|
|
 |
| Gruner + Jahr Printing Plant |
|
|
|
| |
Making Calibration Simple -- with EIZO
With over 120 newspapers and magazines in 14 countries, over 11,000 employees and sales exceeding 2.8 billion euros in the business year 2002, Gruner + Jahr AG & Co. KG is Europe's largest publishing company. Some of its magazine titles such as Stern, Brigitte and Geo are household names of German journalism.
Modern printing works play an integral role within G+J's publishing activities. Those printing activities are enhanced with the most state-of-the-art printing technologies.
The main focus of the repro department at G+J's printing plant in Itzehoe near Hamburg is the color accuracy of editorial content and advertisements for the company's own publications as well as for publications of external clients. |
| |
 When Gruner + Jahr decided due to network problems to look for new software, the company decided to look for new monitors as well. The decision was not simply to buy new monitors, but also to invest in the future by looking for monitors with very high-end technology and quality. "Otherwise, we would have been forced to look for new screens again in a couple of years because of new technology," says Mr. Michael Witt, Repro Manager at Gruner + Jahr's Geogroup.
After he read an article about EIZO's Color Edge CG21 in PAGE magazine, he went to CeBIT to look for LCD monitors with high color fidelity. Four different brands were chosen and put to a four-week testing program. One of the decisive factors why G+J selected EIZO's Color Edge CG21 monitor was the easy-to-handle hardware calibration. Other brands with much more complicated hardware calibration, or even worse, no calibration at all, could not satisfy Gruner + Jahr.
Since switching to ColorEdge, there's no longer a need for external specialists to come to G+J. All calibration is now done internally. "Before we used EIZO's ColorEdge, experts had to come with their special calibration equipment," explained Mr. Witt.
"Every three weeks it took them half an hour to calibrate each screen properly. Now we do it all on our own. It only takes 10 minutes once a month," says Mr. Witt. "Sometimes I ask my colleague when we are going to do the calibration and the answer is only, 'Oh, I did that already during a quick break yesterday morning.' It's absolutely astounding." |
| |
| |
| |
What You See Is What You Get
When working with pictures, graphics and printing, it is important to have perfect color accuracy on the screen. Only then will the "soft proof" serve as a reliable indicator of how the final printed version will look.
"When we introduced EIZO's ColorEdge monitors, many of our clients had reservations about LCD monitors. They couldn't believe that LCD screens would be capable of meeting the high standards of color accuracy and color precision needed in graphics and printing," says Mr. Witt. "But when we showed our clients EIZO's color precision when creating a soft proof, even the clients who had been against introducing LCDs were enthusiastic about the result."
Some of G+J's external clients even purchased EIZO ColorEdge monitors in order to get the same color quality they had seen at G+J's printing plant. "Now it is possible to discuss colors, hue and saturation easily on the phone. Everyone is sure to see the same picture with the same precise color values on the screen. We are even able to skip one proof, saving us and our clients a considerable amount of time and money."
More Space -- More Light
"Before we used EIZO monitors, we had an array of several monitors on our desktops. Users had old CRT monitors and an additional monitor displaying software input and dialogue. Thanks to EIZO, this additional monitor is no longer necessary and there's now more space on our desktops," says Mr. Witt, and he adds, "EIZO's accurate color reproduction is so convincing that sometimes when I look at my screen I get confused about whether I am seeing the screen picture or the proof. So, one can really use the screenshot as a soft proof."
Another advantage of EIZO LCD monitors is the reduced level of light reflection and glare from overhead lighting on the screen. Before G+J introduced ColorEdge monitors, lights in the imaging room had to be severely dimmed in order to maintain the color contrasts and prevent glare on the screen. People were not satisfied with those poor lighting conditions at their workplace. "Now, thanks to the high color sharpness and brilliancy of the ColorEdge screens, we have been able to raise the light level considerably leading to a much brighter working environment and thus improving job satisfaction and motivation of our employees. All in all, we are extremely satisfied since we started working with ColorEdge monitors," Mr. Witt finishes. |
|
|
|
