Remote Color proofing

[DavidMa]

Do any of you guys actually do remote proofing for color?

Not just for text edits with lo-res PDF files, I'm talking color edits done on retouching images, send PDF or tiff out via FTP or Web based browser.
The client would view onscreen and make comments and have a corrected file re-submitted.


Read about it a little, just want to know if it's a do-able thing or is it something that can/will happen in the future.

What are the downsides?
any horror stories?

any good news?

TIA,
David

 

[Cory Smith]

Re: Remote Color proofing

I think it's a mixed bag like lots of other things...Might work for some clients but not all. Most of our clients today are not critical on color..as long as the reds are red and greens are green, they really couldn't care too much (what a change from 10 years ago), so for those clients it might work.

Then you have some clients that will always be critical on the color, for those I still want that proof with their signature that says "YES, match this" . Until you can control their environment and hardware, you really don't know with any confidence what they are looking at remotely.

 

[stargate]

Re: Remote Color proofing

Gmg has a great and super easy remote proofing option. You don't even need to but spectro with Hp Z printers. It's so easy to setup that anyone without any color knowledge can do it. Check it here: http://www.gmgcolor.com/gmgcolor/233+M5d637b1e38d.0.html

 

[Werby]

Re: Remote Color proofing

I think there may be a little confusion with your subject heading. Myself and Ryan (and most people I think) consider "remote proofing" to mean having a set-up wherein a physical hardcopy proof is generated in a remote location and there is a system in place which insures that it is a match to the proofing device that is in your local office. What I think you are talking about is usually called soft-proofing or virtual proofing.

There are a number of soft proofing solutions out there. I am most familiar with Kodak and ICS Remote Director. Both of these work in a client/server structure, where a color-managed PDF is served out and a client application can view it. They both have a system to insure that all monitors viewing the proof are set to the correct color temp and luminance and are properly calibrated. They can both do an excellent job in terms of matching a hard copy proof, but the viewing environment has to be very tightly controlled. Ideally all people viewing will have the same exact make & model of monitor, the same level of ambient light (dim) and if a viewing booth is present, it should be the same make & model and dimmed to the same exact level. As long as all participants have all these elements consistent, it can work very well. Both Kodak and ICS have great markup tools and you can even have different parties viewing the same proof at the same time and talking over the phone.

However, none of our clients are ready to give up hard proofs. Its a huge shift in sensibility, and even though there can be a very good visual match, seeing something on a backlit screen is NEVER going to give the same feel as on a reflective hard copy proof. Our clients all want something they can hold in their hands, take in the cab, look at in different light, etc. Its very constraining to only be able to view a proof in a fixed location on a monitor. Maybe they want to see it at different sizes. Maybe they want to see a proof on different stocks with different weights and textures.

Hope this is helpful!
-Todd Shirley

 

[DavidMa]

Re: Remote Color proofing

Sorry, I didn't think the subject header would confuse people. I try to keep the subject header to be short and sweet and let the content explain the details.
To me, remote proofing means proofing anywhere but where I'm sitting, be it hard copy or on a screen.


I'm looking for actual people that are doing remote proofing, on a screen, looking at color and text, today.
I am aware of some of the products out there to accomplish this, but just wanted some actual users to tell me what they had to go through to set it up, and any problems with equipment and or clients.

thanks in advance for your help,

David

 

[stargate]

Re: Remote Color proofing

I was mistaken by the subject. I wasn't thinking about soft-proofing (monitor proofing).

Number of vendors have products like Rampage Remote, CGS SoftProof, ICS Remote Director, Kodak and Dalim also have something that do just that. The most popular and the most used is I believe ICS system.

I found out from my own search that:

1) softproof is not as popluar as hardcopy yet
2) many clients don't like to bother with calibrating their monitors
3) many clients don't have anyone with any color management knowledge on the stuff
4) softproof will cost you as a prepress vendor more than remote proofing.
5) how would you look at softproof on the press run? Pressroom would have to be wired and calibrated and press crews would have to be trained etc.

 

[rkortz]

Re: Remote Color proofing

We use DALiMs soft proofing with many of our clients. It is very elegant and easy to use. Browser based and color accurate as the monitors are maintained a regular intervals. We have some fairly savvy clients and I am sure it would not be as effective with some of our less technical clients. Almost all critical color is still sent to the Epson thru GMG. But for most jobs... it is more than adequate as it saves a huge amount of time in the approval process. Clients can leave notes on the image as to any changes they need and can put an eyedropper over anything to see the percentages. No horror stories at all. Hope this helps!!

 

[kbrucato]

Re: Remote Color proofing

I've been working with ICS for about 3 years now. I find that ICS does the hard calibration and color management work transparently, so novices can use it and know they are matching color accurately. They have set it up so that out-of-the-box, you can be up and running to industry specs (swop 2006, GRACoL, etc). If the user it technically inclined (like myself) you can create customized profiles to match you internal devices. Its really up to the user. Its quite simple. There are ways to build the cost into the proofing workflow so you can re-coop the cost.
Also, ICS differentiates remote proofing that is hard or “soft” by calling it monitor proofing.

 

[Ricardo]

Re: Remote Color proofing

On the subject of remote proofing...am in the discussion process to set up Epson ink-jet printers (4880 & 9880) in China with GMG ColorProof...so that in future, client (in Europe) can sign-off on the Epson proof instead of the press proof. We are hoping that later, even that might not be necessary. If calibrated properly (client's Epson printer & the Epson printer here in China) then they should match. Maybe to assured client in Europe, data can be obtained (same color/control bar).
This is quite new to me and what I wrote above are what's being told (sold?) to me. Your expert advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[johnny_jay]

Re: Remote Color proofing

We also have Dalim Dialogue remote proofing. It works great for us as well. The only problem we have encountered is that some end users have had trouble opening files our IT manager usually gets them set up fairly quickly if it is a Java issue but we have had a couple of customers that could not connect due to firewall issues.

Edited by: John Stewart on Mar 31, 2008 9:57 AM

 

[DavidMa]

Re: Remote Color proofing

quote me:

The client would view onscreen and make comments and have a corrected file re-submitted.

end quote


I can see how this would be confusing.


Thanks for all your comments. I think you nailed it with the list:

1) softproof is not as popluar as hardcopy yet
2) many clients don't like to bother with calibrating their monitors
3) many clients don't have anyone with any color management knowledge on the stuff
4) softproof will cost you as a prepress vendor more than remote proofing.
5) how would you look at softproof on the press run? Pressroom would have to be wired and calibrated and press crews would have to be trained etc.

 

[skinnybonedog]

Re: Remote Color proofing

Hi,

About 5 months ago we went to total virtual proofing (remote, as has been said refers to hard copy proofs being sent back and forth). It works great, saves time and money and the magazine looks as good if not better than when we were running hard copy proofs between us and the printer. No horror stories.

T