Star Proof and Star Plate are Roaring

last week Apple launched it's most successful OS ever. Over a million download in just one day. Compose was ready for the event and I'm very glad to tell you that Star Proof and Star Plate have been updated so they are compatible with Lion (MacOS X 10.7).



Star Plate uses the actual dots of the original RIPped 1-bit file and preserves its dot patterns, screening and dot gain calibration. With it's high quality dot formation engine, Star Plate can output film or plates at 150 lpi with a high quality hard dot with the density values similar to what's expected from traditional film or plate devices.

Star Proof is dot per dot proofing system capable of simulating line screens up to 220 lpi, Star Proof is well known for reproducing the sharpest dots possible on an Epson proofer. Star Proof will show the same dot produced by your RIP on your proofer, in just the way they will show once printed on your press.

This new update allows Star Plate to better and more precisely handle top and left margins. Up to four decimal places.

Previous versions of Star Proof and Star Plate where unable to save license the file on OS X Lion, this has now been fixed. Keep in mind that you will have to install Java Runtime as it's not installed by default with the standard Lion installation procedure.

For more information e-mail me at alvaro@composeusa.com

Compose Releases Star Proof 6.5

We are proud to announce the release of Star Proof 6.5. Star Proof is Compose's dot per dot proofing solution. Capable of generating proofs up to 220 lpi. Star Proof does this by recombining 1 bit tiffs or ESKO LEN files. This new version of Star Proof brings compatibility to the new Epson Stylus Pro 3880, 4900, 7890 and 9890 plotters.

The Epson Stylus Pro 4900 is designed to offer professionals a powerful combination of performance, flexibility and ease-of-use. It includes automatic switching between roll and cut-sheet media, allowing users to have both the front paper cassette and roll feeder loaded with different media types and automatically switch between them with a simple driver selection. In addition, the high-capacity paper cassette holds up to 200 sheets of 8.5”x11” to 17”x24” sized sheets.



The Epson Stylus Pro 7890 and 9890 offer the same leading technology found in the Epson Stylus Pro 900-series, including ePlaten™ automatic media loading, spindle-free roll media loading, a roll media tracking system, front control panel with 2.5-inch color LCD, rotary cutter, fabric catch bin, and robust printer stand. The printers also feature Epson’s latest ink-repelling coating and auto nozzle verification technologies to virtually eliminate clogged nozzles, and use nine individual high-capacity ink cartridges up to 700 ml. In addition, these new models are capable of handling virtually any media type, in roll or cut-sheet. Both models are available with an optional SpectroProofer® spectrophotometer.

All these printers including the 3880 can swap black inks without having to remove any print cartridges. This is very important for those customers who switch back and forth between glossy and matte media.

Star Proof takes full advantage of the features included in these printers.

If you have any questions about this contact me directly or your Compose dealer.

Let's meet online

We are always looking for ways to hear from you and we have listened. Customers have asked us to become more active online with webinars. The idea is to set a date for doing an online demo of a product and answer any questions you may have about it. You can join the conversation whether you a Compose user or if you are looking to find more about our products. We have placed a calendar on this blog with the upcoming webinars. To attend one, all you need is a browser and a Skype® account to listen and ask questions.



I hope to see you soon on one of our webinars.

Printing Labels across the Pond

This week I've been in our UK office. I've learning about the iSys Apex 1290 digital label printer. A machine designed to print photo quality images along with variable data on a variety of media products, which include tag stock up to 12 point in thickness, adhesive label stock and various synthetic medias.

The Apex 1290 digital label printer is driven by Express Label Print, a nifty software solution from Compose. Express Label Print or ELP, can handle a multitude of different stocks and optimizes label layouts to reduce media waste. You can print on pre cut media or also import your CF2 die cut files for the best possible layout.
You can add variable data to your print jobs on the Apex 1290 digital label printer with Compose Variprint.

Below is a video of the Apex 1290 digital label printer in action:

On this trip I've also visited customers to talk about press calibration and the advantage of having presses and proofers matching common specifications and standards. I've also taken the opportunity to learn from my European colleagues about their experience with ISO 12647-2.



Simon, Tom and me at BHF in Dartford responding to our customer's questions.

Tonight I'll have pint thinking not thinking about the flight back to California.

Contact me if you have any questions about the Apex 1290 or anything else that catches your eye on this blog.

With Star Proof 6 spot color matching is a breeze

By Michael Jahn



Capable of simulating line screens up to 220 lpi, Star Proof is well known for reproducing the sharpest dots possible on an Epson proofer. Star Proof will show the same dot produced by your RIP on your proofer, in just the way they will show once printed on your press. But, did you know that Star Proof can reproduce spot colors with a high degree of accuracy?

The new EPSON Sylus Pro 7900/9900 and WT7900 offer an incredibly larger color gamut than previous plotters. This is due to the additional inks these plotters utilize. Orange and green on the Stylus Pro 7900 and 9900. And white ink on the WT7900. Star Proof 6 takes advantage of this larger color space to accurately reproduce spot colors. Calibrating Star Proof to do this, it's very easy with its optional Packaging Option. Here's how:

With the aid of X-Rite's color port, we create a target made up of all the spot colors that we wish to calibrate. Then we print it and read it using your favorite spectro device - in our case, we used the i1 iSis reader, also from X-Rite.




Then we iterate this process. As we go along, we watch the dE between the actual values and the expected values get smaller and smaller



... and at the end of the process, we have over 1100 spot color definitions with 96% of them under 5 dE. Simple!



Another very cool feature of the Star Proof Packaging option is the ability to add spot colors by using an spot spectrophotometer, like X-Rite's i1. Read it, add it to the spot color list and you are ready to use it.

