Macbeth ColorChecker

The ColorChecker is a checkerboard array of 24 scientifically prepared colored squares in a wide range of colors. Many of these squares represent natural objects of special interest, such as human skin, foliage, and blue sky. These squares are not only the same color as their counterparts, but also reflect light the same way in all parts of the visible spectrum. Due to this unique feature, the squares will match the colors of natural objects under any illumination and with any color reproduction process. Many color management applications will now accept an image of the Macbeth ColorChecker as input from various scanners and from digital cameras.

Mini Macbeth ColorChecker

This smaller version of the ColorChecker is ideal for the photographer who takes photos of very small items. It can easily be placed in the smallest of images to check for color balance and neutrality. A must-have tool for the digital photographer to check for gray balance across the tonal range.

Color Communicator

The Color Communicator is a prepress color-viewing device that takes the guesswork out of color translation. It enables you to quickly specify a color in terms of dot area values on a printing surface. Easier and faster to use than a color chart, the Color Communicator gives a more reliable depiction of a color than you would expect to get from a color monitor. The Color Communicator consists of four process color wedges that have a tonal scale ranging from

0-100% dot area in 10% increments. It can be used to see variations in lightness or hue of a particular color, to determine what color will be generated from a set of halftone dots, to match colors, or to observe what effect different substrates have on color.

GATF/Rhem Light Indicator

The GATF/Rhem Light Indicator is a device for the visual control of color viewing. When attached to the border of a color proof or transparency, the Light Indicator will signal whether the viewer is judging color accuracy with or without a 5000K standard light source. Under standard lighting, the Light Indicator appears as a solid magenta patch. However, under non-standard light sources, the broad stripes of the two magenta metameric colorants that comprise the Indicator are readily apparent. The small patches, backed with a non-permanent adhesive, can be peeled off and attached to the border of color proofs, color copies, color reproductions, or the sleeve of a transparency.

Digital Proof Comparator

The GCA/GATF Proof Comparator III is a film target that evaluates the accuracy and consistency of off-press proofs. This device permits users to confirm that a proof has been properly made and accurately represents the proofing system. The Comparator consists of a set of separation films; a proof of these films becomes a "reference comparator" against which the Proof Comparator imaged on production proofs is evaluated.

Quality Control Photographs

These photographs are designed to test the limits of process color printing reproduction, whether by offset printing processes, digital proofing devices or digital presses. These images can be used to check for consistency in the proofing system. These photographs are excellent training tools and can be used to teach new scanner operators to recognize differences between transparencies and they help identify gamut mapping. Each photograph is available in four media: 45” digital duplicate transparencies, 35mm digital duplicate slides, 57 glossy prints, and TIFF files in RGB and CMYK formats at two resolutions on CD for both Macintosh and Windows operating systems.

Digital/Film Plate Control Targets

Plate control targets are highly precise test images for diagnosing, calibrating, and monitoring imaging steps in the graphic reproduction process. As the name implies, plate control targets are designed for platemaking. However, they are also useful for other graphic arts processes that utilize contact printing and digital imaging. GATF Plate Control Targets improve consistency in the exposure of printing plates and other materials. They also provide measurements of exposure level, resolution, and dot gain, and indicate problems of halation or non-uniform imaging.

Pilot Color Tolerance Exercise

The Pilot Color Tolerance Exercise Kit is vital if your company charges customers based on how tight a color tolerance they require. This is an easy, foolproof way to determine tolerance for color acceptability that benefits your customers and offers your company the potential for increased profits. The Pilot Color Tolerance Exercise is a simple, uncomplicated process; all that is needed is 5000K lighting.

Color Control Bars

The GATF digital color control bars are supplied on CD in Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) file format for either Macintosh or Windows operating systems. As the color bars are EPS files, they can be output at any screen ruling. The color bars can be opened in Adobe Illustrator and adjusted to the required length for your press size. All color control bars contain basic elements for measuring ink densities, overprint ink densities, dot gain, slur, gray balance, print contrast, ink film trapping and doubling. All of the GATF film-based color bars are imaged at 150 lpi using a Euclidean dot shape. If you require a different line screen or dot shape, please request it.

Two-Sided Web Press Test Forms

17x22” Four-Color Two-Sided Web Press Test Form and 17x24” Six-Color Two-Sided Web Press Test Form. These are tools to help heatset web offset printers achieve higher quality color printing with less waste and reduced make-ready time. They enable you to diagnose, calibrate, and characterize your printing conditions (press, ink, fountain solution, paper, plate, blanket) to avoid productivity problems before they start.

HutchColor Targets

The HutchColor HCT is a new target for use in creating ICC scanner profiles. Designed for extremely demanding users, it has approximately twice as many patches as IT8.7/1 and two IT8 targets, a better sampling of dark colors, and nearly three times as many gray scale steps. The HCT is designed to improve results from saturated high-density images. Users report improved shadow color and easier correction of underexposed originals. The reflective HCT can be used with both scanners and digital cameras.

