Digital Test Form

[Mark H]

When you buy a car you might read the reviews, even watch a professional drive it, but in the end most of us want to test drive the machine we're going to buy. I've read the Bertl reviews on the 2 color print engines I'm considering buying. Both are rated strongly, and I've convinced both vendors to provide me with a trial unit for 2 weeks for onsite testing.

So, now I need to come up with a set of tests that I can put each print engine through and then compare with our current system (offset 4/4 with 1/0 vdp via a km1050). Reading the Bertl reports I keep seeing reference to digital test files, both the Agfa Test Forms and the Bertl DTP Booklet.

Just wondering if anyone knows of a freebie out there that provides reasonable results?

Thanks,

Mark H

 

[Stephen Marsh]

There are a number of freely available test forms on the internet, that combine both raster and vector elements. Most of the free links that I have at hand are raster and RGB based, coming from photography more than graphic arts (mostly printer, some for monitor calibration)...

Images

Neil Barstow Downloads

Colour-Science digital test images for monitor and Printer calibration

http://digitaldog.net/files/Printer_Test_file.jpg.zip

Monitor calibration and gamma

Test Prints

RGB Reference Images

New "ECI 2002" target and conversion tools [ECI.ORG]

Altona Test Suite - Online Version 1.2 available for downloading [ECI.ORG]

This is a start, however the Altona Test Suite is one of the best and contains both raster and vector elements in both RGB and CMYK and Spot (which I don't think is free).


EDIT: I have uploaded a vector/raster test file that I created a few years ago, it is a PDF created in AI 9 and then opened and resaved in AI CS2, ZIP file compressed.
http://www.screencast.com/users/Stephen_Marsh/folders/Test Forms and Targets

Stephen Marsh

 

[edwinb]

I have used the free pdf altona download as a test chart from eci.org
it has vector/raster and does test the whole of your workflow from pdf file - print

plus a 'fogra style' test strip to verify to standard suitable for your measurement hardware and software

Edwin

 

[Ian Mackenzie]

We have a few on our web site that are availablle to all.

FineEye | Downloads - Test Images

Cheers,
ian

 

[Stephen Marsh]

I have used the free pdf altona download as a test chart from eci.org

Would you have a link Edwin, the free download did not leap out at me last time I was there, cheers!

Stephen Marsh

 

[edwinb]

Downloads [ECI.ORG] is the general area


choose the altona visual
http://www.eci.org/lib/exe/fetch.ph...s:altona_test_suite:altona_visual_1v2a_x3.pdf

and
http://www.eci.org/lib/exe/fetch.ph...ads:icc_profiles_from_eci:eci_offset_2009.zip

for the icc profiles

Edwin

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Thank you Edwin, the links are appreciated!


Cheers,

Stephen Marsh

 

[edwinb]

You are welcome
note that the altona visual file has one spot colour called 'orange' top right square and the maximum ink occurs on the top gradient square
edwin

 

[edwinb]

Rather than print lots of test images you might consider creating (or asking for?) icc profiles for each machine then comparing a whole range of images using the profiles in say photoshop - you would neeed a calibrated monitor
this is the chart I would use for creating profiles using an isis spectrophotometer

edwin

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Here are some links to the Ghent Workgroup charts:

Ghent PDF Workgroup | Download Test Suites | Test Suites
Ghent PDF Workgroup | Ghent Output Suite | Ghent Output Suite
Ghent PDF Workgroup | Overprint Verification | Overprint Verification


Stephen Marsh