The New York Times is wrapping up a three-month project to upgrade 18 of its 25 print sites with Presteligence Inc.’s Blackmagic News Extra proofing software.

The sites, most of which have been using Blackmagic since 2001, updated to the latest version, 3.5.

The newest iteration features added color tools unavailable in previous versions, according to Presteligence. Because the app features real dot technology — a method in which scanning patterns of high-resolution bitmap RIP data or copydot scans are preserved — the upgraded software will allow The Times to replace existing HP 1050 proofers with newer machines from HP, Epson, or Canon.

Blackmagic uses the same RIPped data to proof that is used for final output, without requiring re-RIPping. The app addresses the automated proofing of high-res screened bitmaps, prior to imaging to film or direct-to-plate.

Quickly up and running

Because The Times maintains a color database profile, less color matching and testing was required to deploy the upgrade than would be typical in a completely new installation. Each site was typically up and running in less than a day, Presteligence said.

“They took the time to train our technicians,” said Rudy Grado, production systems manger at The (Phoenix) Arizona Republic, one of the print sites to upgrade. “Unless there is something really tedious that needs to be fixed, we feel like we can handle it.”

The Republic has used Blackmagic since 2002 to print The Times and Grado cites speed and ease of calibration among the app’s biggest benefits.

The Republic uses Agfa’s Arkitex software to manage its Times workflow. Arkitex receives all files from The Times, creates naming conventions and then reroutes the files through the app’s Producer module.

“Producer sends a copy of new TIFF files to Blackmagic to create a proof for the other file that gets sent to our computer-to-plate system,” Grado explained. “Once Blackmagic receives the 4-layer TIFF files, it puts them back together and sends them back to the printer and creates a proof to match our Goss Universal 45 press.”

Other sites to upgrade were those in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Billerica, Mass.; Chicago; College Point, N.Y.; Concord, Calif.; Dayton, Ohio; Denver; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Gastonia, N.C.; Kent, Wash.; Lakeland, Fla.; Minneapolis; Princeton, Minn.; Columbia, Mo.; Springfield, Va.; and Torrance, Calif.