Signs of the Times - June 2014 - (Page 42)

Te c hno lo g y R e v i ew By Chris and Kathi Morrison Color-Logic Process Metallic Color System Chris and Kathi Morrison own and operate The Image Specialists, a full-service graphics company based in Clements, CA. Chris is also a Microsoftcertified systems engineer. Want to excite your customers? Key Information Color-Logic Inc. 8216 Princeton-Glendale Rd., Ste. 248 West Chester, OH 45069 (513) 258-0047 www.color-logic.com Contact: Mark Geeves director of sales and marketing mark@color-logic.com M etallic ink creates a cool differentiator that will excite your customers. Because of its inherent visual richness, metallic-ink imagery, added to a logo, illustration or photograph, magnetically draws attention to the image. In addition, white ink applied on a metallic substrate produces striking effects. When your customer shops for posters, showcards, vehicle wraps, POP signs, labels and packaging ideas, your ability to produce dynamic, metallic-ink effects will produce extra orders and larger profits. Luckily, metallic ink is a common option that's available in numerous printers, so the process is available to almost any shop. In some instances, however, creatively adding metallic ink can be an arduous and time-consuming task. Color-Logic eases the process; it breaks the procedure into three steps: Color communication - This occurs via your printer certification and the inhouse production of color swatchbooks that provide 250-spot color samples. In practice, the company grants you a license to print its process-metallic-color charts (based upon your machine output), which is more accurate 42 SIGNS OF THE TIMES June 2014 than matching a generic, metalliccolor swatchbook. Design tools - Color-Logic provides plugins for Photoshop®, Illustrator®, InDesign® or QuarkXpress® software that can analyze an image and add a fifth, metalliccolor separation. The plugins also work with white ink on metallic media. In addition, you download a Color-Logic metallic palette, for converting spot colors to one of the 250, swatch-book colors. Visualization (prior to printing) - The FX Viewer allows you to 3-D view the image in various lighting conditions, to determine if the results are okay before selecting "Print." The Color-Logic system certification process and software may be pricey for smaller shops. (Also, you'll need Photoshop, Illustrator, QuarkExpress and InDesign software.) But, the opportunity to quickly produce metallic-ink prints which exceed what your competitors offer places your shop in an exclusive position. For example, if you want to specialize in adding metallic enhancements to posters, illustrations or photographs, ColorLogic's system is worth its weight in gold. The FX Viewer alone will cut down on time-consuming adjustment reprints. With just a few mouse clicks, the Color-Logic plug-in software will analyze and create a metallic version of an image. You can apply masks that, for example, render certain image areas as four-color processing, which provides interesting image contrasts. As noted above, you can apply the same process to process-plus-white-ink applications on a metallic surface in seconds. In a single print run, Color Logic says, its Process Metallic Color System, with only five ink colors, can consistently produce as many as 250 different metallic colors. The FX Viewer uses a clever interface that presents an on-screen studio. It's an avatar-type environment that offers various lighting conditions. Like an avatar, you can position your image anywhere in the studio and rotate it to different angles. This allows you to visualize the graphic's metallic effects under various lighting conditions. If you are serious about producing pizzazz images and have - or intend to have - customers who are willing to pay for high-quality visuals, then Color-Logic's Process Metallic Color System is your choice. You'll speed the metallic-color processes, easily predict graphic results, and reduce both prepress and reprint times. ■ http://www.color-logic.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - June 2014

Signs of the Times - June 2014
Columns & Departments
Features
ST Update
Technology Update
What Shops Need to Know about Windows XP
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review: X-Rite’s ColorTRUE app
Technology Review: Color-Logic’s process metallic color system
New Products
Advertising index
Editorially speaking

Signs of the Times - June 2014