Digital Photographer's Software Guide - Bertemes - Net

372
SWOP
The Digital Photographer's Software Guide
If virtual proofing sounds like a “no-brainer,” why are there still some doubters? The
chief reason is that many people who buy print do not have sufficient confidence in
non-tangible media. It is different if you work with a trusted supplier who can ensure
that your own systems and viewing facilities are ideal, but the lack of standards in the
early adoption phase of virtual proofing prevented universal acceptance.
Some print service providers like RR Donnelley Premedia Technologies (www.premedia
technologies.com) have long offered virtual proofing as a standard part of the workflow.
Yet the tipping-point in the uptake of the new, paper-free techniques did not occur until
IDEAlliance (www.swop.org) launched its combined SWOP/GRACoL monitor proofing
certification program in 2007. This paved the way for a move toward open rather
than proprietary systems. RR Donnelley’s ShareStream soft-proofing system, which
allows customers to inspect all their production files online in high resolution, is itself
now fully SWOP-certified. In the future, when virtual proofing is universal, print buying
may become a much speedier process in the global marketplace.
DALiM DiALOGUE
Vendor: Dalim Software GmbH
Purpose: Online soft-proofing server application for real-time collaborative access
Description
Part of an extensive range of workflow automation products, at the time of its launch
DALiM DiALOGUE was the only JDF-enabled virtual color proofing system on the
market. (JDF, or Job Definition Format, is a new technical standard that automates job
workflow by carrying both the content and the instructions for how this content should
be treated by each JDF-enabled device.) Designed as a stand-alone product for Mac OS
X, DALiM DiALOGUE fits into many workflows, which ensures that users can check
files for both content and color accuracy. It provides remote, collaborative facilities for
examining high-resolution files across the Internet, with full annotation, zoom in/out,
navigation and real-time chat functions. It leverages the color-management capabilities
of the Macintosh.
One of DALiM DiALOGUE’s most remarkable features is its zoom capability—
5,000,000% for both pixel and vector data. This zoom capability enables viewers to see
images at their most fundamental level in order to check trapping information.
Comments
DALiM DiALOGUE is one of the most advanced virtual color proofing systems, with
excellent collaborative facilities and SWOP certification (www.swop.org). Each at a