PressTune is a comprehensive and unique print standardization solution that guarantees color consistency and ensures that printing jobs meet ISO, G7, and even client-specific standards. It increases productivity by lowering ink and paper consumption, significantly reducing make-ready time and improving communication between prepress operator, quality management and print buyers.
How is this possible? PressTune contains powerful analytics capabilities based on lab values obtained through spectrophotometer measurement tools. This vital print and color data is collected straight from the printing press and enables the objective evaluation of printing jobs related to specific standards. By doing away with subjective evaluations, print plants can operate in a standardized way and get more jobs done in less time. Moreover, this unique solution operates independently of printing technology and press or workflow manufacturers.
Benefits
Read morePressTune challenges us to refine our processes so we can achieve higher evaluated scores. Simplistic to use, it takes minimum time to achieve G7 standard. It helps us to identify problems and correct curves that we can import into our unified Apogee workflow for either Edmonton or Calgary plants.
Brad Clark, Pprepress Manager - The Burke Group
Read moreDuring customer plant tours, we show the PressTune diagnostic screen, and they are impressed that there is so much science and technology involved with our quality control and color management processes. Print buyers grasp how serious we are about quality, process control, color management, and being efficient.
Jack Brown, Executive Vice President - Graphic Visual Solutions
Dryback compensation
The process of ink drying can have a significant impact on the end result. As a result, the colors that leave the printer can be different from what the client will see. With its innovative Dryback Compensation technology, PressTune can predict and include drying effects in its calculations, guaranteeing color fidelity without unpleasant surprises and disappointed customers.
Data gathering and feedback
PressTune gathers data from all presses on the network providing an easy to read dashboard for all stakeholders. For example, operators see how to adjust density, pre-press how to update tonal curves and management accesses overall trends. This resulting in faster production and continuous improvement.
Empowers the Apogee workflow
PressTune establishes two-way communication with Apogee’s prepress workflow. Apogee sends printing job data to PressTune to allow the calibration of the ink keys. PressTune sends data to Apogee (or to any prepress software) to optimize the calibration curve to compensate for dot gain and hit the required standard.
Analysis and predictive maintenance
Thanks to PressTune’s analytic capabilities, it’s easier to optimize press maintenance schedules, ensuring maximum up-time. These analytical tools help diagnose problems with presses, substrates and even operators before they become serious. Use long-term data to demonstrate to customers the print quality supplied to reinforce client loyalty.
Dynamic Density Adjustment Algorithm (DDA)
PressTune’s DDA algorithm provides the best possible density adjustment for each ink key and color, and calculates the adjustment for each new job. Real-time adjustment maintains color consistency throughout the production run and ensures customer standards are always met.
Accessible anywhere anytime
PressTune can be deployed as a cloud-based solution and, therefore, be rolled out across different printing presses and sites. In this way, it helps you maintain the same consistency and quality and allows you to assign jobs by site to maximize economy and efficiency.
As a quality-managed network solution, PressTune reports in real time to each stakeholder.
Printing press operators can monitor key elements that influence print quality such as ink-water balance, ink pollution, and more, which are displayed on-screen. They can then make adjustments on the fly to maximize overall printing quality and reduce the amount of unusable prints.
Quality and plant managers see a clear trend analysis of printing jobs, printing presses, and even individual press operators. This allows them to identify problems, schedule maintenance, and see where additional training is needed.
Brand owners and print buyers can check and approve the actual print quality of their orders remotely via PressTune’s customized graphic user interface. This eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming on-premise quality checks, and enhances customer loyalty.
