Technology Color Management

Gray Bars Balance Color More newspapers switch from color dots to set densities correctly

42 Presstime | january 2007

olor dots are slowly fading into the past as more newspapers use gray bars to monitor Bars their printing process and reproduce photos Cwith ever-sharper focus. Because the bars are a rela- tively new approach to controlling ink density, though, this area of press operations still can be a bit fuzzy. Newspaper companies already visible color shifts. using gray bars make it clear that “A task force got approval from conversion alone does not mean advertisers to embed gray bars overnight success. But by negotiat- by explaining benefits like more ing carefully with editorial depart- consistency from press to press and ments and advertisers, training achieving the best print contrast,” staff to scrutinize ink density, and says Russ Christensen, the Times’ standardizing the press to industry operations manager. Nutshell guidelines, among other actions, Similar partnerships with + Make sure advertisers and a paper’s color can win awards, editorial departments are often editors know how your gray advertising dollars and reader praise. necessary because the size and bar or color dots will look placement of gray bars could cut and how much space is needed for them. Color Negotiating the Change into editorial space. The Democrat About a decade ago, the Los and Chronicle in Rochester, + Calibrate, profile, monitor and maintain your machines. Angeles Times became one of N.Y., though, has been running + the first newspapers to switch to its bar—built into the design Adhere to industry stan- dards, such as Specifications gray bars, which create a neutral template—just outside the image for Newsprint Advertising gray color when color densities area for three years. Production (SNAP). are correctly set, thereby showing “The newsroom wasn’t averse

by Heidi Ernst

january 2007 | Presstime 43 Technology Color Management

to putting it on the page but didn’t want to look better. So once you standardize the press, lose news hole,” says Bernie Szachara, vice it’s fixed; ours is going to print to the SNAP president of production. “It was just a matter density standard, with very little adjustments “Once you of finding the right way.” on press.” At the Los Angeles Times, Agustin Moran, Hazra adds that the Times, which switched digital pre-press tech, says the bar’s color-con- to gray bars eight years ago, needed to achieve a well- trol target was dropped to 30 percent cyan, 22 fine-tune the bar’s value to compensate for percent magenta and 22 percent yellow—low dot gain. “We started with a 40-30-30 gray bar, calibrated press, enough to be less imposing to editorial and but the gray balance wasn’t there,” Hazra says. advertisers but still hold ink densities. The dot “You have to print to a standard. Now we’re 90 only then can gain has decreased in some preliminary tests, percent sure if the bar is [in the correct color he says, so all colors will therefore print lighter target], the picture will look good, or reproduc- you work your or with less density. As a result, the paper tions will match the proofs.” might soon be able to raise the bar, so to speak, In addition, the Times runs total mainte- color-manage- to the 40-30-30 standard in Specifications for nance on all 11 presses in the metro New York Newsprint Advertising Production, or SNAP. area every summer. “When a press comes ment system to (See sidebar on p. 46 for more information back,” Hazra says, “we validate it by running about SNAP guidelines.) the Ifra press-acceptance test. My theory is make your ad hands-off color and registration.” Follow the Standards The Ifra press-acceptance test, developed look better.” After deciding those basics, a newspaper must by the international publishing association calibrate machines to industry standards. in Darmstadt, Germany, evaluates the print — Sanat Hazra, The New York Times “People used to think you compensate capability of a new or reconditioned press to for poor pre-press work in the pressroom by bring it back to its original specifications. bringing ink up and down,” says Sanat Hazra, executive director of production at The New Keeping Gray Bars Balanced York Times. “But once you achieve a well- Gray bars also create a target, another plus for calibrated press, only then can you work your these papers, some of which were named to color-management system to make your ad the 2006-2008 International Newspaper Color

Five Tips for Improving Color Quality Regardless of whether your printing process, and you can’t just your ad look better.” newspaper uses gray bars or color overlook one. You need to make sure — Sanat Hazra, executive director of dots, you can improve color quality. all four are working together, with production, The New York Times Take these tips from representatives everything in balance. of papers recognized for excellent Maintain, calibrate, calibrate, “Focus on the basics. Make sure color reproduction. calibrate, and keep everything in your equipment is calibrated and specification.” maintained, and use the tools that “If you can get the ink presets to — Russ Christensen, operations are available.” come in right, your color will come manager, Los Angeles Times — Eric Gustavson, imaging and in better, and you’ll get consistent quality manager, Democrat and quality; if not, you’ll be chasing it “Get SNAP-certified to benchmark Chronicle in Rochester, N.Y. throughout the run and making your process, then standardize the changes on the fly.” press. When the press is fixed, it is “There’s no magic bullet. If you’re — Kevin Burton, quality analyst, going to print to the density standard, looking to buy one thing and think Chicago Tribune so no adjustments need to be made it’s all going to get better, you’re on press to match a proof. dreaming.” “What I profess is the four M’s: man, Once you achieve a well-calibrated — Bernie Szachara, vice president method, machine and material. They press, only then can you work your of production, Democrat and all play an important part in the color-management system to make Chronicle in Rochester, N.Y.

