Difference between Offset Profiles and Digital Press Profiles

[RodrigoRocha]

Hello Everyone,

We work with GMG ColorServer and I apply it at my Offset flow without any problems. However, I'd like to use it on my digital presses, to match the colors between both, and probably turn off the Color Management from my FreeFlow.
But, the question here is, why can't I use the same profiles (ISO47 or another) on my Digital Press also? Guys from GMG told me I should buy another software just to create the Digital Press Profile, but I just don't get why I would need another $1500 software to do something that I probably can do at Photoshop (Maybe here I'm talking shit) or just go straight with an offset profile.

If anyone can explain it to me, or just send me any reading on this, I'm grateful!

 

[RodrigoRocha]

Maybe this one was a dumb question? If anyone can help me, I'd be grateful!

 

[Stephen Marsh]

I for one did not reply as I have no experience or knowledge of using the GMG solution.

Generally speaking, unlike with traditional press colour management digital has an intermediate stage. The final native “device condition” of the digital press does not match a traditional press in colour. A simulation ICC profile is usually required before conversion to final output colour space. For example, a 100% yellow colour in a CMYK file may need to be converted through the simulation profile to the final device profile to produce the same colour. This could mean for example that the final digitial print actually uses 97% yellow and 3% magenta to achieve the same colour appearance as 100% yellow on a traditional press.

You were told that you need profiling software to profile the digital press. You need a measurement file and then an ICC profile created from the measurements of how your digital printer behaves with a specific calibration, on specific media, with specific processing settings etc.

It sounds like your product can *use* profiles, but it can’t create the profiles in the first place?



Stephen Marsh

 

[Correct Color]

Rodrigo,

But, the question here is, why can't I use the same profiles (ISO47 or another) on my Digital Press also?

The quick and simple answer is that any ICC profile is a characterization of a particular device reproducing color under a certain set of conditions.

And it's only valid for that device in those conditions. Since your digital printer is not an offset press, none of the standard offset CMYK spaces are valid for it.

So, whether you want to emulate them, or just to print to a proper characterization of your printer, the first thing you need is profiles of your printer on the media on which you print. And to make them, it takes a spectrophotometer, and some kind of ICC profile-making software.

Knowledge of the profiling process is helpful as well.


Mike Adams
Correct Color

 

[RodrigoRocha]

Hey guys, thanks for the answers!

Meanwhile I waited for someone to come save me, I spoke with a technician friend and he explained me about what Stephen just said before.

Stephen, yes, our software can use profiles, but GMG does not teach customers to create profiles, and in order to do that, or you can buy a training that costs as much as the software, or you can go with that software I've told you about earlier.

Mike, we have here an Spectro a about ICC profile making, I believe you can make one on Photoshop, if I'm not totally wrong.

Thank you again,

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Photoshop can’t make “proper” ICC profiles based on measurement data from a profiling chart, you will need ICC profile software if you wish to accurately profile a given device on a given substrate etc.

ICC Device Profile colour transforms are all about going from Source > (PCS >) Destination. In the case of simulating an offset condition on your digital press, the offset ICC profile is the source – however you need a destination profile to convert to that describes how the digital press behaves on a specific substrate.


Stephen Marsh