Mac OS X:
Mac OS 10.4 or later
Power Mac G4, G5 or Intel
1 GB RAM
USB 2 or Ethernet printer connection
USB port for dongle
DVD drive for installation
Monitor resolution of 1024x768 or greater

Windows:
Windows XP, 2000, 2003, or Vista
Pentium IV 2.4 GHz CPU or faster
Built-in math coprocessor
768 Mb RAM
USB 2, Ethernet, or Firewire printer connection
USB port for dongle
DVD drive for installation

* New printer support available in version 5.5 for Mac OS X and version 8.1 for Windows

Mac OS X requirements vary depending on print resolution and how you send the file to the printer. “RIP and Print On-The-Fly” mode will send files during processing; “RIP Then Print” mode will send files after they have been completely processed.

Any Power Macintosh G4 or G5 will support “RIP Then Print” mode at any resolution.

A Power Macintosh G4 1.66 GHz or better is recommended for “RIP and Print On-The-Fly” mode for most printers and resolutions.

A Power Macintosh G5 is required for “RIP and Print On-The-Fly” mode at 2880 resolution on the Epson Stylus Pro 4800, 7800, and 9800.

Full PostScript® Support
ColorBurst X·Photo includes Postscript Language Level 1, 2, and 3 support for PS, EPS, and PDF files. This includes EPS files with JPEG compression and multipage files. Other file formats supported include CMYK, RGB, Lab, 16-bit, and color-mapped TIFF files (including LZW compression), CMYK and RGB JPEG files, and RTL raster files.

Neutral Black and White Prints
With ColorBurst X·Photo, black and white prints look the same under any lighting condition—metamerism is completely eliminated.

Print from Applications
ColorBurst X·Photo allows you to print directly from your image-editing and layout applications, such as InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Quark XPress. ColorBurst X·Photo can be added as a network printer under Mac OS X and Windows XP, 2000, and 2003. The X·Photo printer can then be selected from your application in the Print dialog.

Hot Folder
X·Photo has a Hot Folder that can be accessed locally or across a network. ColorBurst can automatically scan the Hot Folder at a user-defined interval and can copy remote files to the local disk before processing.

Job Manager
ColorBurst offers Job Management normally only seen in much more expensive RIP applications. Files and folders can be dropped directly into the ColorBurst Job Manager, opened from the ColorBurst File Open menu, placed or saved to the optional Hot Folder, or even dropped on the ColorBurst application icon. Jobs can be reordered, deleted, or placed on hold to be processed later. The ColorBurst Job Manager can be used to create RTL files for reprinting in the future without having to re-RIP them. Dragging RTL files into the Job List will send them to the printer immediately, saving processing time and guaranteeing a perfect match to the first job.

SpectralVision Pro
ColorBurst X·Photo is shipped with SpectralVision Pro, a full-featured ICC profiling software package used to create CMYK ICC Profiles and linearization files. SpectralVision Pro creates ICC Profiles using X-Rite technology and spectrophotometers. The profiler gives you complete control of the black build, including Black Generation, Black Ink Limiting, and an adjustable Black Ink Curve—features normally found in expensive add-on profiler packages.

Linearization
All versions of ColorBurst come pre-linearized to give customers the best results right out of the box. ColorBurst also includes SpectralVision Pro software to allow you to relinearize your printer. Linearization ensures that your profiles are always accurate. As your machine ages it can always be brought back to its original linear state with ColorBurst and SpectralVision, even if one of your inkjets goes bad or becomes permanently clogged.

Ink Limit
ColorBurst utilizes Total Ink Limit and Black Preservation in pre-configured environments. The Black Preservation feature allows ColorBurst to achieve a deep rich black by not limiting the Black channel in relation to the Total Ink Limit. This feature enables users to get a great black with Epson’s Photo Black cartridge even on Matte and Fine Art papers. ColorBurst users who wish to make their own profiles have total control over their total ink limit and can determine the proper ink limit with the included CSE Media Ink Limit test.

Ink Curves
Controlling each individual ink channel is crucial to getting the best color out of your printer, ink, and media combination. ColorBurst's Ink Curves are pre-configured for each environment. Individual Ink Curve settings are available to create custom ICC profiles or make slight color changes to the existing environment.

Bezier Curves
The Bezier Curves feature in ColorBurst allows users to make edits to their CMYK ink channels either prior to or after creating ICC Profiles. The Photoshop-style bezier curves can have up to 16 different edit points. Each point can be controlled to .1% accuracy. Each individual channel (CMYK) can have a unique curve or one curve can be applied to each channel.

Input Profiles
ColorBurst has separate Input ICC Profile settings for RGB, CMYK, and grayscale images. Any ICC input profile can be utilized with one of 4 different rendering intents. An option to use embedded profiles can be turned on or off. This is a must for any user who is embedding profiles in Photoshop or any other ICC-savvy application.

Output Profiles
ColorBurst not only utilizes CMYK output profiles but we also have included a proofing feature for pre-press workflows. ColorBurst users can simulate any press or other CMYK output device through the Simulation feature. ColorBurst can also guarantee matching across several different devices when users have large jobs they wish to split across several devices. This is an absolute must for pre-press shops and shops that print the same jobs across several output devices.