Tuebingen, Germany (August 18, 2005) – GMG, a leading developer and marketer of high-end professional color management solutions, announces today that it has been granted SWOP (Specifications for Web Offset Publications) certification for its ColorProof digital proofing solution driving Epson's StylusPro 4800, 7800 and 9800 inkjet printer models using GMG ProofPaper semimatte 250gsm. GMG is the first off-press proofing system to provide customers with an Application Data Sheet (ADS) based on highly accurate Lab values rather than densitometry and dot gain measurements. Using a spectrophotometer, users can measure Lab values of color test bars, which are much more precise than using a densitometer to measure density of ink and dot gain. The Lab values are compared to target values provided on the ADS. These new measurement standards, in conjunction with GMG ColorProof's accuracy and the closed-loop process control offered by GMG ProofControl, ensure customers can operate a solution for the creation and verification of SWOP proofs that is 100% verifiable. The ADS submitted by GMG will soon be available on the SWOP and GMG websites. The ADS contains detailed information and guidelines on how to produce SWOP compliant digital proofs using GMG ColorProof with the new Epson Stylus Pro x800 series printers using Epson UltraChrome K3 inks. To assure high accuracy and repeatability, GMG used its own, GMG brand high-quality paper, which must pass one of the most stringent quality tests in the industry. The superiority of GMG's ColorProof solution has been proven in numerous proofing contests, irrespective of the printing device used. In order to obtain SWOP certification, a company must submit extensive documentation of the proofing system configuration along with actual proofs. These are measured and visually compared with the SWOP reference print by the Technical Committee. The certification signifies that submitted proofs agreed with independent measurements on those proofs, and that a SWOP panel of at least three printing color experts approved the proofs as matching the SWOP Certified Press proof sufficiently to be used in the production of publications. "Certification by the SWOP Technical Committee of the GMG ColorProof system software together with the new Epson x800 series printers was an important step for us in validating the quality of our complete customer solutions,” remarks Robert Weihing, Managing Director of GMG GmbH & Co. KG. “It provides our customers with a wider—and more accurate—selection of digital printers from which to produce SWOP-certified proofs.” “GMG provides a turn-key operation, including calibration of the printer, creation of the proof and verification of the color quality,” comments Jim Summers, President, GMG Americas. “This particular SWOP test was very important for us. GMG ColorProof is recognized as the reference standard in digital color proofing. Correlating our SWOP performance with Lab, rather than density and dot gain values, demonstrates the irrefutable accuracy our solutions have been delivering to the market for over 20 years.”