Think accurate duotones
Have you ever tried to proof a duotone? Star Proof can generate color precise duotones. With Star Proof your press operator can see a proof and know what inks make up a color. Try that with your average proof from a plotter.

Star Proof also enables you to assign the appropriate opacity to each spot color providing ultimate press simulation.

You may be thinking, why a dot proof?

Printing processes that use coarse screening or different screen ruling in the same job will have a major influence on its visual appreance and color gamut.
Actual dot per dot - right down to rosettes, fine line art, text at just 1pt, and even defects such as moire patterns.

Here's how a typical Star Proof workflow looks like:

Click on the image to see a larger view

The new Epson Stylus Pro WT7900 is here and Star Proof is ready

This image was printed on clear film on an Epson Stylus Pro WT7900. What makes it different from other prints done on other plotters? Well, if you look at the flying dove, or the guy's checkered shirt, you'll notice that there's white. But wait a minute, wasn't this printed on clear film and the background is certainly not white. How can this be?

Let me introduce you to the new Epson Stylus Pro WT7900. And you guess it, it can print white ink. What makes this new printer more interesting, if you are say involved in flexo printing or part of the packaging industry, is that Star Proof can drive it. As you may know, Star Proof is a dot per dot proofing system. Meaning that it can reproduce the same halftone screen patterns that will end up on press. Star Proof can provide very accurate color proofs with dots and with this new printer, with white dots!
You can click on any of the images on this post to see them bigger.

Call your Compose dealer or us directly at (916) 920-3838 for a printed sample.

Epson launches Stylus Pro WT7900 for packaging proofing

At LabelPrint in Brussels earlier this month, Epson launched a new plotter called Stylus Pro WT7900. What sets this plotter apart from all other proofing plotters in the market is that the Stylus Pro WT7900 can print white ink. A white ink capable plotter has been coveted by the packaging world for a long time. The new Epson Stylus Pro WT7900 can print on flexible film, paper and metallic media, this allows this plotter to deliver proofs that closely resemble what the final product will be like.

When the printer becomes available earlier next year, our Star Proof will be ready for it. Star Proof is the perfect proofing software to drive this new printer from Epson. Star Proof currently delivers superb spot color matching. Plus Star Proof can simulate, dot per dot, screens up to 220 lpi. Add white ink to this, and you have a very powerful, very accurate proofing system for the packaging world.

Please e-mail or call me for further information.

Compose Systems’ Star Proof proofing solution now supports X-Rite’s i1iSis automated chart reader

PRESS RELEASE

Press Contact:

Véronique Froment:

veronique@highrezpr.com

Tel: + 1 603-537-9248

X-Rite and Compose Systems Extend their Partnership to Offer Automated Accurate Dot-for-Dot Proofing Workflow

Compose Systems’ Star Proof proofing solution now supports X-Rite’s i1iSis automated chart reader

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, September 11th 2009 – X-Rite, Incorporated (NASDAQ: XRIT), the world leader in color management, measurement and communication technologies, and Compose Systems, an established developer of prepress workflow, digital color proofing and print publishing solutions, today announced that they have extended their long-standing partnership to offer prepress professionals an automated dot-for-dot proofing solution to produce high quality screened contract proofs on inkjet printers. The new solution will be shown for the first time at Print 09 on Compose Systems’ booth (booth # 6555).

Compose Systems has optimized the newly announced version of its Star Proof proofing technology (version 6.0) to offer seamless support for X-Rite’s i1iSis automated chart reader. The combination of the two technologies will enable customers to quickly and accurately produce and verify spot colors to deliver top quality proofs on an inkjet printer.

With its Actual Dot feature, designed to replicate original screening and dot patterns at proofing resolutions, Star Proof 6.0 delivers contract proofs with a hard dot, sharp images, accurate color and fine detail - just as they would appear on the press. Using ROOM (RIP once output many) proofing architecture to resample the same set of high-resolution separations that are sent to the platesetter/imagesetter, Star Proof ensures data integrity between proof and print.

Using X-Rite’s i1iSis high-speed automated chart reader as part of their workflow, Star Proof users will be able to quickly and easily measure full spectral data from their simulated spot colors, and avoid wasting time hand-scanning rows or reading individual color patches. With the i1Isis, users are able to calibrate simulated spots, by exporting their spot color definitions, and use the iSis to read them back to Star Proof for optimal accuracy.

Combined with i1Isis, Star Proof gives users a comprehensive set of tools to achieve excellent color matching between proof and press, offering traditional color calibration and fine controls for matching inks via color shade, calibration curve and dot gain compensation. Star Proof uses the spectrophotometric readings provided by the i1Isis to analyze and compare printing press target charts and proof printer calibration charts. The readings are input to Star Proof, which then creates a system profile for the specific printer and saves this for future use. Using i1Isis, Star Proof can also prepare a color curve with the appropriate gamut which users can then fine tune for even more precise color matching.

Star Proof updated for Snow Leopard

Today we released a Star Proof update which brings compatibility with MacOS X 10.6, aka Snow Leopard. This update is recommended for Star Proof 6, Star Proof 5 and Star Proof Lite users. Star Proof is Compose's dot per dot proofing system. Star Proof recombines 1 bit tiffs to produce color accurate proof that simulate line screens up to 220 lpi on CMYK and spot colors.
When Star Proof 6 is used with Epson's new Stylus Pro 7900 or 9900 printers, besides generating the best dot shape on an inkjet proofer, it can reproduce spot colors very accurately. Please contact your Compose dealer or Compose USA for download and installation details. To download a Star Proof brochure click here
Stop by our booth 6555 at Print09 to see Star Proof 6 in action.