Everyone doing wide format inkjet printing will eventually need to obtain a spectrophotometer, a color measurement tool to calibrate your monitor, and ICC profiling software. When it comes to selecting color management tools your choices are basically X-Rite or GretagMabeth.

X-Rite Color Management tool at GraphExpo 2004 tradeshow

X-Rite DTP41uv

Now that FLAAR has moved into the College of Technology at Bowling Green State University of Ohio , we have onboard a specialist in color management, namely professor Chuck Spontelli, whose MS degree is from Rochester Institute of Technology. So we will be adding sections on color management to this site over the course of this semester.

The technical lab manager is Brent Cavanaugh. He uses the X-Rite DTP41UV in the FLAAR facility. Professor Spontelli has the same X-Rite DTP41 in the non-ultra violet version. UV has to do with the whiteners present in some wide format inkjet media. X-Rite also makes a T version, for transmissive, to read transparent media such as backlit.

In the meantime, we have prepared a FLAAR Report if you wish some quick facts right now. You can download the Preview of FLAAR Premium Report Series on Color Management

X-Rite Color management tools		Brent using X-Rite spectrophotometer and Monaco Profiler software in FLAAR labs at BGSU

Color management and ICC color profiles are the part of digital imaging that people try to avoid the longest. We have blissfully avoided this aspect of digital imaging reality for four years, after all, the early Encad and early EFI Fiery RIP did not have much support for ICC color profiles the same way color management ICC color tools are available today. Today you can get Monaco profiler software from Monaco Systems

The newest versions of Monaco EZ Color were shown at DRUPA. We spent 10 days taking notes so we could update the FLAAR Reports in PDF format.

Last updated May 26, 2004.
Previous updates: Jan 7, 2003, Nov. 15, 2002, Aug. 2001.