An integrated RIP that allows you to run your wide format printer directly from your Mac, be colour accurate and run dot proofs for $1,500 not $22,000 is just one of the distributorships cielab signed in March.
Independent colour-management specialist cielab signed three new agreements in March, to represent leading European brands in custom calibration and ICC profiling equipment, plus multiplatform RIPs.
Colour specialist Michael Rooney, who established cielab in 2006, said the distributorships were very exciting. One of our goals with cielab is to demystify colour management and to do so affordably for small business. Thats in the free on-line lessons we provide, our customised training and the products we distribute.
One of the new agencies is Barbieri, for which cielab is the sole Australian and New Zealand wideformat product agent. (A photographic specialist has the distributorship for that sector.) This Italian firm has had major success since the 1980s in overseas markets with its equipment and software for custom calibration and ICC profiling of digital print.
There are some very good calibration and profiling products on the market, Rooney said, but where they tend to fall short is in their ability to handle automatically both reflective and transmission modes. Add to that, the wide variety of UV-curable printers on the market that can print on to nearly anything doors, corrugated iron and so on but these types of items cant be read in with the normal spectro: theyre too thick.
All but one of the Barbieri products do both reflection and transmission, plus theyre automatic, not manual; the model that doesnt do both is built to an affordable price for people who may not need that feature. As well, the Spectro LFP RT can do 20mm thick profiles. All these points make the Barbieri products unique.
Rooney said having found a superior product, he was proud Barbieri was impressed with cielabs niche focus on colour and information.
The other signings were for two multi-platform RIPS: iProof PowerRIP and Caldera.
The biggest benefit of PowerRIP, for which were the sole Australian and NZ distributor, is that it completely integrates to either Mac or PC. You can RIP directly from either to small or selected wide format printers, produce dot accurate proofs from ROOM environment or separations, or produce offset or screenprint film for a really affordable price.
It has some unique features especially at its price point, $1,500. Probably the only multi-platform competitor is EFI, which sits around $22,000. So its incredibly affordable and opens up new markets or possibilities for companies. There has been nothing in the market that fills this gap until now.
PowerRIP has a full suite of different variations to suit the gamut of modern printers. Take, for example, the Epson R series which a lot of photographers have. The RIP also supports most of the latest wide format Epsons and HPs. But its not just inkjet, it also supports some colourlaser jets as well from HP and Oké and so on.
Many companies already have the printer, so its a case of just buying the RIP and getting colour accurate. That makes it very affordable especially in a design studio where they probably dont have, and dont want, a PC.
This means someone can run colour-accurate proofs, including the printer and the RIP, for $1500 for the whole set up. Thats amazing.
Cielab has also been appointed an Australian reseller for Caldera.
This multi-platform RIP, capable of Mac, Linux or PC, again, supports most modern printers. Calderas real benefits come into play when its run on a Linux set-up. It operates beautifully within the multi-platform environment, which is unique, because none of the other RIPs have offered something for Linux like that.
Cielabs three signings come on the back of its on-line lesson success and Apple Mac dealership.
Cielab
www.cielab.com.au
