ColorCert InkFormulation Connect

ColorCert InkFormulation Connect

Version History

 March 31st 2017 - Version 1.0

Scope
This document describes the initial setup and functionality of the of the two way connection between
InkFormulation and ColorCert.

Solution Summary
ColorCert Pressroom Tools ColorCert Inkroom Tools Advanced
Part 1 Part 2
Load Job Load Color
and Measure and Measure

Save Color for

Pass Fail Fail Pass
Check Sample Check Sample Log or Report

Send cxf Target Send cxf Target Save Color for

Continue with Job and Sample Data and Sample Data Import cxf data
Report

InkFormulation Send cxf Target and

Import cxf data
as Requests Drawdown Data

Correction Formulation
Choose

Map with saved Map with new Formulate new

Correct Recipe
Recipe Recipe Recipe

Fail Check Pass

Drawdown

Send ink
to Press

Pressroom Tools Workflow

Usually a task for the press operator during make ready of the press. Load and Measure a ColorCert job as
usual. Colors that are out of tolerance need to be corrected in InkFormulation, click right and send the
measurement data as cxf to InkFormulation.
Inkroom Tools Workflow Part 1
Usually a task for the ink technician prior to sending an ink to the press. Load and Measure a color as usual.
Colors that are out of tolerance need to be corrected in InkFormulation, click right and send the
measurement data as cxf to InkFormulation.
InkFormulation Workflow
The ColorCert cxf data arrives in InkFormulation as requests in an inbox. You can map saved recipes and
correct them based on these measurements or formulate a new recipe. Create and measure drawdowns as
usual. When the drawdown has passed, the ink can be send to the press.

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Inkroom Tools Workflow Part 2

After the InkFormulation Workflow you can also send the measured drawdown cxf data back from
InkFormulation to the ColorCert Inkroom Tools to add it to the log or to save a report.

Requirements
 ColorCert 2.7* (Manager, Pressroom Client, Inkroom Tools Advanced)
 InkFormulation 6.3* (PrinterBasic, PrinterPro, Manufacturer, Online)
 Useful samples and information from the ColorCert support website
http://www.xrite.com/service-support/product-support/formulation-and-qc-software/colorcert-desktop-tools
 Color Basics for Pressroom (Rev. B) (physical sample sheet in the eXact box)
 ColorCert Color Basics Sample Data
 ColorCert Startup and Configuration Guide
 Useful information from the InkFormulation support website
http://www.xrite.com/service-support/product-support/formulation-and-qc-software/inkformulation-software
 ColorCert Color Basics Sample Data
* General cxf exchange functionality already exists with InkFormulation 6.0 and ColorCert 2.6 but lacking further improvements.

Specific notes for InkFormulation Online

The workflows described below are working in the same way for an InkFormulation Online Client running on
the same or different workstation than ColorCert. They have been verified using an RDP session connected
to an InkFormulation Online Server running on 2012 R2 and with an eXact device connected to the client
using USB. Please follow the specific requirements and limitations to connect the eXact with InkFormulation
Online. These can be found on the InkFormulation Support page on our website.

Initial Setup
Setup in ColorCert
1. Start ColorCert.
2. Go to Window -> Preferences.
3. Select the Add-Ons tab.

 Browse to append the shared folder location for the cxf files. This can be a local or network path both
applications have access to. Default locations in ColorCert:
Incoming = C:\Users\Public\Documents\ColorCert Data\cc_ifsdata_in
Outgoing = C:\Users\Public\Documents\ColorCert Data\cc_ifsdata_out
4. Close the Preferences.

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Optional: Setup of the App Switcher Button

When you run InkFormulation and ColorCert on the same workstation and share one eXact in both appli-
cations you should activate the App Switcher button. It is always in front of other applications and allows
switching back to ColorCert while InkFormulation is in front and it helps to release and reconnect to the
eXact.
It is recommended to start ColorCert and establish the connection to the eXact prior to InkFormulation.
1. Select the Program Tab.

2. Activate Show Floating App Switcher Button.

3. Close the ColorCert Preferences.
4. Restart ColorCert to get the App Switcher button enabled.

 It has a blue highlighted connection area where you can release and restore the eXact connection.
 If you click anywhere else inside the button window you will bring ColorCert back in front of other
applications, but only if ColorCert has not been minimized before.

Initial Setup in InkFormulation

1. Start InkFormulation.
2. Go to Settings -> Communication.

 Under Communication with quality control system select ColorCert from the drop down list.
 Browse to append the shared folder location for the cxf files. This can be a local or network path both
applications have access to. Default locations in InkFormulation:
Job input path = C:\Users\Public\Documents\ColorCert Data\cc_ifsdata_out
Job output path = C:\Users\Public\Documents\ColorCert Data\cc_ifsdata_in
3. Click OK to close the Communication Settings.

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Workflow between ColorCert and InkFormulation

Pressroom Tools Workflow
This is a typical task for the press operator during make ready on press.
(Available in ColorCert Manager and ColorCert Pressroom Client)
1. In the ColorCert Chooser go to Pressroom Tool and load a job as usual.
2. Measure your printed sample as usual.
3. Select the Primary or Spot Color tab.
4. Rightclick on any Ink or Spot Color name and select Export to InkFormulation -> cxf | [job name].

5. A message confirms the export of the cxf data.

If there is already another file with the same name in the folder, ColorCert adds #[number] as an
appendix to the file name.
Optional: When you click Reveal Folder the folder opens for reference.
6. Click OK
Note: In this workflow the cxf file name is used from the Job name and the Sample number. The cxf contains
all Target and Sample measurements for all ink and spot color full tones and the substrate.

