System and method for performing a color preflight operation

A computer-implemented method for performing a color preflight operation, the method comprising:

• (a) providing, with a computer, a subject digital artwork design having a first set of color values, a color profile associated with the digital artwork design, and a tolerance for color reproduction;
• (b) providing, with the computer, more than two press configurations, each press configuration associated with a press, a substrate, and a colorant set, and including a press-specific, substrate-specific color-profile and a set of rules for automatically converting any digital artwork design to that press configuration using the press-specific, substrate-specific color profile;
• (c) converting, with the computer, the subject digital artwork design in accordance with the corresponding set of rules for each of the plurality of press configurations, for all colors in the subject digital artwork design;
• (d) predicting, with the computer, a color output associated with each conversion corresponding to each press configuration, each color output defining a set of press-configuration-specific converted color values expressed in a selected device-independent colorspace;
• (e) comparing, with the computer, the predicted color output associated with each conversion against a comparison color output defined by the first set of color values mapped to or otherwise expressed in the selected device-independent colorspace, identifying any portion of the predicted color output that is out of tolerance, and reporting a metric defining a relative amount that the predicted color output is out of tolerance;
• and
• one or both of:
• (f) for one or more selected conversions, generating with the computer and displaying on a computer display, a comparison image comprising an image corresponding to the subject digital artwork design with highlighting corresponding to each portion of the predicted color output that is out of tolerance;
• (g) with the computer, automatically identifying one or more acceptable press configurations or automatically providing an alert indicating that none of the press configurations are acceptable based upon a first set of predetermined criteria, and optionally, automatically selecting from the acceptable press configurations an optimum press configuration based upon a second set of predetermined criteria.