Signed profiles for Color Confirmation

The Certified Process for Color Confirmation requires signed profiles. Otherwise, the use of signed profiles is optional. 

What signing does and does not do to profiles

To ensure file integrity of an existing profile, the signing process adds Kodak-specific tags and then seals the profile with a digital signature. The digital seal indicates that the profile has not been edited. The tags are compatible with the custom-tagging ICC specifications and do not alter the color characteristics of the profile in any way.

When a profile is signed, you and your customers know:

• A particular profile was used.
• Proofs made with the profile will always be printed using the correct paper.
• The profile was not changed since it was signed.

Changing the name of a profile does not affect the digital signature. However, altering the contents of a signed profile breaks the digital signature. You can sign an unsigned profile again.

Origin of profiles–Kodak or custom

Signed profiles come in two forms—Kodak profiles and custom profiles:

• Kodak profiles have gone through the Kodak quality assurance process. In Proofer Administrator, on the ICC Profiles tab, the origin of these profiles is Kodak.
• Custom profiles are created outside of Kodak Proofing Software, imported into Kodak Proofing Software, and signed. Custom profiles do not go through the Kodak quality assurance process. In Proofer Administrator, on the ICC Profiles tab, the origin of these profiles is Custom.

The profiles provided by Kodak for each proofer media are created from a very large sample of media batches, ink batches, and proofers. As a result, they are much less likely to show color deviation than a custom profile created for one individual proofer based on one media batch and one ink batch. In order to maintain consistent color performance, it is strongly recommended that you use the Kodak profiles that are delivered with the proofer. For the same reason, it is strongly recommended that you use the Kodak proofer profile (also called a paper profile) when creating a DeviceLink.

If you alter the contents of a profile, the digital signature breaks, and you need to re-sign the profile. Changing the name of a profile does not affect the digital signature.

Profile signatures with a custom logo for the caption

To include a logo on the caption for jobs printed with the Certified Process for Color Confirmation, you must submit the signed profile and logo to Kodak to sign again with the logo. The logo must be a TIFF image, and it is added to the profile during a special Kodak signing process. (You cannot use Kodak Proofing Software to add a logo to the profile). The logo will appear on the caption immediately to the right of the Certified logo, before the caption text.

Requirements for a customer-supplied logo

• CMYK TIFF format, 8 bits per pixel, stripped (not tiled), separated, planar configuration
• Stored at device resolution
• LZW compression is strongly recommended. For example, the 1500 dpi Certified Process logo is 2341 KB uncompressed, but only 65 KB when compressed using LZW.
• Recommended size is maximum 0.5 in. (750 pixels) high and 0.5-1.0 in. (750–1500 pixels) wide. The caption is optimized for 0.5 in. (750 pixels) height. Making the custom logo any higher will increase the caption size and decrease the maximum image area available for the job.

1. Use Proofer Administrator to sign the custom profile. 
   The signature captures the category and media configuration name (if applicable) for the profile.

2. Before you send the signed profile to Kodak, ensure that you have the following information for the profile:

   Information	Target (press) or simulation profiles	Output (proofer) profiles
   Customer name (will be used for archiving profiles)	Yes	Yes
   Intended workflow/platform	Yes	Yes
   Product family and version	Yes	Yes
   Custom logo to embed if desired	Yes	Yes
   Specific media type for each profile		Yes

3. Log a support call on the the Partner Place service and support portal, or contact a service representative.
   The service representative will determine the best way for you to send your profiles to Kodak. The profiles are then signed with the logo and returned to you.
4. Import the profile(s) into Proofer Administrator.
5. Copy the profiles to the correct location in your workflow system.