Compare files

With PROOFSCOPE you can compare files and view the differences.

To compare a file with another, follow these steps:
  1. Select the first file from your assets and select the tab Compare File.
  2. Select the file you want to compare the first file with and select Compare File again.
  3. PROOFSCOPE opens. Next to the options that were already available when viewing files, some extra options are now available:
Icon Description
Represents the first file
Show difference highlights the differences between the two files
Represents the second file
Switching Files automatically switches between file A and B
Show Side by Side displays the files side by side

The comparison can be tweaked with the Differences view in the Sidebar ()

COMPARE VERSIONS

This option is only available in case you work with different versions of the same file. To support versions in PROOFSCOPE, you need to open the Generate Proofscope URL node and set the URL type to Folder as versions or Versions.

  • Compare: if you select this checkbox, you can compare different versions of the same file.
  • Version A: here you can select the file that represents the first file (version A).
  • Version B: here you can select the file that represents the second file (version B).

FILE B

  • Offset X: here you can select the vertical offset (in mm) of file B with respect to file A.
  • Offset Y: here you can select the horizontal offset (in mm) of file B with respect to file A.
  • Rotation: here you can select the amount of rotation of file B with respect to file A. Options are 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°.
  • Reset: with this button you can reset the options to the default settings.

BOX FIT

  • Box: here you can select which box will serve as a reference point in case the files have a different position and you want to align them.

AUTOMATIC FIT

You can use this option if you want to define a specific reference point on both A and B documents to align them.

  • File A: here you can select the reference point on file A. Make sure file A is visible, select choose, position the cursor where you want to place the reference point on file A and click.
  • File B: here you can select the reference point on file B. Make sure file B is visible, select choose, position the cursor where you want to place the reference point on file B and click. Next, select Set or Calculate.
  • Set: if you select this option, the designs will be aligned exactly on the two reference points you have defined in File A and File B.
  • Calculate: this button will use the reference point you have defined in File A and File B, but will use information of the images (such as colors) to align the designs more exactly.
  • Reset: with this button you can reset the options to the default settings.

ADVANCED

  • Mode: if needed, you can select a different view mode to visualize the differences more clearly. Options:
    • Default: the default color mode will display the common pixels in File A and File B in white and the pixels that are not common in red. The pixels that are present in File A and not in File B are displayed in a darker red, the pixels that are present in File B and not in File A are displayed in a lighter red.
    • Inverse: in this case the common pixels will be displayed in black and the pixels that are not common will be displayed in red. The pixels that are present in File A and not in File B are displayed in dark red, the pixels that are present in File B and not in File A are displayed in lighter red.
    • Hard: in this case the common pixels will be displayed in gray. The pixels that are present in File A and not in File B will be displayed in blue, and the pixels that are present in File B and not in File A will be displayed in red.
    • Darken: in this case, both the common pixels and the pixels that are not common will be displayed in the original colors.
  • Threshold: you can increase/decrease the threshold to see more/less differences

A note on comparing and mapping separations

To define if separations are different in file A and file B, they are compared. In some cases, a separation in file B is mapped to a separation in file A.

The sequence of the mapping criteria is the following:
  1. An exact match on the separations name.
  2. A case free and unicode-composed free match on the separations name. Unicode has multiple representations for the same accented characters, and in this case, all notations are converted to the same notation before comparing.
  3. In case only one technical colorant remains in A and B, they will be matched.
  4. In case only one varnish colorant remains in A and B, they will be matched.
  5. Finally, the LAB of the remaining colorants is calculated. The best match is paired first, then the second best match, etc. Matching is done if the delta E is lower than 10.