Ghent, Belgium - ColorLogic updates its flagship smart color server product ZePrA to version 3.5. The new version includes a number of important improvements for all customers, such as the ability to set priorities on processing queues, and provides high-quality spot color handling with a new module to satisfy even the most color-sensitive workflows and user scenarios.

Automated Processing of Color Made Easy
Since its inception ZePrA has been the perfect tool to allow automated color processing in raster and PDF files. Queues pick up files from an input folder, process them through whatever scenario is necessary and deliver the processed files to an output folder. When necessary ZePrA easily integrates into other solutions using a Switch configurator and a command-line interface. In ZePrA 3.5 each queue can now be assigned a priority to allow preferential processing of time-critical files.

Spot Color Handling Done Right
One of the most difficult aspects of any workflow is how to process files that use spot colors; in ZePrA 3.5 the new spot color module provides ample possibilities to satisfy even the most challenging scenario.

The new spot color library section where multiple spot color libraries can be created forms the basis of the spot color module. This allows specific spot color libraries per customer, printing process or substrate to be maintained next to each other. Special colors (such as those used for the representation of die-lines or varnishes) can also be defined so that they are preserved properly in the processed files.

In a spot color library spot colors are represented with their Lab values, or – for better spot color mixing simulation – using spectral data. They can be imported from measurement data, named color ICC profiles or Photoshop color tables. With the advanced spectral-mixing color engine built into ZePrA this allows spot colors to be reproduced using the full gamut of the output space (whether CMYK or multi-color). The engine is at the same time intelligent enough to reproduce each spot color with the minimal number of color separations possible (while minimizing Delta E).

Each ZePrA queue can be configured to use specific spot color libraries and to convert or ignore spot colors exactly as required. This combination of well-defined spot color libraries and clever processing depending on the queue guarantees the best possible spot color handling available today.