Register Test Grids

The GATF Register Test Grid is available in two sizes, in both film and digital format. The Register Test Grid contains a precisely ruled pattern of line and highlight tint patches (10%) imaged on a dimensionally stable .007” polyester base. It detects misregister as slight as

.25mm/.001”.

Ghosting Test Form

The GATF Mechanical Ghosting Test Form is available in both film and digital format. The Ghosting Form is designed to show the effects of mechanical ghosting on a printed sheet. Typically, mechanical ghosting is caused by ink starvation, but can also be caused by form rollers with an incorrect diameter and swollen or compressed blankets. The film version of the test form is imaged on dimensionally stable .007” polyester.

Digital Test Form Version 5.0

The GATF Digital Test Form is a five-page form designed to provide a uniform means of testing the many digital systems available today, including digital proofers and presses. The image size of each page is 21.6x28cm/8.5x11” plus bleed. The first page of the Digital Test Form 5.0 contains most of the elements needed to measure and compare imaging systems.

28x43cm/11x17" Sheetfed Test Forms

Previously, smaller printers have had no test form to use in order to calibrate their presses. Now GATF has designed two test forms for testing digital and conventional printing systems, one for single-color presses and one for multicolor printing presses. The One-Color Test Form is a diagnostic form designed to test the mechanical characteristics of the printing press. The Four-Color Test Form is used to characterize the color reproduction process and is now available in landscape or portrait design so that the test form can be run long edge or short edge. These test forms are available in both film and digital formats.

51x36cm/20x14” and 36x51cm/14x20" Sheetfed Test Forms

The GATF 14x20” Digital Sheetfed Test Form provides a digital file to generate a press form that is used to diagnose and calibrate a 51cm/20” printing press. This test form can also be used to diagnose and calibrate the filmsetter or platesetter and incorporates several native PostScript elements to utilize the full potential of the filmsetter or platesetter.

48x64cm/19x25" Sheetfed Test Form

Designed to help printers in diagnosing and calibrating color reproduction on 64cm/25” presses with up to eight printing units, this test form is available in digital or film format. The film-based test form is output at 150 lpi using a Euclidean dot shape. This test form can also be used to diagnose and calibrate the filmsetter or platesetter and incorporates several native PostScript elements to utilize the full potential of the filmsetter or platesetter. Included with this test form is a GATF Plate Control Target to monitor exposure and image quality, a GATF Mechanical Ghosting Test Form, and a GATF Register Test Grid.

64x97cm/25x38" Sheetfed Test Forms

Designed to help printers in diagnosing and calibrating color reproduction on 40” presses with up to eight printing units, this test form is available in digital or film format. The GATF 64x97cm/25x38” Sheetfed Test Form 5.1 provides a digital file to generate a press form that is used to diagnose and calibrate a 97cm/38” printing press with up to eight units. This test form can also be used to diagnose and calibrate the filmsetter or platesetter and incorporates several native PostScript elements to utilize the full potential of the filmsetter or platesetter.

 

56x86cm/22x34” Two-Sided Six-Color Web Press Test Forms

Similar to the smaller version web test forms, this test form is designed to handle the larger press size of 56x86cm/22x34”. They enable you to diagnose, calibrate, and characterize your printing conditions (press, ink, fountain solution, paper, plate, blanket) to avoid productivity problems before they start.

 

GATF/SNAP Newspaper Test Form

The popular GATF Newspaper Test Form has been updated and expanded to make the new GATF/SNAP Test Form. This two-page test form was developed with the SNAP Committee and the technical staff of the Newspaper Association of America. It provides greater measuring capabilities and compatibility with today's digital imaging systems. The GATF/SNAP Test Form is available in either film or digital format. The first page measures the characteristics of the newspaper printing system; it can be used to calibrate the output of the prepress system to achieve optimal color reproduction on the press and can be used to establish meaningful process control aim points for the pressroom. The second page contains a color chart to help the user get predictable colors from the newspaper printing system.

 

SWOP Products

Specifications for Web Offset Publications (SWOP) was initiated in 1975 as a response to the printing industry's need for uniform specifications and tolerances to ensure consistency and quality of advertising material in publications. We offer a number of tools that SWOP has developed in support of this mission.

UGRA Plate Control Wedge

The UGRA Plate Control Wedge consists of five elements: the calibrated continuous-tone wedge, consisting of 13 steps at .15 density increments, the calibrated halftone wedge containing patches (150 lines per inch/59 lines per cm), doubling/ slur targets, 12 circular patches with positive/ negative halves, and positive/negative highlight and shadow dot control patches.

FTS Flexographic Color Application Guide in Popular Pantone Colors

This first-ever flexo color application guide in popular Pantone colors was created to assist in matching ink colors used in flexographic printing. It provides designers and printers an excellent tool to determine how a color will appear with high-gloss UV varnish vs. a water-based overprint varnish on coated and matte-coated paper (and it provides details about how it was achieved).