Pyxis Ink Pricing

Pyxis Ink is relatively inexpensive.

It is only available for a once off cost.

All minor upgrades are included in the price.

The current version is 2.5.0.0 (July 2014)

Above price will include any upgrades prior to version 3.0.0.0 

The licence entitles you to run two instances of the application, subject to terms and conditions; notably both instances must be used by the purchasing business.

The trial is the full version without any limitations.

To continue using Pyxis Ink after the 30 day trial ends, simply purchase the product and enter the 20 digit validation code.

In order for us to create your licence, the product must be first registered. To do this click the Application Registration button found on the bottom right of the Settings tab. Enter a username and password that can be used with all Pyxis software, and then enter your contact details.

Pyxis Ink Screenshots

Below is a selection of PyxisInk Screenshots taken on an Apple iMac.

Versions are available for both Apple and Windows PC computers.

(Image 1) Above image shows a file open in PyxisInk.

(Image 2) Above shows the yellow ink key settings for Image 1. Note that any plate size and any ink key combination can be chosen.

(Image 3) An unlimited number of presses can be entered in the settings pane. The application will automatically open with your default press selection.

Pyxis Ink Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a version for a B2 Press?

You can use Pyxis Ink with any size of press. Simply enter the plate size and number of ink keys.

My cyan values appear too low. What is the best way to adjust this setting?

This can be adjusted under the settings tab. It is important that your ink keys are adjusted accurately. Pyxis Ink settings are tailored to be used with a high sweep roller setting and minimum ink key opening. In this way it is easier to get more reliable control over the amount of ink being delivered to the rollers. However, you can adjust 4 ranges using the CMYK Graph Control Settings.  Note that the sliders provided adjust values for CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW and BLACK in that order, from left to right.

The settings on the left, EXTRA LOW, allow you to increase any values of less that 1% by a factor of five. In other words, if the initial setting for any of the ink keys was .5 for Cyan, by adjusting the slider up to its maximum (top of scale) the new value would be 2.5 (5 x .05).

Similarly, if you adjust the LOW settings, this will adjust any ink key values of between 2 and 5 inclusive, by a maximum factor of 3. So any original value of 2 would become 6, if the relevant slider was moved to the top of the scale.

The MEDIUM sliders adjust values in the 6 to 75 range by a maximum factor of 2.

The HIGH sliders adjust values in the 76 to 100 range also by a maximum factor of 2. 

Note that regardless of the settings, the maximum value for any ink key is 100. With this setting the ink key should be fully open.

Note that you do not need to re-scan the image after adjusting these settings, simply click the appropriate colour button on the Ink Graph View to see the new settings applied.

Which rotation should I use?

Ink keys are numbered on most presses from left to right. When entering or updating any press settings, check that the previewed image is rotated so that the part of the image that matches ink key number 1 is on the left. Adjust the Default Rotation setting to allow for this. If the Default Rotation is adjusted after the image was imported, you will need to import it again.

I receive a warning that the image won't fit. What can I do to resolve this?

There are a number of possible reasons. First check that the Default Rotation is set correctly. Next check that you have entered the plate size correctly. All sizes are metric for now (we will include inch sizes if there is a demand). There are lots of imperial to metric converters available, if you wish to use other measurements. Finally, if the pdf engine fails to understand or read an object or font within the pdf, this error may also occur.

For some jobs the graph values appear very accurate, but for others, I find that I need to tweak the Graph Control Settings.

Printing presses can run very differently when they are cold as opposed to when they reach working temperature. It might be worth considering using one press setting for a cold press  and another for the standard working temperature. If different inks are being used, it may also be a good idea to save a separate press setting for each different ink type. To answer your question, rather than continually changing the settings, try saving a different Press for each variable in the process; eg  My Press Cold, My Press Hot, My Press Heavy Ink, etc. . . Remember to choose the press first and then import the file, otherwise the previous settings will apply. 

I use spot colours, I don't see any setting for those.

This is true. For now, Pyxis Ink, interprets all values as CMYK. We will consider including spot colours if a sufficient demand arises. However, do note that if you use a modern platemaker with an older press, it is possible that your platekaker can produce an ink key setting file. If this is the case, we invite you to submit a sample file to us, and we may be able to provide you with a customised version of Pyxis Ink that will produce an ink key setting graph for that press, including spot colours. We are currently in the process of developing a version for use with Presstek platemakers.

(UPDATED) Sometimes it appears to take a long time for the preview to appear after importing the image.

Depending on the number of objects, transparency, fonts, and size of images included in the pdf being imported, it will require varying amounts of time for all of this to be rasterized into a single layer. The only way to speed up this process is to use a more powerful computer. However, do note that Pyxis Ink is designed to take advantage of computers with multiple cores or processors and will run faster on newer machines.  

JUNE 26 2014 - The original approach of scanning all pages in the original file during import has now been changed. Only the first page is now scanned; each other page is scanned when the NEXT button is clicked. This has eliminated the sometimes long wait that resulted when importing documents with a lot of pages!

Pyxis Ink Free 30 Day Trial

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