A new quality assured update was uploaded to our Download Area.

This update to version 8.10 contains the Media and Light Profiler Module MLPFM. Its task is to adjust any existing color profile for:

• a new viewing light condition,
• a different media white point or
• changed profile settings.

A further module — Trim Nesting Module TNM — extends the containers’ auto arrange methods by the Trim Nesting Method. For trimming jobs by using Flexa and Fotoba synchronization marks on correspondent automatic roll cutters an optimal arrangement will be created.

New and revised functions:

Furthermore, the Container+ feature provides new functions:

• revised menu entries and key shortcuts,
• an optimized preview with job drag & drop and
• new dialogs for job listing in container.

Another useful function that is included in version 8.10 is the Support Helper Feature. It bundles all relevant data files used for testing and transfers them to the ColorGATE Web Support. Additionally, the help menu has been expanded by a few helpful entries.

Further, processing of vector files containing embedded or not embedded fonts will be processed more easily.

Further changes:

The Adobe Print Engine (APPE)has been updated to version 3.3 that comes with some news.

And finally, this version includes many general improvements/bugfixes as well as new printer drivers, e.g. for new HP Latex printers of 300 series, Epson SureColor printers and Inca Digital Onset R40i printer to be found in the New Printers section.

More information on version 8 can be found on our website: www.colorgate.com

1      New features and modules

1.1     Support helper feature

A new feature allows users to transfer any relevant data for the technical support in a fast and convenient way. By using these data (support info file) the ColorGATE support can test and solve individual problems efficiently. So any further exchange of information will then be reduced.

To create such a support info file the user has to go to the program menu entry ? > Support > Create Support Info File…

The following dialog in the program will advise how to proceed with the info file.

Furthermore, links have been added to the production software help menu to open the following pages on the ColorGATE website:

• Support Site… to jump to the ColorGATE support website that offers useful information, documentation and more.
• Techblog… to open a page with information to new functions.
• Create web support ticket… to jump to the web support ticket system. It allows asking if problems with the production software occur and offers solutions. The online help system (access via ? menu in the program) already provides a lot of basic information.
• View web support tickets… to view the customer’s individual tickets.

Further, the MIM administration was enhanced by a link to the download area on the web site to access required MIM packages.

For further information visit our website.

1.2     Trim Nesting Module (TNM)

This module extends the container by a new method called Trim nesting to be found in the Auto Arrange area. Its task is to position jobs in a way that they can be cut by automatic roll cutters like Flexa or Fotoba. In addition synchronization marks for these devices are enhanced to be usable in container jobs.

Accessing this module

When the TNM has been licensed, the Auto Arrange method Trim nesting is available in the Container Options dialog. Double clicking the container will open these options.

The Trim nesting method will then arrange jobs with the same height or width in rows. If auto-rotate is enabled for these jobs (Job settings on Job tab for single jobs) they will be rotated automatically fitting a row as best as possible. So finally jobs can be trimmed by simple horizontal and vertical cuts.

Program preview:

Sorting jobs

By default the jobs are not ordered. So now there is an option to order jobs by the same criteria as for the Ordered nesting method. This Sort Jobs dialog can be accessed by clicking the … button next to the method selection.

Setting synchronization marks

Finally, to make use of this Trim Nesting Module TNM, synchronization marks can be added. These are required since they support the optical sensors of automatic roll cutters and will be printed with the container jobs. Currently, Flexa and Fotoba cutters are supported (see 1 in the image).

In general cut marks (like any other cut mark) will not be displayed in the preview but will be printed.

Furthermore it is important to know that the selection of Flexa and Fotoba synchronization marks always switches any method to the Trim nesting method which is then fixed. Also, the distance (X/Y) used for nesting is automatically set in accordance to the size of the marks.

Another useful feature is the selection of a required synchronization mark color which can be done in the usual cut mark color dialog (see 2 in the Settings dialog image) to be accessed via the … button.

