Blackmagic

Colour-perfect Proofing

Blackmagic is a proofing solution designed for demanding press and print environments.

Based on a colour management system honed by decades of print industry experience, Blackmagic automatically assembles press plate files for proofing directly from your CTP RIP.

At Serendipity, we understand commercial printing is complex. Multiple presses and substrates. Multiple printers for producing proofs. Print-on-demand work to a vast array of media types.

We know you want fast, efficient, and above all, accurate proofs. Proofs that don't interrupt your workflow, and that precisely reproduce any press process.

Blackmagic is all the proof you need.

The Complete Colour Management Solution

See what Blackmagic can do for your workflow

Colour Management

Blackmagic features an ICC v4.2 compliant colour management system with true 16-bit processing for enhanced colour depth and finer colour control.

  • Import press ICC profiles to match your CMYK or multi-colour press standard.
  • Process files containing halftone, stochastic, hybrid, or any other screening type.
  • Press ink and platesetter dotgain compensation normalises plate files for proofing.
  • Real Dot Technology delivers your proofs with exactly the same dot structure as source platesetter RIP files.

Colour Verification & Spot Colours

Certify the colour accuracy of your proofs using an integrated system for creating and measuring verification charts against Δe, ΔH and ΔCh tolerances. Generate Calcheck charts from imported CGATS data, directly from press ICC profiles, or create customised charts. Print standalone charts or attach them to jobs to ensure your colour is contract standard.

  • Create or import unlimited Lab, CMYK, RGB, or multi-colour spot colour libraries.
  • Lab (Multi) special colour support allows spot inks to be specifically characterised, defining the Lab values of a colour at different tint levels.
  • Blackmagic uses spot colour paint modes and ink merging to accurately reproduce the process and spot inks of your presses.
  • Truespot colour iteration optimises your spot colours for peak accuracy on any proofing media.

Press RIP Integration & Workflow

Blackmagic interprets the native file format, directory structure, assembly and imposition data of your platesetter RIP.

  • Virtual Press allows you to manage, assign and change job plates.
  • RIPMonitor polls and interprets the native file format, directory structure, plate assembly and imposition data of all major manufacturer proprietary RIPs. Use it to configure automated proofing workflows.
  • An integrated Job Genie can be programmed to read your filename format and stitch single plates into full colour jobs and publications.
  • Submit files via drop folders, directly from any application, or the desktop.
  • Use Jobtickets to precisely control your job processing and print options.
  • Display, monitor, and manage submitted files with the Jobs interface.

De-Imposition & Soft Proofing

De-impose press sheets for proofing as individual pages or page pairs.

  • Utilise plate imposition signatures in standard industry formats, including JDF.
  • Display colour accurate previews on-screen at full output resolution.
  • Multi-resolution previews allow real-time zooming of large print areas.
  • Preview spreads, signatures, back-page show-through, and individual ink channels.
  • Ink Key Viewer helps the press operator set up press ink ducts and calculate ink use.

Printer Control

Blackmagic uses Paper Profiling to individually characterise print media. Ink limiting and dot selection save on ink use without compromising colour density.

  • Choose printhead dot sizes and use intelligent ink limiting to achieve optimal colour densities, while using the least amount of ink.
  • Linearise your print output using configurable gradation curves.
  • Monitor your printer's current status, ink levels and remaining media.
  • Print management and load balancing maximise productivity for one, or one hundred printers.
  • Learn more about printer control features.

Unlimited Seats, Unlimited Printers

Blackmagic is a Server/Client based system supporting an unlimited number of local or networked clients at no additional cost.

  • Client interface settings can be individualised or shared with other users.
  • A Secure Mode option allows selective user access to functions and job information.
  • Your software includes a printer driver suite that allows it to run an unlimited number of your chosen brand of printer.

What our customers have to say about Blackmagic

With exceptional support, knowledge and expertise, the team at Serendipity are simply the best when it comes to all things colour.

We have experienced seamless integration using Blackmagic. The product has allowed us to customise our CMS to help satisfy the ever increasing demands of our staff and clients. With colour precision, high speed processing, flexibility and continual updates, the software is truly in a class of its own."

-- Daniel Haskew - Technical Manager, Look Print

As a longtime user of Blackmagic along with our CTP workflow, we are very satisfied with the ability to create formproofs. Especially the de-impose function and the high performance - within our production this saves us a lot of time."

-- Michael Schaffert - Walter Medien GmbH

Serendipity Software Solutions

We have a range of products to suit your workflow

  • Blackmagic Pro
  • Unlimited proofing and workflow options.
    Blackmagic Pro is the complete colour management and proofing solution for any press, publishing, or commercial print environment.

  • Proofing for 1-bit, CTP RIP, PDF and Postscript Files

  • Spot / Special Colour Support

  • Unlimited Client Seats

  • Unlimited Print Size

  • 1 RIP of your choice* plus default input drivers

  • 1 Output driver suite of your choice* plus default output drivers

  • Blackmagic Lite
  • For the pressroom that needs precise, colour-matched proofs for platesetter RIPs. Blackmagic Lite is designed for non-postscript workflows.

  • Proofing for 1-bit and CTP RIP files

  • Spot / Special Colour Support

  • Unlimited Client Seats

  • Unlimited Print Size**

  • 1 RIP of your choice* plus Lite default input drivers

  • 1 Output driver suite of your choice* plus default output drivers

  • Blackmagic Bureau
  • For pre-press design and advertising studios needing to proof work for publication. Blackmagic Bureau is made for PDF/postscript environments.
    Bureau can also function as the destination for a Serendipity Blackmagic remote proofing solution.

