Be more colour critical with pressSIGN

How Bodoni’s colour management system can help printers produce accurate and high-quality results.

pressSIGN from Bodoni Systems, a UK colour management consultancy, makes it easy to print to all the international printing standards: ISO 12647, GRACoL, G7, SWOP and Japan Color. The system also allows printers to select a profile for the print condition and a separate profile for the grey balance, generating correction curves that produce the best possible visual match. We spoke to Fred Thornton, Technical Sales Consultant at Bodoni, about what printers can achieve with the latest version: pressSIGN 10.

How does pressSIGN work?

It uses a spectrophotometer to measure a colour bar and compares the data against an agreed target colour standard.


What does it do that alternatives can’t?

We try to make pressSIGN as quick and easy to use as possible, by supporting as many spectrophotometers and on-press systems as we can, while giving the user all the information they need in a clear and concise view. Our Dryback feature is fairly unique as it informs the printer how post-press coating or encapsulation will change the final colour, enabling them to correct for it before printing.


What is the latest version and how has it been refined since the previous version?

Version 10.1 includes support for the new Konica-Minolta Myiro-1 spectrophotometer, a paper white opacity tool, job sync restrictions for our Global Print Management (GPM) datacentre users and a database archiving feature. Also featuring in the v10 launch is the support for the X-Rite iSis chart reader, new views such as a 3D plot and a L*A*B* “spiderweb”, the web server-based “live GPM dashboard”, improved ink estimates and the CMYK “spot colour” tool, which allows users to track the performance of process-converted spot colours in jobs.


Fred Thornton, Bodoni

What makes pressSIGN a valuable choice for wide format digital printers?

pressSIGN enables the user to verify whether they are printing accurately and consistently. As a result, you have the opportunity to expand your services to more colour-critical clients.


How can it improve efficiency, save time or avoid error?

“Right first time” printing becomes possible using pressSIGN, minimising costly mistakes (time and wasted materials) that could lose you the profit on the job or even the client.


What common issues with the software do users have and what are the fixes?

Proper training from an expert is always recommended, which is why we only sell pressSIGN via authorised dealers around the world as we know they’ll be able to support the product and their clients. 


How much does it cost, and what savings can printers make?

There are four versions of pressSIGN starting from £640 for Print Buyer, which just does verification from a short strip, moving up to £4,850 for a three-year subscription to the (Global Print Management) GPM version. GPM enables a datacentre server to automatically collect print quality data from the remote servers of large printing groups, brand managers and so on.

What does Bodoni have in the pipeline?

At the moment we’re beta testing support for the new Heidelberg Prinect 2021 API and a new “white ink control” algorithm, but we’re always looking for ways to improve the software while reacting to any changes that may occur within the print industry.