Christchurch software developer Gimlé has launched what it claims is the world’s first subscription based high-end proofing solution.
Hugo Kristinsson, CEO of Gimle, says, “We believe that AbsoluteProof Live will radically improve digital proofing performance across the printing industry and become an invaluable tool to individual print professionals industry wide.”AbsoluteProof has actually been around for eight years. A Mac OS X based digital proofing solution designed to turn an inkjet printer into a cost effective contract proofing system, it uses a built in engine to expand the printer’s colour capabilities using ICC profiles to achieve accurate colour matching for CMYK, spot colours, and HIFI workflows.
Overseas, high end users of AbsoluteProof include music company EMI Shawk, and Aegir Productions in Los Angeles, which uses AbsoluteProof in preparing catalogues for its clients.
Erik Arnesen, managing director of Aegir Productions, says that before using the software his company had a problem of being unable to match catalogues and posters with the art work on gallery walls. He says, “Having the ability to produce certified match prints allows me to make colour corrections based on test prints in ways impossible to achieve on press.”
Kristinsson believes that subscription software is the way of the future. He says, “Software is of value only if you use it. Outlaying capital for costly software that, to keep current, you must pay to upgrade does not make financial sense. There is really no second-hand market for software at all, and it is illegal to on-sell it. The advantages of using software as a service, rather than purchasing it outright, include a low monthly cost which is tax deductible; ongoing live support; online installation; access to leading colour consultants; no software restrictions; continual upgrades free of charge; and online training video library; and, of course, user feedback as a valued input for future development.”