1.3     Container+ News

Container menu

The prior entries for the container: Create Container… and Add to Container… have been replaced by only one entry that can have different titles, depending on the selection in the job queue (archive):

• If one or some jobs are selected -> Create Container… -> short cut: Ctrl + Shift + C
• If exactly one container is selected -> Edit Job List… -> short cut: Ctrl + Shift + C
• If one container and some jobs are selected -> Add to Job List… -> short cut: Ctrl + Shift + C

A new entry has been added to view a container’s member as job list overview. This list is read only, so the container cannot be accidentally modified. -> View Job List… -> short cut: Ctrl + J

Another entry has been added to select a common MIM combination for any job in a selected container.
-> Select MIM for all Jobs….

Container dialogs

When creating a new container, there is now only one dialog that lists the selected jobs, shows warnings about MIM / print mode incompatible jobs and allows to specify a container name.

Container edit / preview window

The edit window has been revised, mainly in terms of easily adding jobs to the container per drag & drop.

To try it, double clicking the normal container preview will open the edit window as usual. Via menu Edit > Add Job… > Add Jobs dialog it is now possible to move desired jobs from this dialog to the preview and place it there. During job movement the dialog becomes transparent for better placement and visibility of container jobs behind it.

For more general information about the Container+ feature visit our website.

1.4     Media and Light Profiler Module (MLPFM)

This module allows a straightforward adaption of existing ICC profiles to different media coloration or the illuminant. The adaption can be achieved without a time-consuming new profiling. Thus, it is possible to consider various media colorations or specific illuminants without any loss of time. Even changed profile settings can be added in the new profile.

Accessing this module works the same way as opening any of the profiling assistants via the Options menu > Linearization and Profiling Assistant.

The first step or settings tab is the selection of Master Profile and the derived profile.

Then the assistant directly proceeds to the Profile Creation step to specify a new media white point and / or viewing light condition.

To finish the assistant a profile containing any new settings to viewing light condition or / and media white point will be created by clicking the Calculate Profile button.

Profile settings are then copied from the master profile. Means that derived profiles can be created without any changes to white point or viewing condition BUT only changes to the profile settings via the Profile Settings… button.

2      New printer drivers

The complete driver list can be found on our website.

3      News and modifications

3.1     General

Bugfixes

• Not embedded fonts for the FOGRA media wedge were automatically replaced with the inappropriate “Courier” font. Now the standard Windows fonts will be used (Times-New-Roman etc.).
• In some files with CMYK overprints but no transparencies, CMYK overprints got wrong colors in RGB mode.
• The function Saturation enhancement on the Profiles tab caused a blueish / greenish output (vector files) or an error (raster files).
• an existing hotfolder will get this hotfolder due date.
• Spot Color Replacements looked quite different in RGB and CMYK color modes.
• A tiling applied after a cropping on jobs that are rotated by 90 or 270 degrees resulted in a wrong output if the tiles were split into jobs.
• Jobs that exceeded the dimension of a hot container were lying upon each other in previous versions. Now they are placed in the archive (job queue) and a warning will be written to the job InfoLog.
• Tiles of a job with the option Center horizontally were not aligned that way after they had been split into single jobs.
• Since version 8 the InfoLog reported an embedded profile multiple times if the same embedded profile was used in multiple pages.
• If a scaled job (deactivated 1:1 scaling) has been added in the Container edit window, the job would not be placed but resized instead.
• If cut marks were applied on the trimbox of a PDF file and the file contained a bleedbox with unproportional dimensions the cutmarks had a wrong placement.

