Resources

Design Tools Monthly
www.design-tools.com
I can’t tell you strongly enough that you should get a subscription to this publication. Jay Nelson culls the electronic publishing magazines every month, digests the important information info excellent summaries, and organizes it into a very readable format. If you don’t have time in your schedule to read 3-4 trade magazines, try this!

ThePowerXchange
www.thepowerxchange.com
ThePowerXChange has been based in beautiful Colorado since 1991 and distributes nearly all extension-based technology used by InDesign, QuarkXPress, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, After Effects, Director, FreeHand, PageMaker, Painter, Premiere, QuarkPublishingSystem, and QuarkXPress Passport.In addition to these extensions, they also distribute many stand-alone applications geared toward the designer, publisher, and printer.

Useful Files

Standard CMYK Testing File
Many RIPs tell you they print your CMYK, but actually change it to RGB, quietly in the background — without telling you. They then change it BACK to CMYK, but what was once black-only has now become 4-color grey. Also, many RIPs don't suport the Postscript feature of overprinting. Therefore, you should test your RIPs.

If you do not have a CMYK image that you would like to use in the testing of your RIPs or for the testing your new advanced device links, select from the options below for our standard file.

We have three different testing files:
Click here for a already rendered CMYK TIFF.
Click here for a CMYK postscript file (with overprint) which is ready to send to a RIP.
Click here for a CMYK PDF file (with black over print still active) ready for printing to RIP, inkjet, or laserprinter.

10% Grey Testing File
To calibrate a printer, it must be a consistent, repeatable device. One way to test this is to print a CMYK file with 10% grey. Examine the print and see if there are any artifacts or banding. Then print the file again. If it looks identical to the first print — all is good. Otherwise, if it is extremely different, you probably will not successfully get a usable ICC profile. Click here to download a CMYK test file which will print 10% grey.

Research Links
If you prefer to do your own research (instead of the cost-and-time-saving step of hiring consultant)

Apple colorsync site
www.apple.com/colorsync
This is where Apple puts all their information about colorsync. It is moderately helpful.

colorsync listserve
http://lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/colorsync-users
A very active email listserve where people across the country attempt to help solve each-other’s color management issues by giving free advice. Often the advice is excellent — and sometimes completely wrong and non-sensical — but it's free.

GATF
www.gain.org/servlet/gateway
The unified site for the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation and the Printing Industries Association. A site aimed at lithographers, it contains helpful information.

International Color Consortium
www.color.org
The keepers of all technical information regarding ICC profiles.