ROCHESTER, N.Y., Dec. 4 - In successfully becoming a frontrunner in the prepress industry, Colortek, Inc., resolved key business issues - saving time and reducing labor expense while maximizing productivity - with one solution: monitor proofing. As a 24/7 operation with national and international clients, Colortek relies on Kodak Matchprint Virtual Software to meet deadlines and strengthen collaboration between all levels of production, shortening the review and approval processes on most jobs from eight to two days. With Matchprint Virtual Proofing Software, Colortek continues its push toward a paperless workflow, which has reduced production labor and expense while maintaining the superior quality that is Colortek's trademark. "We have lowered our consumable expenses by greater than 20 percent and have saved equally in time spent on production," said Rich Reichert, President, Colortek, located in St. Louis. "Even more impressive, though, is that we have improved accuracy and maintained consistency from proof to proof and day to day." Colortek began using monitor proofing in 1999 and now counts hundreds of users with dozens of clients, and is one of the largest SWOP certified install bases with more than 50 systems in the field. From concept to print, Kodak's monitor proofing solutions extend color process control throughout the workflow - upstream to content creation and production approvals using Kodak Matchprint Virtual Software, Kodak Teamworks and Kodak Insite Software, and downstream to press side proofing using Kodak Pressproof Software. Using qualified LCD monitors and Kodak color calibration technology, users can view contract quality proofs online at their convenience. The production benefits of monitor proofing extend across the supply chain to the external creative and printing processes, helping Colortek gain dozens of clients, including retail giants such as Gordmans, which operates 62 apparel and home fashions retail stores in 15 states. "Colortek has surpassed our highest expectations of quality, customer service and pricing. The Matchprint Virtual Proofing System has dramatically increased our production efficiency. I don't know how we managed before using the system," said Christa Northcutt, Marketing Production Supervisor, Gordmans. "Since introducing the Matchprint Virtual Proofing System into our production process, we have increased our number of pages, yet experienced a cost savings of 23 percent. The Matchprint Virtual Proofing System has revolutionized our production process and Colortek has been invaluable in introducing innovative and efficient technical tools. I can't imagine doing my job without them." In addition to accuracy, consistency, lower cost and more efficient production timelines, Matchprint Virtual Software provides the added incentive of accountability, with annotations and approval processes handily incorporated into the image itself. Such technology allows Colortek's clients to digitally mark up their files, log corrections, and use side by side comparison as a quality checkpoint to ensure that revisions were made. "Not looking at a paper proof has been a tough transition for some clients," said Reichert. "But in today's business environment, cost and time accountability have forced a migration to newer, more efficient proofing systems. Once this technology is embraced, it's like a light turns on, and clients can't believe they waited so long to start using such a beneficial method."