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Inkroom Tools Workflow Part 1

This is a typical task for an ink technician checking ink deliveries prior to sending ink to the press.
(Available in ColorCert Manager and ColorCert Inkroom Tools Advanced)
1. In the ColorCert Chooser go to Inkroom Tool and load a color as usual.
2. Measure your Drawdown or Sample as usual.
3. Under Target or Sample click Save and select Export to InkFormulation.

4. A message confirms the export of the cxf data.

If there is already another file with the same name in the folder, ColorCert will add #[number] as an
appendix to the file name.
Optional: When you click Reveal Folder the folder opens for reference.
5. Click OK
Note: In this workflow the cxf file name from the sample measurement is used. The cxf only contains the
target values and the sample measurement but no substrates.

InkFormulation Workflow
This is a typical task for the ink technician who is correcting existing recipes or creating new recipes.
1. Start InkFormulation.

The toolbar has two new buttons for Requests and Send of measurements/recipes. A number in the
Request button shows that there is one new cxf file in the shared folder.

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2. Select the relevant assortment for the measurements of the ColorCert job.
3. Click the Request button.

A list of all available cxf files in the shared folder will be shown, containing the following attributes:
 Name: file name of the cxf file.
 Date/Time: creation date and time of the cxf file.
 Job name: job name of the ColorCert job.
 Job number: job number of the ColorCert job.
 Press name: license name of the ColorCert Dongle used for exporting.
 Status: New if not used in InkFormulation. New files are shown bold.
Note: As soon as you load the file and do not click Cancel in the next step, a small information line will be
written in a RequestStatus.ini in the shared folder. The Request button will not recognize it as new anymore.
You can still access the cxf file from the Request button and start the process again. Previously assigned
recipes will not be saved.
If you want to keep the shared folder tidy, you can delete any used cxf files from here at the end of the
process.
4. Select the appropriate file and click Load.
5. All targets of the cxf file are shown in the request list.

Select the color you want to correct and choose:

 Select to correct a saved recipe
 New recipe to formulate a new recipe.

Correcting a saved recipe as part of the request

1. Select a color and click Select in the request list, to open the recipe selection window which allows you
to search and select a recipe for the relevant color.

2. Use the search options on the right to find a relevant recipe.

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3. Select the recipe and click Select.

In the request list the corresponding color is shown with the selected recipe.
4. Continue with other colors in the request list and then click OK to open the corresponding recipes.

 Target color: target from the saved recipe.

 Recipe measured: sample measurement from ColorCert.
 Substrate of last recipe: target substrate from ColorCert.
 Other information is based on the saved recipe.
5. Click the Formulate -> Correction recipe button.
6. Follow the usual correction workflow including drawdowns and further corrections till the recipe is
acceptable.
Note: The result is a correction for the initial recipe based on the recipe target using the sample
measurement and target substrate from ColorCert.

Formulate a new recipe as part of the request

1. If you click New recipe in the request list, the status of the request will change to New recipe and it
creates a new recipe name based on the Target name in the default folder.

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2. Continue with other colors in the request list and then click OK to open the relevant recipes.

 Target color: target from the ColorCert job.

 Substrate of last recipe: target substrate from ColorCert.
3. Click the Formulate -> Basic Recipe button.
4. Follow the usual formulation process including drawdowns and further corrections till the recipe is
acceptable.
Note: The result is a recipe based on the target color and target substrate from the ColorCert job.

Measure the drawdown in InkFormulation

If ColorCert is still running in the background and the eXact display shows “Tethered to the PC” it still has an
established connection to the eXact. To be able to measure in InkFormulation with the same device you
have to disconnect the eXact from ColorCert and connect it to the SpectroServer from InkFormulation.
1. On the App Switcher button click on the highlighted blue connection area to release the eXact.

2. In InkFormulation click the SpectroServer button and connect the eXact as usual.

3. Click on Recipe: calculated to measure the drawdown of your formulated color.

4. Save your recipe as usual.
Note: As long as InkFormulation has an open measurement window and the eXact display shows “Tethered
to the PC”, the App Switcher button from ColorCert cannot reclaim the eXact connection.
If the measurement window in InkFormulation is closed, the eXact display will show the usual screen.
5. Click on the connection area in the App Switcher button to reclaim the eXact connection for ColorCert.

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ColorCert InkFormulation Connect

Inkroom Tools Workflow Part 2

This could be a task for an ink technician recording drawdown results in ColorCert that were already
measured in InkFormulation prior to sending the ink to the press.
(Available in ColorCert Manager and ColorCert Inkroom Tools Advanced)
1. In InkFormulation open the recipes you want to send to ColorCert.
2. Click the Send button.

3. Select

 Recipe -> ColorCert, if you only want to send the Recipe of the active tab
 Recipe set -> ColorCert, if you want to send all open recipes
A cxf file will be created with the recipe targets, substrates and the drawdown measurements.
4. In the ColorCert Chooser go to Inkroom Tool.
5. Click on InkFormulation.

You will find a list of cxf files to be imported in the bottom window.
6. Select a file and click Load File.

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7. The cxf Sample Selector opens. Select a color and click Select.

8. You have imported the target and last drawdown measurement from InkFormulation and can see the
results in the ColorCert Inkroom Tools.

9. You can now click Add to add them to the log.

10. Then click Log to see the Inkroom Tools Protocol.

Note: You can add further colors to the log and click Options to export the protocol. If you close the Inkroom
Tools the protocol will be deleted.
11. You can also click Report to get a report of this color.
12. If all tasks are done with this cxf file, select it and click Delete to keep the shared folder tidy.

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