Advances in Spectra Direct Digital Color Proofing Systems

The needs and requirements of Direct Digital Color Proofing (DDCP) have been a subject of keen interest and discussion for the last seven years. The prepress proof serves as an internal control tool for the various prepress steps, and sets the production aim points. It shows the client values in black and white separations as they will appear, in color, in the end product. Soft proofing on a CRT terminal does not serve the purpose. Continuous tone approaches, using conventional photographic papers, diffusion transfer papers, thermography, ink jet and other methods, in absence of halftone generation do not truly serve the purposes of a prepress proof. It is felt that what is seen in an analog proof and how it is interpreted must also be available in a direct digital proof.