Details:
Summary:
This study was conducted to test the effectiveness of ink optimization software programs in use today. Ink optimization programs implement gray component replacement to reduce the amount of ink required to print color images. Ideally, this is performed without altering the color appearance of the output. Nine different vendors (ten total programs) were compared in this study to determine how much ink reduction was being achieved and how much color difference was associated with the use of the ink reduction programs. Printing Industries of America (PIA) supplied digital files of selected test images to the participants, who returned digital files processed through their own ink optimization programs. All output files were prepared for the U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v.2 destination color space. Kodak Approval proofs were made from all of the vendor-supplied output files and compared with a control proof made by PIA with no ink optimization applied. One participant submitted files that did not have ink optimization applied. The remaining nine ink optimization programs all resulted in substantial ink reduction of 15%-26% less than the ink coverage of the control file to which no ink optimization was applied. The results with respect to color differences associated with the applications of the ink optimization programs were mixed. The files from five of the vendors were found to provide commercially acceptable color matches, while the files from the other four vendors did not.