ROCHESTER, N.Y., Dec. 3, 2008 – Xerox Corporation today announced a new suite of color management software for its Xerox DocuColor 7000AP/8000AP Digital Presses that ensures more consistent color image quality and more productivity.
 
With the Automated Color Quality Suite and its various automated features, print providers can now achieve quicker press set up, increased production time, better color stability and matching, and fewer operator errors.
 
"Color image quality demands are escalating," said Quincy Allen, president, Xerox Production Systems Group. "By having the Automated Color Quality Suite available across a wider range of our color systems, more print shops can produce jobs such as photo books, corporate brochures and marketing materials that require a high degree of color reliability and detail."
 
The new capabilities are made possible by integrating an in-line spectrophotometer, a device that measures the color of sample prints, in the Xerox 7000AP/8000AP's paper path. Breakthrough improvements in profile creation technology yield accurate saturated color, even and balanced neutrals, outstanding shadow detail and smooth highlight sweeps.
 
In addition, Xerox has added Variable Gloss Management to the suite that will reduce the glossy appearance of dark colors in digital prints.  Print providers can now adjust the image rendering to a preferred level of glossiness and appearance for any job.
 
Other components of the Automated Color Quality Suite – that until now were reserved for the company's Xerox iGen3 90 and 110 Digital Production Presses – include:

- Advanced Profiling - Enables greater realism, better neutrals, increased shadow and highlight detail, and better photo rendering.  It also can accurately emulate offset industry color standards such as GRACoL (General Requirements for Applications in Commercial Offset Lithography).
 
- Automated Calibration - Eliminates the need for manual calibrations, to reduce inconsistencies in color caused by temperature fluctuations, humidity changes and day-to-day use. Calibration can now be scheduled to run automatically after a certain amount of hours have elapsed, pages have been printed or at the end of a current job.
 
- Automated Spot Color Calibration - Ensures accuracy of Pantone-licensed colors across print engines. The system virtually eliminates the need for operator adjustments, which can depend on visual, subjective assessment.  This provides print operations with additional hours of productivity each week, especially users that may not have expertise in color concepts and adjustments.
 
The Xerox DocuColor 7000AP/8000AP systems are 70- and 80-ppm presses that run at the rated speed of the engine regardless of which paper weight or media type is run.
 
Pricing and Availability
New Xerox DocuColor 7000AP/8000AP users and existing Xerox DocuColor 7000/8000 accounts operating Xerox FreeFlow Print Server 7.0 can purchase the Automated Color Quality Suite immediately in North America and the United Kingdom and in 2009 in developing markets and the rest of Europe. It has a U.S. list price of $15,000.