HANOVER PARK, Ill., April 2003 — Next time you’re shopping for carpet at Home Depot or Lowe’s, take a closer look at the display material. Chances are those colorful posters, pamphlets and sample booklets were printed at Dalton, Ga.-based Brown Printing, with the help of its new Fujifilm PictroProof digital color proofer. As a leading producer of point-of-purchase material for the flooring industry, Brown Printing is in the color-critical business of matching product samples with product shots. Richard Amsberry, Brown’s electronic prepress manager, explains the important role technology plays in this extremely demanding task. “Customers require us to match sample products with the product [picture] appearing in a display. For example, the color of the carpet, tile or wood flooring in a room-scene must match the color of the actual product. We manufacture both the display material and the sample books, so the colors must match exactly. We’ve had an all-digital workflow for about five years, and it has proved to be a tremendous success,” says Amsberry. Last fall, Brown Printing switched to Fujifilm’s LH-PI plates, which were “a big hit,” says Amsberry, ultimately paving the way for the company’s most recent digital investment — the Fujifilm PictroProof. The two-page digital contone proofer utilizes Fujifilm’s thermal development and transfer technology, which is a laser diode-exposed imaging process. Using CMY donor material and receiver paper to simulate commercial printing ink and stock, the PictroProof replicates the color and feel of an analog proof without any chemicals or toners. In addition to environmentally friendly processing, the PictroProof offers quick print time (93 seconds for the first proof and 53 seconds for subsequent proofs). “It’s a lot faster than our old proofing system,” adds Amsberry. Other features of the PictroProof include high resolution (simulated 1,200 dpi), ease-of-operation, low maintenance and automatic calibration. “Brown Printing is known for its color accuracy and quality craftsmanship,” Amsberry contends. “The color of the PictroProof is a pretty good match, so we know what we can expect on press. Most of our customers bring their products in to match with the proof, so the proof has to match reasonably well. The bottom line is: It doesn’t matter how pretty the proof looks, the customer isn’t going to accept it unless the color matches.” Once the proof is approved, the material is printed and sent to the bindery, where it’s laminated over chipboard, foam-board or polystyrene. Some printed pages become signs, while others are printed as banners. Brown Printing makes an assortment of display items and signage, most of which are produced for flooring manufacturers. While the company does some general commercial printing, the bulk of its business involves the flooring industry. Family-operated since its inception in 1958, Brown Printing is a subdivision of Brown Industries, which boasts two other printing companies, including a flexo and screen-printing operation.