ZePrA - Simple, automated use of top-class ICC and DeviceLink profiles

Now that DeviceLink profiles have increasingly established themselves for processing digital data for various reproduction methods, ZePrA from ColorLogic offers a solution for automating the color conversion of PDF and pixel files by means of ICC and DeviceLink profiles. This makes ZePrA the ideal addition to CoLiPri, CoPrA and the Standard DeviceLink Profile Sets from ColorLogic, enabling the user to apply previously created profiles to PDF and image data via hotfolders. This permits simple and time-saving implementation of the frequently tiresome task of converting data from different suppliers or converting legacy data to a new printing standard.

Advantages of ZePrA at a glance:
ZePrA is a color server for MacOSX and Windows platforms. Once the user has created ICC or DeviceLink profiles, they can be applied to PDF and image data via hotfolders. This permits simple and time-saving implementation of the frequently tiresome task of converting data from different suppliers or converting legacy data to a new printing standard. ZePrA supports not only CMYK-CMYK, but also all combinations of Grayscale, RGB and CMYK color spaces in the case of DeviceLink profiles.

Integration with Enfocus Switch
Version 1.2 or higher of ZePrA permits integration with Enfocus Switch, in order to be able to realize a complete workflow in this way, from data receipt, data verification and color conversion, all the way to data distribution.

All standard DeviceLink profiles are prepared for ZePrA "One-Click Queues"
The easiest way to automate color conversion work is to use a combination of ZePrA and the Standard DeviceLink Profile Sets. This combination allows conversion of data to standard printing conditions without being a color management expert.

One click is all it takes to select the required DeviceLink profile. ZePrA then automatically configures all the necessary hotfolders and is instantly ready to process PDF, TIFF and JPEG data for the CMYK, RGB and Grayscale color spaces and spot colors. ColorLogic DeviceLink profiles contain the PSID tag, defined in the ICC specifications, which allows ZePrA to automatically set the source profile for the document and the target profile for the output intent.

When creating a queue with the DeviceLink profile, the queue is automatically set for a PDF/X-compliant workflow, including the descriptive parameters for the output condition.

Special features of ZePrA
The combination of ZePrA and ColorLogic DeviceLink profiles is currently the world's simplest and fastest PDF color server when it comes to individual configuration. ZePrA is the first solution to provide full support of the standard tags in ICC DeviceLink profiles and use them to define a workflow.

ZePrA uses the high-quality color engine technology from ColorLogic and additionally processes data extremely fast. Jobs can easily be monitored in the clearly structured Overview window, which is divided into jobs in progress, waiting jobs, and processed jobs. The color quality of the converted file can be verified with the help of an integrated soft proof.

ZePrA is, of course, not limited to using the standard profiles. This is just one possible way of creating a workflow. With the help of the Configurations window, users can manually define any combination of color conversions they need to automate. Individual configurations can be saved and applied to any hotfolder, or duplicated and modified for other conversions. There are separate areas for selecting the desired color conversion for every supported color space. In addition, options are available for the targeted handling of spot colors and the definition of PDF-specific settings.

There are many applications for ZePrA
Workflows can be configured very flexibly and very simply in ZePrA. The following are some typical applications of ZePrA for automated color management tasks:

• Photographers and image agencies need to convert their black-and-white and color photos to different printing standards. For this purpose, they can use the extended, high-quality rendering intent options and versatile processing capabilities for black-and-white data offered by ZePrA. Clipping paths and meta-data are preserved in the color-converted image files.
• Printers want to automate the color conversion of data from different prepress suppliers in order to standardize the separations in the print job and harmonize differently separated image files on a forme.
• Prepress companies have an extensive stock of press-ready legacy copy and want to convert the data to a new printing standard or a different printing process without encountering problems on the press as a result of re-separated data.
• Printers and print providers can re-separate entire documents with incorrectly or inadequately separated data for the required printing standard or the in-house standard.
• Printers can reduce the amount of ink used by applying ColorLogic SaveInk profiles.
• Print providers or printers want to standardize mixed-color files supplied in PDF/X-3 format to get CMYK, and possibly a spot color, without disruptive RGB color spaces.
• Printers and print providers want to convert spot colors to CMYK in order to be able to print them in 4C.
• Image agencies want to provide large numbers of untagged image data with a defined profile in automated fashion.
• Service providers for the packaging printing sector want to separate PDF files automatically via a multi-channel profile (MultiColor ICC profile).

The greatest advantages of ZePrA are:

• Simple, clearly structured user prompting and setup
• Its extraordinarily high speed outstanding quality of color conversion resulting from the use of ColorLogic DeviceLink profiles
• The outstanding quality of PDF processing. ColorLogic geared the software to the PDF test files of the Ghent Working Group (www.gwg.org) for processing PDF/X-1 and PDF/X-3 files, which are processed faultlessly,
• Linking to Enfocus Switch, and thus to a completely automatable workflow, from data receipt, preflighting and top-class color conversion, all the way to data distribution.
• Available for Windows and MacOSX platforms.

ZePrA efficiently closes the gap between manual color conversion of PDF and pixel files and use of a complex and expensive workflow tool. Moreover, it is a perfect supplement to the other products from ColorLogic. Integration with Enfocus Switch means that even complex workflows can be realized.