HP Indigo RIP Settings and Color With ApogeeX

[IDP]

Is anyone out there using AGFA ApogeeX in conjunction with an HP Indigo 5000 that may want to share their color settings (HP's ticket templates). We have experimented a lot and have had pretty good luck with spot color emulation as well as color fidelity and matching to our inkjet proofers without extensive profiling. So what am I complaining about?

No major complaints... but we have been told by AGFA that to get better color accuracy across the board, we may need to buy a task processor for ApogeeX that drives the machine and dump HP's front end. I am thinking that there are better settings for the ticket templates that will get us close without investing another 25-30k.

Specifically, we want to get the best PMS matching possible without switching on our IndiChrome capability ($$$) at standard ink densities.

Any thoughts on what others are doing with profiling in the RGB-CMYK realm and rendering intents would be greatly appreciated!

Happy Holidays

Tim

 

[rich apollo]

I haven't played with Agfa's TP for the Indigo, so I can' t say what you might hope to gain from it.

The Indigo front end handles spot colors separately from other color transforms. In the job ticket you can tell the Indigo front end to convert using the ICC press profile and Lab values, using the internal Look Up Tables, or using the alternate color values specified in the color definition in the file.

I can't find any information on editing the internal look-up tables.

The ICC conversion process uses a proprietary gamut mapping schema which looks like it sort of replaces the idea of a rendering intent.

You could edit the alternate color values in the original document and, perhaps, gain some ground there.

Agfa is usually pretty good about granting temporary licenses for testing purposes. Agfa tends to tie their color matching to ColorTune. If you don't all ready use it, be sure that ColorTune is not a requirement in addition to the Indigo TP.

When we tested the original Indigo interface, it was really nothing more than a TIFF Proofer TP. All it did was create a TIFF file to feed to the Indigo. Gave you the benefit of Agfa's impositioning capabilities, but I don't know that it would improve color control. I would guess that Agfa is licensing the same Pantone libraries that HP is.

It also looks like there are some swatch book files on the HP to help with color matching.

 

[IDP]

Thanks Rich,

All good information. We are going to be looking at the ColorTune module in Jan/Feb. I like your idea about the temporary license!

Happy Holidays

Tim

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

We use the PDF Export when we need to proof Uncoated on Indigo (offsite). It means the images are 8-bit tiff encapsulated in PDF. If I understand what is different with the Indego TP is that you can send RIP data / channel which means you can use sublima och hybrid rasters…*wich gives you possibility to use a finer raster and that would mean better pantone colours.
As i say this is as i understand it…*we have not used the Indigo TP.