Printer calibration webinar

transcript

How consistent is your color in printing?

Checking Printer Calibration

X-Rite Color Management forGrand Format Printers

Sponsor

X-Rite is the global leader in color science and technology

Pantone is part of the family

Mature product line for printing and graphic arts markets

Today's Speaker – Dan Reid

o Founded in 1998 to help business realize the benefits of color management

o Consulting and product sales for some of the largest and smallest print providers

o Early adopter of G7 calibration technique for non-litho applications. Certified by IDEAlliance in 2006

Agenda

• Analyse printing using a color measurement device and software

• Visualize

o Reducing Ink Limits

o Calibration Methods

o Affects of G7 Tuning

• Tips and Recommendations

• Q&A

(1st Poll Question)

How confident are you in matching jobs previously printed jobs?

(2nd Poll Question)

To control color you first must be able to measure

Without a color measurement device you won’t be able to compensate when the color deviates beyond a defined color tolerance

Inexpensive and proven technology

Methods for quantifying color deviance

• Expressed in a unit called Delta-E (ΔE)o There have been several updates to the

original specification

o ΔE76

is well used to define device variance.

Also widely used to communicate color matching

o ΔE00

better matches how

eye perceives color. Recommended replacement for some ISO specifications

∆E76

∆E00

Methods for quantifying color deviance

Images Courtesy of SpotOn! Press

Common Methods for Ink Limiting

• Spectral Density – Density derived from spectral measurements

• Chromatic – Restricts based upon maximum chroma – derived from LAB

• a*b* – Considers hue angle

o Ascertain how large of hue shift from the ¼ tones and mid tones to the shadows

o Restricting more aggressively helps in ICC profiling later. Keep an eye on how chroma is affected.

How is this Ink Limiting?

Ink Limit – Unrestricted

Ink Limit – Restricted

Ink Limit — Unrestricted vs Restricted

• Same methods used for ink limiting are typically applied also for calibration

• Advanced methods refine calibration based upon neutrality and visual contrast

Calibration | Linearization

Uncalibrated Printer

Calibrated

Calibrated vs Uncalibrated

Calibrated

• Difficult for RIP vendors to create a massive library for different printer and media combinations

• Measuring actual output will invariably offer superior results than supplied printer color calibration data sets

• Using a color data sets on a different media usually results in a color shift or bias of some sort. Without a color measurement device that bias is difficult to eliminate.

RIP vendor supplied color data sets

Simulation of color bias of using a similar glossy paper data set

RIP Vendor ICC Profile Custom ICC ProfileOriginal SWOP v2 sep

Vendor supplied ICC Profile

G7 Calibrated ICC Profile

Tips for Measuring Charts in Grand Format printing

• Check for sheet consistency.

o Create a job that is complete width of sheet or roll. Use 25/19/19/0 fill color for the complete sheet size. This will quickly show any color variability across the sheet.

o If variance is noticed, service is needed or if not possible then data averaging can be used

A1 2G1

A49 2G49

IT8.7-4 CMYK visual 1P i1iSisi1Profiler Test Chart Page: 1 of 1; Size: 22.2 x 36.4 cm

Copyright X-Rite 2011

o Create a job that is complete width of sheet or roll. Use 25/19/19/0 fill color for the complete sheet size. This will quickly show any color variability across the sheet.

o If variance is noticed, service is needed or if not possible then data averaging can be used

A1 2G1

A49 2G49

IT8.7-4 CMYK visual 1P i1iSisi1Profiler Test Chart Page: 1 of 1; Size: 22.2 x 36.4 cm

Copyright X-Rite 2011

o Measure the same chart in several areas of the sheet or roll to capture the variance

o Rotate charts 180ᵒ to capture variance

o Average these measurement together to create a master data file

o Doesn't have to be hundreds of patches

8 0 7 0 7 0 1 0 01 0 . 2 7 . 4 7 . 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0100 100 60 100 100 70 70 30 30 100 100 60 100 100 100 10070 70 30 30 100 100 60 70 70 4070 70 30 30 100 40 100 40 40 100 10 40 40 20 70 70 3 . 1 2 . 2 2 . 270 40 40 75 66 6650 40 4025 19 19B 0 0 0 0

1 0 0 7 0 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 5 5 0 7 5 9 0 1 0 01 0 0 6 0 1 0 0 7 0 3 0 1 0 0 6 0 4 0 7 0 4 07 0 3 0 1 0 0 4 0 4 0 1 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 4 0 7 0 4 0 7 0 4 0 4 0 34 0 7 0 4 0 7 0 4 0 4 01 0 0 6 0A

3%ISO 12647-7 Digital Control Strip 2 0 0 9

Standard IT8.7/3 or IT8.7/4 charts are not well suited for grand format printing.

o Do not have enough patches to adequately characterize the print process

o Designed for highresolution printing.

Grand format printing is usually lower resolution and makes it difficult for themeasuring device to detect patches.

• i1 Pro users should create charts with patches that are 12 x 12mm or larger. This helps with lower resolution printing

Increase patch separator to make it easier for the i1 Pro to recognize the different patches

• i1 Pro with i1 iO table

o If you are using i1 Pro with an i1 iO table considerusing charts thathave 10.0 x 10.5mm patches or larger

i1 Pro2 works well with low resolution output

o I1 Pro2 is less prone to this issue because it uses an alternating black and white checker to determine location instead of patch recognition

• i1 Pro2

o I1 Pro2 users can use 10 x 10mm patch or larger if they experience measuring issues. If you use the included

measuring track youwill have the least amount of measuring errors

Zebra pattern recognitionof i1Pro2

i1 Pro2 ruler is now metal – won't stick to solvent printing

• i1 Pro2 with i1 iO table (2nd gen)

o i1 Pro2 users should use 10 x 8mm patch or larger if experience measuring issues.

o If building charts in i1Profiler software use the non-compatibilitymode for improved layout

• To have repeatable color you need to measure print color with a spectrophotometer

• A spectrophotometer with your RIP software provides a means to compensate when printing deviates fromoptimum printing.

• Measuring a color barcan inform you if printing is consistent or if color match is within tolerance.

Summary

• X-Rite i1BasicPro2

• X-Rite i1PublishPro2

• X-Rite i1iO Measurement Table

X-Rite i1Pro2 Family

(Poll Question)

Do you have challenges matching across different printing technologies?

Standard IT8.7/3 or IT8.7/4 charts are not well suited for grand format printing.

o Do not have enough patches to adequately characterize the print process

o Designed for highresolution printing.

Grand format printing is usually lower resolution and makes it difficult for themeasuring device to detect patches.

• G7 for Grand Format Printers• What G7 is and what it is not

• Why consider implementing G7

• Communicating Color for Grand Format• Input | Reference color spaces

• RGB files

• New and old school PMS color

Upcoming Webinars

September 25th 2013

August 14th 2013

Limited Time Special

Coupon: XCAL1

www.RPimaging.com/xcal1.html

- Offer Expires 08/09/13 -

Questions and Answers

Type your questions into the side bar on right.

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How consistent is your color in printing?

Checking Printer Calibration

X-Rite Color Management forGrand Format Printers

Printer calibration webinar

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