Colour Management from image to print!

We are a Colour Management Consultancy, based in Hertfordshire, U.K., and have been helping our clients since 1997.

We specialise in Colour Management Consultancy and Training for the Printing, Pre-press, Advertising, Design, Photographic and Publishing Industries.

If you desire the very best colour, we are here to help you.

Modern ICC Colour Management technology, when correctly implemented, ensures the most faithful rendition of the original photograph, or with digital photography the original scene, through to the printed result. This site will introduce our Colour Management Consultancy and Training services.  Our services encompass the whole spectrum of ICC Colour Management and include ICC profiling and troubleshooting colour problems with scanners, colour monitors, inkjet printers, proofing systems and offset litho printing presses. This site will also provide you with a little background information on modern Colour Management and ICC Profiling and Profiles.  There are also a few useful hints and tips. There is a lot of useful information on high-end scanning, which is a particular expertise of ours. These pages will be updated from time to time, so keep checking!

Colour Management News and Tips from Phil Cruse

New Profiles Released by ECI/FOGRA

Following last year's release of ICC Profiles based on the FOGRA 39 & 40 Data Sets, the ECI have now released four new profiles based on FOGRA 41-44 Data. That based on FOGRA 41 will be the most popular being for heatset web offset. 42 is for heatset newsprint, while 43-44 are for offset printing with stochastic screening.

ISO Standard in Printing. What's it all about?

For the past year or so there has been a lot of talk, not just in the U.K., but globally, about "ISO" and "FOGRA 39", and a lot of confusion!

Many leading printing companies worldwide are now working to the latest ISO (International Standards Organisation) ISO-12647 standard. Many Publishers also require supplied images and proofs to be created to that standard. These standards are revised after lengthy discussions around the world by many technical committees.

You have probably also heard the phrases "FOGRA 39" and "ECI" and wondered what they are? FOGRA is the German Printing Industries Research Organisation, which is a member of the ECI, or European Colour Initiative. They jointly issue ICC Profiles which help you print, proof and view  images to the ISO standard.  "FOGRA 39" is the most popular of a long list of "Data Sets" from which ICC Profiles are made. This profile describes sheetfed offset printing on Paper Types 1 & 2, which are very high-quality, very "white" coated papers. They also provide very sound specifications for various types of printing. Please refer to our Printing Specifications page for more information.

All of this may be a bit daunting for those new to Colour Management. In which case you should consult an expert. We normally do this as part of a "Colour Tune-up".  In the U.K. we are here to help you!