Getting familiar with ColorFlow

Begin your migration to ColorFlow by learning about its curve creation and management features, and how to use ColorFlow curves in Prinergy. Some activities of the ColorFlow Software Activity Guide will guide you through this process.

1. If you use a plate measurement device to linearize your plates, create a Plate Curve in ColorFlow. See Activity 1: Use a plate curve to linearize a plate.
   
   
2. To import curve values from another application or workflow system, or to make subjective corrections to printed color, define a Print Transfer curve by Tint In/Out Points. See Activity 2: Use a transfer curve to control tonal response. This method is very similar to creating a Harmony derived calibration curve with a linear current curve, a method commonly used in Harmony.
   
   
3. If you're creating curves with a third-party application that exports Harmony curve format, you can import those curves directly into ColorFlow and optionally convert them to adjustable transfer curves. See Importing a Harmony print calibration curve.
   
   
4. When you're setting up a new press or calibrating printing on a new substrate, print and measure a P2P51 chart. You'll need a supported measurement instrument for task. Using this chart measurement, you can use ColorFlow and Prinergy to calibrate your presswork to any industry standard, for example:
   
   
   1. Tonal match to ISO TVI (dot gain) curves specified for FOGRA print conditions; see Activity 4: Use a print curve to align a press with an industry specification for tonal match. You can also use any tint ramp measurement for this setup.
   2. G7 gray balance; see Activity 5: Use a print curve to match a legacy workflow calibration curve.
   3. Gray balance calibration to a reference print condition like FOGRA 51, GRACoL 2013 (CRPC6) and many others; see Activity 6: Use a print curve to align a press with an industry specification for gray balance.
      
      
5. With any of the ColorFlow print curves identified above, you can make an on-the-fly curve adjustment in Prinergy to correct press color, avoiding proliferation of job-specific, one-time use curves. Task 3 of Activity 4: Use a print curve to align a press with an industry specification for tonal match shows you how. (Note: Prinergy Evo does not support this feature.)