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Handling Pantone colors

At A Glance
Accurate spot color mixing is an essential routine in Apogee Prepress. It is used for separation handling while proofing or when getting the overprints correct in case a spot color is combined with any primary or secondary color in print. Also Duotones printed in spot colors, separated towards CMYK or a combination of spot color and normal process color will benefit from this routine.

Spot color behavior will show in all cases better results when looked up in spectral color books and processed with the Agfa Advanced Color Matching Module (the Agfa Advanced CMM).

All the Pantone 2010, 2014 GOE and Pantone Plus 2016 are "spectral" books in Apogee and standard available. Accurate spot color mixing works in combination with spectral ICC profiles, in case a standard ICC profile (e.g. ISOcoatedV2) that is used during the separation handling processes in Apogee Prepress does not contain any spectral data, the Agfa Advanced CMM will create it!

To make your own ICC profiles with spectral data or other spectral spot color books than already available in Apogee, a "Color Quality Manager" license is required.

Applies To:
Apogee Render, Apogee Control, Apogee Manage, Apogee Integrate
How It Works

With the Spot Measurement Tools of the "Color Quality Manager" one can measure printed colors on paper stock by using a spectrophotometer and export a color book to be used in the workflow.

Measurement Tools Measurement Tools
Color Books

Spot color separation handling is standard handled in the PDF Render Task processor of Apogee Prepress. No extra licensing is required to use the "Agfa Advanced CMM" and to get access to all the Pantone- , Pantone GOE- and Pantone Plus books or your own created color books.

There are 2 color policies for separation handling possible: "Keep" plates will be made and printed, "Convert" alternative CMYK values will be calculated.

PDF Render
Why is this Important?

  • For a correct overprint behavior on proofs and jobs with converted spot colors.
  • More colorful highlights and smooth tint reproduction.
  • Proofing spot colors with Press white point or the white point of the color book.
  • Setting the ink layer thickness in function of the print order when printing two spot colors on top of each other.
  • Mapping separations correctly: Spot color on spot color, spot color on process color, converted spot color on process color and Duotones.