How to create CxF/X-4 files by measuring the spectral reflectance of spot ink characterization charts or single color patches.

You may want to measure a series of spot colors which are printed on the same substrate. These colors share almost the same set of metadata and differ only in color name and one or two other properties. In this case using the bulk-edit mode is the quickest way of creating a CxF/X-4 file from the measurement data.

You can create CxF/X-4 files from the color data stored in CGATS measurement files, legacy CxF1 and CxF3 files, and QTX files. It is also possible to import the CxF/X-4 color data stored in PDF/X documents and existing CxF/X-4 files. The metadata information can be corrected, missing metadata can be added.

You can add and modify the CxF/X-4 metadata stored for a spot color. It is also possible to rename and delete color definitions. Most actions can be applied quickly to multiple color definitions in one go.

You can create library files containing a large set of spot color definitions, e.g. all colors required for a certain customer. Do this by importing color data from various sources into a single CxF/X-4 file. Such library files can be used for conveniently assigning missing CxF/X-4 data to the spot colors used in a PDF file, for example.

You can inspect spectral reflectance curves and CxF/X-4 metadata information in a safe mode. In this mode all metadata fields are write-protected and cannot be changed. This tool allows you to load CxF1, CxF2, CxF3, CxF/X-4, QTX and PDF files as well as CGATS measurement files.

CxF/X-4 color definitions can be assigned to the spot colors in a PDF/X file if missing or incorrect. Color definitions are assigned automatically if a suitable CxF/X-4 library file is specified. You can extract or remove CxF/X-4 color definitions and view the spectral curves and metadata. It is also possible to change the ink sequence and to extract the embedded output intent profile or to embed an ICC profile if missing.

You can check print quality by measuring spot ink characterization charts against CxF/X-4 color definitions. The application provides an instant pass/fail indication and various charts for assessing the deviations both visually and numerically. Process colors can be checked against the target values defined in the PDF/X output intent or a user-defined ICC profile. The complete set of validation data can be saved as a PQX file. You can also create validation reports.

You can check print quality by measuring spot ink characterization charts against CxF/X-4 color definitions maintained in the database of the Global Brand Assurance web server. The application provides an instant pass/fail indication and various charts for assessing the deviations both visually and numerically. The validation results can be uploaded to the GBA web server.

You can create reports for the spot colors you have loaded. A report provides important in formation for design, proofing, ink formulation and process control. Spectral reflectance data and colorimetric data is presented both graphically and numerically. Validation reports allow you to precisely compare your measurements with the target values defined by the CxF/X-4 data.

If a brand color is only available as a printed sample, you can quickly find the CxF/X-4-defined color which is most similar to it. Load a CxF/X-4 library, measure the sample and ORIS CxF Toolbox will automatically select the best match. This color can be easily added to a new CxF/X-4 library, which can then be used as target values for validation measurements, for example.

CxF/X-4 color definitions created with ORIS CxF Toolbox can be imported into the swatch palettes of any Adobe CS application. For Adobe Illustrator, we recommend to use the ORIS CxF Designer plug-in. For InDesign and Photoshop, use Adobe Swatch Exchange (*.ase) files.