it was a plug-in to PShop that converted an RGB image into a CMYKOG image and out put a DCS (separated) file. If the plug-in is still available, then you could try that.

    or

    2) You need to find out if your Brisque workflow can use a six color ICC profile (these can be made using ProfileMaker (www.xritephoto.com/), or ProfileWizard (somewhere in Kodak) can create this kind of ICC profile. If so, you create the 6 color separation profile, install it on Brisque with will then use it to separate RGB images into CMYKOG.

    or

    3) If Brisque cannot use a 6-color ICC separation file then I believe that PShop CS4 can, at which point you would preseparate the images in PShop and output a DCS CMYKOG separated file to image through Brisque.

    In any case you will need to work with your ink vendor to make sure the Orange and Green inks you end up with are suitable for halftone screening and wet-trap over-printing since ordinary spot colors aren't.

    Hope this helps, gordo

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  3. cmyk + seems like a good possibility for production since it is an automated process. Is there a way to convert rgb to cmyk + using the HQ RIP or with a plugin to Acrobat?

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  4. If you mean method #8, you need to find out if your HQ RIP can use a six or seven color ICC profile (these can be made using ProfileMaker (www.xritephoto.com/), or ProfileWizard/ColorFlow (somewhere in Kodak) can create these kinds of ICC profiles. If so, you create the 6 or7 color separation profile, install it in the RIP to separate RGB images into CMYK+.

    If your RIP cannot use a 6/7-color ICC separation file then I believe that PShop CS4 can, at which point you would preseparate the images in PShop and output a DCS CMYK+ separated file to image through your workflow.

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  5. Hello Gordo! - We have been using Pantone's Hexachrome HexWare for years, but unfortunately CS4 doesnt support HexWare (or more accurately Pantone HexWare doesn't support CS4). I am currently trying to determine just how to design in CS4 in RGB color space using the Pantone Solid color palette and have it separate out to true CMYKOG seps... PhotoShop CS4 does enable one to produce 6 channel seps, but we design almost entirely in vector space, and I would rather not parse anything into PS.

    All tests I have done currently yield to "phantom" colors being added to all colors I attempt to separate. For example a SPOT 100C gives me a small % of black where there should be none.

    You mention ICC color profiles above - where/how do I get my hands on something that will yield pure seps to 6 layers - like what Hexachrome does.

    THANK YOU in advance!!

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  6. Well, 6/C ICC profiles are intended for raster images so you won't get what you need from them.
    Pantone seems to have abandoned Hexachrome - at least their web site hasn't been updated for about a year.
    Have you looked at Opaltone? It might do what you need.
    http://www.opaltone.com/
    best, gordo

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  7. Gordo - looks like Opaltone is more suited for raster images to. We stay pure vector based (CS2, but want to move up to CS4). PhotoShop CS4 is "native" Hex, but we design all in Illustrator.

    After one year of trying I finally have Pantone working on a fix to design in CS4 using Pantone Solids, save down to CS2 and run through a HexVector patch. "IF" I do get this from Pantone I will post here.

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  8. Is an epson 4800 enough to proof 6/C - 7/C flexo? Does anybody have a real multicolour ICC for testing and evaluate? We do flexo printing. Our new printer will be 10 colours F&K digital flexo and we want to try hi-fi colour to reduce wash-ups.

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  9. If you have an ICC profile of the Epson, then you can open it in an application like Chromix ColorThink to display the gamut in 3D. Then you can compare the gamut with the CIEL*a*b* values of the extra colors that you want to use for your HiFi work. If ColorThink shows that they are in gamut, then you can use the Epson to proof your work.

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