Improvements

• The workflow description ScreenPrintProof on the Workflow tab has been changed to ReproProof according to the Repro Proof Module RPM.
• A warning is now shown if the user is trying to install the software on an operating system prior to Windows Vista / Windows Server 2008 since these OS are not supported in version 8.
• The installation size has been reduced.
• If a file does not embed all fonts, there are possible cases for an enabled /disabled new checkbox Enable system fonts and Replace missing fonts with Courier on the RIP tab:
  1. Enable system fonts = OFF
  1.1. Replace missing fonts with Courier = OFF -> Error: – The following fonts were not embedded, check the font settings in the “RIP” tab. –
  1.2. Replace missing fonts with Courier = ON -> Warning: – The following fonts were not embedded, replacing with Courier. –
  2. Enable system fonts = ON -> if a system font is available: Info: – The following fonts were not embedded, using system fonts instead. – Otherwise:
  2.1. Replace missing fonts with Courier = OFF -> Error: – The following fonts are missing, check the font settings in the “RIP” tab. –
  2.2. Replace missing fonts with Courier = ON -> Warning: – The following fonts are missing, replacing with Courier. –
• Now there is an InfoLog report if system fonts are used in place of non-embedded fonts. Other font-related warnings have been improved as well.
• There is a new checkbox next to Set due date on the Job Data tab in job settings, which allows to enable or disable the due date. The due date will be initially disabled for new hotfolders and jobs. However, existing jobs and hotfolders already have the due date set, so new jobs that are created for

3.2     File processing

Bugfixes

• On multipage PDF jobs with many pages, the output preview was occasionally missing some pages.
• If a multipage PDF was loaded in the program and a color replacement for page 1 was set, this color in other pages changed, too. Only one replacement color had been created in the color table.
• enhanced compatibility for progressive JPEG files

Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE):

Update to version 3.3

• This update fixes the following:
• Colors were wrong in jobs if the PS8 installation directory contained spaces.
• Certain files took too much time to rip.
• Some files could not be processed and had a missing preview.

Bugfixes

• Certain PDF files could not be interpreted correctly using APPE. Areas with transparency had a yellow background. It was applied in cases if:
• some spot colors did not have an active replacement and/or
• the PDF did not use overprint and/or
• Disable overprint was activated on the RIP tab and/or
• a PDF had more than about 24 spot colors.

Printer related

Bugfixes

FUJIFILM Acuity LED 1600:

• The printer added about 4 inches to the end of the print.

Mimaki JV33:

• The printer performed more passes than expected if a white-supported print mode was used.

Roland LEC-50:

• Under certain conditions the curing settings for Varnish were used for the White layer.

Improvements

Inca Digital Printers:

• If ‘Special colors only’ is used the white layer will now always be placed in the layer that has been selected.

FUJIFILM Uvistar Pro8W / Matan Barak 8QW:

• These printers have got a firmware update which comprises new options to choose in the software. Users of these printers have to update the firmware (available from printer manufacturer or dealer) in order to use the new printer options.

Mimaki CJV30, Mimaki TPC-1000:

• A new custom ink set is now available that allows to handle generic special colors named “DeviceSpot1” and “DeviceSpot2”.

The complete printer driver list can be found here.

Filmgate Module (FGM)

• Altering the option Negative output did not show a “changed MIM” status on the Process Settings tab.
• PostScript MIMs are now automatically converted to Custom Screen MIMs. If such a MIM from an older version is used, a warning is shown that PostScript is no longer supported. The screening type has changed to Custom Screen and the existing settings like angle and frequency are applied automatically.

3.5     Print and Cut Module (PCM)

• i-cut: the output of a “pointer” mark is now supported.
• Control wedge and synchronization marks (EROs) caused a cut path in a cut file to be shifted.
• An enabled cutting for a job or hotfolder with the Zünd Cut Center as device caused Productionserver to run very slowly.
• Synchronization marks for cutters in combination with Fotoba marks produced a wrong output.

TVI Calibration Module (TVICM)

3.7     Profiler Module (PFM)If the TVICM was licensed one of the following modules was required by mistake to use the process calibrations’ TVI-tab: PSDM, FGM, CSM or SPPM.

• A new minimum value of 100% for total ink in profiler settings has been implemented instead of 150%.
• The driver for X-Rite i1iO2 has been updated to SDK version 2.2.
• The driver for X-Rite i1Pro has been updated to SDK version 4.2.