The

TRUTH about low-cost inkjet

digital proofingAndy McCourt

CyraChrome Pty Ltd

GASAA Conference Monday March 6th 2000

AMAZING TRUTHS• Lower-end inkjet (DOD) not presently as

robust as high-end (CF) digital proofing (e.g. Digital Cromalin® ) But……

• It costs significantly less to own, run and maintain

• Piezo (1440 x 720dpi) is vastly superior to thermal (300 or 600dpi) inkjet, for proofing

• Engines are great, RIPs are great (especially O.R.I.S. ColorTuner™ ) but work needed on inks and receptor materials

MORE AMAZING TRUTHS!• CyraChrome has tested every viable proofing

ink/paper combination

• DeltaE shifts measured using Gretag-Macbeth Spectrolino & SpectroScan

• Conclusion: Current generation inks good but not perfect - need wider gamut, esp. in yellow

• Current generation proofing papers need to hold ink more stably. Digital Cromalin® 7x longevity

• HOWEVER Proofs look fantastic and are entirely suitable if they get to the printer quickly

PIEZO PRINT ENGINES MAKE THE DIFFERENCEPIEZO PRINT ENGINES

MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

EPSON STYLUS PRO 5000 (A3+)

Around $15K with RIP

EPSON STYLUS 9000 (BO+)

Around $40K with RIP

GASAA WORLD FIRST!

• New model• Launching May 2000• 500mm roll width• Perfect for A2+• Same 6-colour piezo

system as 5000/9000• O.R.I.S. ColorTuner

RIP already written• Under $30K with RIP• (Plus GST)

MORE GASAA FIRSTS..

• New DuPont/Epson proofing media in Gloss & Semi-matte holds dye stability longer

• New DuPont ‘ColorStation’ RIP here by DRUPA, for Epson 5000 & 9000

• New Cromalin® Photographers’ Proof solves problem of repro for digital photographs

SUMMARY• In ‘low-end’ inkjet, piezo technology wins hands-down • However, engine is only one-fifth of the solution• You need a proof-grade RIP, inkset, media and…• Someone like CyraChrome, who knows what proofing,

calibrating and press fingerprinting are• 6 types of proofing - Image Capture, Concept ‘A’, Concept

‘B’, Contract grade ‘A’, Contract grade ‘B’ and Imposition. There are markets for all of these.

• CyraChrome offers: DuPont Digital Cromalin®, Cromalin® Photographers’ Proof, ColorStation, DesignerProof. O.R.I.S.ColorTuner 5000/7000/9000 for Epson Piezo Printers and DuPont Digital Dylux® for imposition.

PROOFING MORE OFTEN, MORE ACCURATELY

• Image Capture Proof

• Initial Concept Proof

• Advanced Concept Proof

• Contract Grade ‘A’ Proof

• Contract Grade ‘B’ Proof

• Imposition Proof

• CTP Dot Proof

• New Cromalin® Photographers’ Proof

• ColorTuner Lite/Epson 3000/5000, DesignerProof

• New ColorStation & Epson 5000/7000/9000

• Digital Cromalin® • ColorTuner 9000/Epson &

DuPont ColorStation• DuPont Digital Dylux® • New Thermal Cromalin®

& Thermal Dylux

THANK YOU• See you in Germany at DRUPA 2000, May

18-31 CyraChrome will have staff periodically on the following stands:

• DuPont - Hall 4

• CGS O.R.I.S - Hall 5

• Epson - Hall 7

• And….. In the Irish Pub in the Altstadt