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New with Imation Rainbow™ Color Proofing System Software Version 4.0 is a full PANTONE™ certified color library. Now the Rainbow™ system is able to incorporate PANTONE separations into the proof along with the four-color (CMYK) process separations.

How PANTONE Colors are Specified in a Software Application

There are two ways software applications (such as QuarkXPress™) incorporate PANTONE colors into a file for imagesetter output: as PANTONE separations, or as CMYK process color separations simulating PANTONE colors.

As PANTONE Separations

If actual PANTONE process inks are going to be used on press, the user can specify the PANTONE color by number in the software application using the PANTONE color Formula Guide to make selections; or, the user can select the color from a PANTONE color model in the software application. The software application will generate an extra color separation for each PANTONE color specified.

As CMYK Process Color Separations Simulating PANTONE Colors

If only CMYK colors are going to be used on press, the user specifies PANTONE colors for process color separation. These PANTONE colors are simulated by the closest CMYK process color values. For many PANTONE colors, the CMYK simulations may look less saturated or vibrant since CMYK process inks cannot perfectly achieve the full richness of all PANTONE colors.

Process CMYK simulations of PANTONE colors can be selected from the PANTONE Color Formula Guide. The user can manually type the number of the PANTONE color in the software application, or use the PANTONE ColorDrive application to automatically select the color from the PANTONE library.

Note: If using the PANTONE ColorDrive application, you will also need to select a "target profile." Be sure to select a printing standard such as SWOP™ (Specifications for Web Offset Publications) as the target profile. DO NOT select a color printer such as ink jet or dye sublimation as the target profile. The Rainbow™ system proof is designed to simulate 3M™ Matchprint™ Color Proofing System proofs which are used to match the inks used with a printing press, not a color printer.

How the Imation Rainbow™ Color Proofing System Handles PANTONE Colors

For PANTONE separations, the Rainbow™ system will use the very highly saturated and pure colors of the Rainbow™ system ink ribbon. The Rainbow™ system ink ribbon colors can much more accurately simulate PANTONE colors than CMYK process color simulations of PANTONE colors. On the other hand, if you specify CMYK process color separations to simulate PANTONE colors in your software application, the Rainbow™ system will reproduce these CMYK colors. Thus, the Rainbow™ user now has the best of both worlds: a desktop proof which is accurately calibrated to Matchprint™ system CMYK process colors as well as to superior simulations of highly saturated PANTONE colors.

For further information on using the PANTONE Color Library, refer to "Separation Management" in the Rainbow™ Color Proofing System Operator's Guide, Section 4.

Imation, Rainbow, and Matchprint are trademarks of Imation Corporation
SWOP is a registered certification mark of SWOP, Inc.
PANTONE is a trademark of Pantone, Inc.
QuarkXPress is a registered trademark of Quark, Inc.