  • Proofing for PDF and Postscript Files

  • Spot / Special Colour Support

  • Unlimited Client Seats

  • Unlimited Print Size

  • Default input drivers

  • 1 Output driver suite of your choice* plus default output drivers

  • Soft Proofing Add-on Package
  • Any Blackmagic product can be enhanced with the Soft Proofing Add-on Package, effectively making it two Serendipity proofing products in one.

    Designed specifically with the demands of the publishing and newspaper industries in mind, the Soft Proofing Add-on Package gives Blackmagic access to all of the features available in Veripress.
  • Bookfilter, which uses your press planning files to automatically assemble publication pages on screen.
  • Press Agent, allowing operators to load publication pages for soft proofing using the press console.
  • Instant press sheet de-imposition on screen.
  • Advanced RGB and CMYK spot colour merging for soft proofs.
  • Truespot colour iteration for soft proofing displays.
  • Configurable halftone screening simulation for soft proofs.
  • Multicolour press match ICC profile support.
  • Proof Lock, soft proof display colour quality assurance.
  • Embed a SoftProof Press in individual jobs.
  • SoftProof vs Press Sheet calibration check and comparison.
  • Simulate and highlight drop-off (minimum dot) areas for Flexo Printing.
  •  

Created with your business in mind

See how Blackmagic's features can work for you.

SoftProof

The SoftProof application uses monitor ICC colour management to display colour accurate previews on screen.

Full high DPI (4K / UHD) monitor support provides true print quality soft proofing, before committing to print.

Multi-resolution previews allow for real-time zooming of large print files and press sheets.

Learn more about the SoftProof application.

RGB + Spot Colour Support

Proof and print TIFF, PSD and PDF files containing RGB images with spot colours using a purely RGB workflow.

This ground-breaking feature preserves the expanded colour gamut and dynamic range of photographic design elements, while maintaining the accuracy of individually handled spot colour channels.

Our software provides new design opportunities, with an equal focus on image quality and brand colour fidelity.

Learn more about RGB + Spot Colour Support

Display Calibration

Keep your monitors calibrated with the Displays application, ensuring what you see on screen is what you see in print.

Displays automatically adjusts screen gamma, brightness levels and white point to suit your proofing environment. Use a supported spectrophotometer to calibrate displays and light booths, or measure ambient light sources.

Calcheck management maintains your monitor colour at a press proofing standard.

Truespot

The Truespot application uses an iterative process to print, measure and verify spot colours, optimising them for specific proofing media.

Truespot generates a custom Replace Colour Set that is applied to all jobs passing through the Media, replacing matching job special colours with Truespot colours that are a closer match to the originals when printed.

Existing Truespot replace colour sets can be added to at any time by adjusting and verifying new Special Colour sets for the Media.

Lab (Multi) Spots

Lab (Multi) special colour support allows spot inks to be specifically characterised, defining the Lab values of the colour at different tint levels from 0% (paper/substrate) through to 100% (solid). This enables Serendipity's colour engine to reproduce your colours with unparalleled accuracy.

Colours can be user-created, or imported from compatible CxF or PDF/X-4 files containing spot colours with ink characterisation data.

Media Catalogue

The Media Catalogue is a comprehensive collection of presets created by our colour experts and dealer partners.

Constantly expanding, the Media Catalogue is there to help you start printing as quickly as possible. No need to worry about paper or colour profiling, that's all been done for you.

Just select a driver, install the media and you're ready to go.

Learn more about the Media Catalogue.

Job Management

Take complete control of your job workflow.

Monitor and manage submitted files with the Jobs application.

Use Jobtickets to configure processing options like resampling methods, rendering effects, input screening, ICC profiles and automatic nesting.

The Workbench application is the configuration hub for the entire colour management workflow.

Serendipity Updater

Keep your software up to date with the integrated Serendipity Updater application.

The Updater tracks your current installation status and automatically checks for available software updates, maintenance patches and new drivers.

Learn more about the Serendipity Updater application.

Customisable Interface

Each Serendipity Client can be tailored to individual user preferences.

Choose one or more pre-set tabs in the Jobs workflow monitoring application, then configure them to show the information you need, the way you want to see it.

Interface options including a Dark theme, allow the client to seamlessly integrate with your desktop environment.

Discover more Serendipity Colour Management Tools

Discover

Blackmagic Pro and Bureau default input drivers include: SVG, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, Scitex CT, Adobe Photoshop PSD, Serendipity Blackmagic Image, Postscript Level 3 RIP - PS, EPS, PDF.

Blackmagic Lite default input drivers include: SVG, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, Scitex CT, Adobe Photoshop PSD, Serendipity Blackmagic Image.

Default output drivers for all products include: HTML, JPEG, PDF, PDF (Retain Spot Colours), Photoshop EPS (JPEG), PNG, Postscript, PPM, Scitex CT, Serendipity Blackmagic Image, TIFF.

* Your choice includes the selection of one (1) RIP input driver from the list of supported RIPs and/or one (1) Output driver suite (For e.g., Epson, HP, Canon, etc) from the list of supported output drivers.

** Blackmagic Lite also available in 4UP and 2UP sizing. 4UP and 2UP sizes are width limited to 24.17in and 13in respectively. Unlimited length.

All new product purchases include one year of free minor release updates. View our warranty policy.

Check our Operating System Compatibility page to ensure our current software version is supported on your platform.

Refer to our Version History page to see a timeline of features, enhancements, and supported devices added to our software in recent years.