Zurich, (September 25, 2008)  – At Graph Expo, Digital Information will extend its popular InkZone solutions to new levels of value and usefulness with InkZone Wedge, for measuring and evaluating proofs and prints against target values, industry specifications and international standards.  In addition, the leading color technology provider will be demonstrating versatile new-to-market InkZone solutions including InkZone Move Press, InkZone Loop and InkZone Perfect for the Quickmaster QM 46 DI.

Versatility in Pressroom Color Quality

InkZone Move is perhaps the most comprehensive software suite for monitoring and controlling pressroom and prepress color quality. 

InkZone Move allows functionality for 1) the calibration of CTP imaging devices with InkZone Move Plate 2) either manual or automatic measurements of pressroom color bars with InkZone Move Press and now 3) the evaluation of proofs or prints against color specifications and standards with InkZone Move Wedge – which will debut at Graph Expo.

In addition to basic color bars and media wedges recommended by industry organizations and suppliers, InkZone Move Wedge includes a specially-designed, extended press-control wedge for color accuracy and consistency. Taking advantage of the low-cost X-Rite Eye-One Spectrophotometer, InkZone Move Wedge brings a new level of affordability to such a versatile range of automated pre-press and pressroom color control.   Users can measure color bars on plates to assure they are imaged correctly, check proofs with the value of automated spectral technology, and also quickly check on-press color bars to assure print results meet requirements – all with the power of a single system and low-cost instrument – InkZone Move does it all.

InkZone Controls Inking Systems

InkZone Loop takes the InkZone concept one step further, to close the ink-control loop and connect with consoles from all press manufacturers.  Using the leading, global, press-manufacturer-independent technology, InkZone Loop uses press-side color measurement data in order to provide the precise adjustment values required for all ink keys and printing units to meet pre-set targets.  Because all adjustments are displayed graphically and numerically on screen, press operators have the opportunity check the recommendations before they are applied to the inking system. Communication of the ink-key settings is automatic based on proprietary InkZone interface solutions (like InkZone Card, InkZone Wire and InkZone Strip) which are used to interface with a variety of popular press control consoles.

In addition, InkZone incorporates the InkZone Loop correction data into other InkZone solutions, like InkZone Perfect, thereby providing more accurate ink-preset adjustments to improve future press start-up efficiencies.

InkZone Loop supports color measurement data from InkZone Move, but also from leading automated color measurement devices from a variety of global manufacturers.  Furthermore, it can be used for CMYK process work as well as spot color or multi-color packaging work.

New InkZone Solutions for Quickmaster QM 46 DI

InkZone solutions aid in ink presetting (InkZone Perfect), prepress and pressroom color quality (InkZone Move) and even closed-loop color control (InkZone Loop). At Graph Expo 2008, Digital Information will be unveiling the application of this type of fully-developed InkZone system solution on the Quickmaster QM 46 DI from Heidelberg.  These popular workhorses of the commercial print industry can now benefit from a significant gain in makeready efficiency and an overall reduction in waste. With the full gamut of InkZone solutions in place, operators of these legacy presses can benefit from better productivity, improved quality, and even closed-loop control.  InkZone Loop for the QM 46 DI can even be equipped with the optional DC2 track for automatic scanning using an affordable EyeOne spectrophotometer.

Two-Sided Preproofer, Too

At Graph Expo, Digital Information will be providing further information about their four (4) Preproofer systems for automatic double-sided proofing. With the 745 and 788 models for the 50/70 format and the 945 and 988 models for the 70/100 format, Digital Information is the only manufacturer to meet the two-sided proofing demands of almost all printers.

These Preproofer systems combine three key technologies 1) state-of-the-art inkjet technology from Epson, complemented with 2) the widely-used DI-Plot software (several thousand installed worldwide) along with 3) image data taken from most any brand of prepress RIP on the market.  The result is a color, two-sided, full-sized, imposed, pixel-by-pixel and color-managed proof of the job which can be fully reviewed prior to imaging the CTP plates.  Only DIL has such a useful combination of RIP compatibility, market-leading inkjet printing technology and digital ingenuity to create a valuable Preproofer system.