Alexandria, VA, USA. February 28, 2007 ─ IDEAlliance today announced the posting of new SWOP and GRACoL Proofing Systems that have been certified “to the numbers!” ColorBurst, EFI, GMG Americas, Kodak and Vertis Inc. have already certified systems. Meeting Industry Expectations Proofing technologies and industry practices have made significant advances over the past two years. The feasibility of proofing-to-the-numbers is gaining not only acceptance but is being voiced as a requirement. And along with proofing-to-the-numbers comes the requirement to tighten tolerances as well. And other factors such as agencies routinely proofing on brighter paper stocks and the predicted shift to virtual proofing workflows have raised the bar on the quality of proofing systems even more. Research to Advance the Industry As part of IDEAlliance’s commitment to drive the ongoing improvement of proofing systems, its Print Properties Committee initiated a series of research and development efforts to provide a scientific basis for modernizing its Proofing Systems Certification Program. By fall 2006, new characterization data sets that take into account actual G7 printing conditions for web offset presses and sheetfed offset presses were finalized for SWOP and GRACoL. These characterization data sets are now being advanced through CGATS as TR003 and TR005 for SWOP and TR006 for GRACoL. Having characterization data sets means that for the first time we can print and proof to the numbers—the same numbers. Research projects were also conducted with the Rochester Institute of Technology Printing Applications Laboratory to develop methods to evaluate and certify high-end halftone proofing systems and inkjet systems “to the numbers.” This research was recently extended to the evaluation of monitor proofing “to the numbers” to support virtual proofing workflows. New “numbers-based” certification of monitor proofing systems will begin later this March. According to David Steinhardt, CEO of IDEAlliance, “Systems certified under the new IDEAlliance program are raising the bar for the entire industry. Proofing to the numbers has suddenly moved into the mainstream!” Nubar Nakashian, Executive VP of Tanaseybert, LLC and Chairman of SWOP commented, “SWOP has made tremendous advances over the past year. Initiating a new certification program based on metrics and expanding its industry education initiatives are examples of how SWOP is meeting the challenge. Please join us at the Proofing Summit to see how state-of-the-art proofing will change the way you work.”