Minneapolis, MN (October 5, 2005) -- Advertisers, agencies and major publishers reacted favorably to last week’s SWOP certification of CGS Publishing Technologies International’s digital soft proofing system. With solid approvals by the review committee, CGS’ interactive soft proofing system, ORIS Soft Proof, was granted SWOP certification for the 23"Apple Cinema and the Eizo ColorEdge CG2200 displays. The review committee commented favorably on the color quality and gray balance of the ORIS system, which produces color-accurate PRD/X-3 files and distributes them, automatically, to any location in the world. “As print production becomes increasingly global, there is a real need for uniform color in every phase of the process,” said Lida Jalali Marschke, co-founder of the Color Management Group consortium. “Because SWOP is so commonly used in desktop applications, like Adobe Photoshop and Acrobat, SWOP certification of ORIS Soft Proof is an important step in that direction. Users can now benefit from a truly integrated soft proof / hard copy proof environment -- both of which can meet SWOP requirements.” Details of the Certification Process Both the Apple and Eizo displays were chosen for their color quality and consistency, as well as being preferred by CGS’ major publishing customers. As part of the SWOP certification process, the monitors were calibrated, using GretagMacbeth ProfileMaker and X Rite MonacoProfiler software. ORIS Certified Proof was used to measure specific color output from each monitor, to verify that each was capable of achieving the color gamut requirements of the SWOP specification. For visual comparison, a SWOP-certified press sheet was viewed under standard lighting conditions, using a Just Normlicht Image Pro 5000 XL DI viewing booth. The four-member review committee evaluated both systems on September 29, at a scheduled review session at Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus in Mesa, Arizona. The solid approval of both systems was a consensus decision, based on visual analysis of the display output compared with the SWOP press sheet. Integrated Soft Proofing Workflow ORIS Soft Proof differs from other display-based systems, because it is a truly integrated solution. Both hard copy and monitor proofs use the same underlying color management engine. ORIS Soft Proof users have the option to print hard copy, contract-quality proofs at any stage of the process. The PDF-based system uses Adobe Acrobat’s extensive annotation and review tools, which are the de facto standard for digital collaboration. ORIS Soft Proof PDF/X-3 files are generated automatically by ORIS Color Tuner at the origination site, using an add-on module. The ORIS Soft Proof plugin for Adobe Acrobat is used at the receiving site to verify the proof file, check the color management status and monitor profile, and mark the PDF file as “approved” or “rejected” as a valid soft proof -- using a standard Acrobat annotation. The plugin may be distributed free of charge, and the user does not pay a “per click” or “per job” fee to view the soft proof.