EUREKA -- Agreda Communications, a large format graphic solutions provider, and Big Rock Editions, a fine art reproductions printer located at Eureka Art & Frame, are solving the color management challenge faced by graphic designers and creative professionals.

Rods and Cones, a Santa Cruz based color management consulting firm, was brought in to help simplify workflow and maximize production. Rods and Cones partner Son Do recently visited Big Rock and Agreda for an intensive four days of device calibration, color profiling and workflow training.

Agreda’s large format printing is “great for all types of commercial projects,” said René Agredano, Agreda’s co-owner. Graphic artists bring designs to Agreda for a variety of projects, from posters, event graphics and banners to fabrication of custom retail and trade show displays. “We print big things, in small quantities,” said Agredano, “unlike traditional print shops which have offset presses for brochures and such.”

As a commercial printer, Agreda sought to streamline their production process. “Time and media savings were the driving factors behind the decision to seek guidance,” states Jim Nelson, co-owner of Agreda.

Nelson was often forced to “tweak” color manually; color-correcting client files in source applications such as Photoshop and Illustrator. This was time-consuming, and created color consistency problems. Jobs were dealt with individually, extending production time and employing a trial-by-error method of achieving correct color.

Do profiled Agreda’s Epson flatbed scanner and ViewSonic monitors as well as created custom profiles for different media used on their HP Designjet large format printer.

The result has been impressive. “We are now able to achieve desired color quickly and consistently,” says Nelson. “Following a PR effort announcing our move to a color managed workflow, we have noticed an increase in clientele. Our quality is the same, it is just easier and faster to achieve on our end.”

“We are now one of a handful of graphic solutions providers north of the San Francisco Bay Area to operate a total color-managed workflow for a full spectrum of graphic printing needs,” states Nelson.

Nelson says the results have been so successful for the large format sector of Agreda’s business, that they have asked Rods and Cones to create remote profiles for their backlit substrates and have inserted the profiles into other areas of their workflow. “We anticipate being equally as successful in streamlining this system as we were with our other large format output.”

While Agreda focuses on the commercial sector of ink jet printing, Big Rock Editions specializes in high end art reproductions using the Giclée technique of ink jet printing. Giclée printing (derived from the French word for “spray”) is a short run process of printing on archival papers, canvas, poster stock or a number of other medias using a high resolution ink jet printer.

In Big Rock Edition’s case, artwork is typically scanned using a Better Light Digital Camera Scanning Back. Images are retouched in Photoshop and printed on fine art papers and canvas using a Roland HiFi Jet 500 Printer and the Onyx Postershop RIP.

Giclée printing requires a clearly defined, color-managed workflow. Forest Stearns, Big Rock Edition’s production manager opines that Rods and Cones profile advice took their reproduction quality to another level. “We were happy with our quality using canned profiles for the Roland,” said Stearns “but Son’s custom profiles, created for our two paper stocks, streamlined our results more to my expectations.”

Paul Bareis, co-owner of Big Rock Editions, said matching color accurately “is
a challenge that all digital artists, graphic designers ... and other small businesses share.” And sharing is what Big Rock Editions and Agreda did. The two companies pooled their resources and contracted Rods and Cones to assist their color management needs.

Erica Aitken, cofounder of Rods and Cones, sees a time when all graphic businesses will need color management. “Color management has become a vital necessity to anyone who prints color for a living,” says Aitken. “And in remote areas, those who have good color management systems have a strong competitive edge. I worked with Rene Agredano to develop a package that would be cost-effective because there were consecutive days involved. The savings were tremendous and our expenses were shared among the businesses.”

As technology continues to advance, business models must also evolve to remain competitive. By combining their resources, Agreda and Big Rock Editions were able to procure the services of one of the countries leading authorities on color management. Rods and Cones was able to consult with two clients effectively and within the budgetary constraints of today’s demanding economy.

In the end, working together to facilitate Rods and Cones trip to Eureka was a win-win situation for both Agreda and Big Rock Editions and has opened the door to a future working relationship. “We get a substantial number of requests for fine art reproduction work, which is simply not our forte,” explains Jim Nelson of Agreda. “We are a commercial output provider. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Big Rock Editions to clients seeking art reproductions.” Forest Stearns of Big Rock concurs. “I would love to get together with those guys and share technologies.”