44 Presstime | january 2007 Cover Story Color Management

SNAP Standards Gain Acceptance Quality Club (“Committed About 130 newspapers followed even by newspapers that to Color Quality,” October in the United States will might not apply for the certificate, 2006, p. 53). receive a certificate from Brady notes. “Gray bars will have color NAA in 2006, acknowl- “It offers a standardized set shifts if you don’t maintain an edging that their print- of numbers that you can use to equal balance of your target,” ing process is compli- compare your print process with Christensen says. “Our target is ant with Specifications the rest of the industry,” says 55-55-58, and we want guys to shoot for Newsprint Dennis Cheeseman, director of for something in the range of plus- or Advertising customer services at US Ink and minus-three of that.” Production (SNAP) vice chairman of NAA’s SNAP The Los Angeles Times’ color standards. If that Committee. “If the numbers don’t didn’t improve instantly, he adds. With doesn’t seem match, it’s interesting to go back the gray bar, “you didn’t have to have like a high number, and see why not.” high color acuity; you could shoot for consider that in 2003, the first year The July 2006 edition of “SNAP numbers rather than an assumption.” such certification was offered, Cold-Set Printing Standards” in- One challenge the Los Angeles Times faced there were only 11 recipients. cludes a new alignment with news- when converting to gray bars was recognizing SNAP industry standards are print standards of the International that its 11 presses, purchased around 1990, had one of the most important tools Organization for Standards. to be capable of maintaining those targets. a paper can use to achieve great Cheeseman says his committee is “We were quick to realize that the gray bar color reproduction consistently, exploring increased levels of Gray is only as good as your ink system,” Christensen according to industry leaders and Component Replacement within says. And as good as its halftone-dot size, he press operators at newspapers the profile—essentially removing adds. “I like the 40-30-30 SNAP dot size because renowned for color quality. percentages of the three underlying you’re not jeopardizing the newsprint that “You need to benchmark to an colors (cyan, magenta and yellow) you’re putting it on. Make sure your film can industry standard, such as SNAP,” and replacing them with black, consistently produce a dot to your specs.” says Sanat Hazra, executive direc- which “generally helps in terms As for cost savings, Hazra says theirs are tor of production for The New York of lower show-through, especially realized in such things as optimizing the Times. “Don’t create your own. If with lighter-weight papers.” process, obtaining higher ad rates and giving you follow a standard, you’ll have Download a copy of SNAP “very, very little refund” to advertisers. Others consistent color.” standards at http://www.naa.org/ say they made the change to improve quality, SNAP goes well beyond ink den- Operations-and-Technology/Press- not for monetary reasons. sity and dot-gain specs for papers, and-Materials/Specifications- At the end of the press run, the gray bar says Michael Brady, NAA director for-Newsprint-Advertising- is still just a tool, these experts say. “We have of production operations. “It really Production-(SNAP).aspx. pre-pressers look at every color ad from gives guidelines for the design pro- To receive a SNAP certificate, outside advertisers, and with their experience, cess for the newspaper industry,” a newspaper must complete they can recognize one-color black type he says. “And it gives [external] a press test to show that its from four-color, for example, and be able to designers the tools and specifica- printing process complies with the pre-press the files accordingly with a variety of tions to deliver pagination-ready program’s guidelines. See www. software,” says the Times’ Moran. files to newspapers—everything naa.org/operations-and- “It’s really part of a process that’s driven by needed for an ad to come into a technology/standards-and- people,” Szachara echoes. “In the end, it comes newspaper and reproduce well.” guidelines/snap-certificate.aspx down to what you’re asking them to do and how SNAP standards are widely for more information. H.E. well trained and knowledgeable they are.” ‹

+ Kevin Burton, + Russ Christensen, Los + Sanat Hazra, The New York + Bernard Szachara, Chicago Tribune, 777 W. Angeles Times, Olympic Times, One New York Times Democrat and Chronicle, 55 Chicago Ave., Chicago, Ill. Facility, 2000 E. Eighth St., Plaza, New York, N.Y. 11354, Exchange Blvd., Rochester, 60610, (312) 222-2118, Los Angeles, Calif. 90021, (718) 281-7099 or (732) 603- N.Y. 14614, (585) 258-2224, [email protected] (213) 237-5623, russ. 4084, [email protected] [email protected] SOURCES [email protected]

46 Presstime | january 2007