How-To: Printer Calibration using ColorCal Date: August 2009

Printer Calibration using ColorCal

Feature Overview
Achieving predictable color every time is a major challenge for any business and calibration is the most important aspect in color printing. All toner based print engines use mechanisms sensible to environmental factors like humidity and temperature. Calibration is essential to maintain a consistent color reproduction despite those environmental changes. The Fiery controllers offer two calibration methods, using an external measuring device like the ES-1000 spectrophotometer or using the integrated copier scanner or Colorcal method. This how-to guide will describe the ColorCal method of calibration.

Customer Benefits
Color consistency through a quick and easy calibration process.

Objectives of the Exercise

Calibrate the Fiery Server to achieve consistent and reproducible colors using the copier scanner and the ColorCal calibration method.

Before you begin

Install Command WorkStation 5 on either a Windows or Macintosh client and connected to a Fiery server or use Command WorkStation running on the Fiery controller equipped with a monitor, keyboard and mouse. The Fiery must be connected to a copier that has a scanner and supports ColorCal. Ensure the printer has been calibrated or linerized following the engine manufactures instructions before printing any output. Have the gray scale and Color Control Patches calibration strips available. Note: Each copier/scanner will have unique steps to scan and import the date into the Fiery Controller Calibrator. Consult Color Printing Guide that was included with the User documentation for the exact step by step procedures to use the scanner to read the calibration pages.

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Printer Calibration using ColorCal

Calibrate using Fiery ColorCal

Calibrating the Fiery Controller ensures consistent and reliable color output. Calibrate the Fiery Controller using Calibrator with the digital presss built-in scanner.

Select Calibration type and device

1. To begin calibration, click Calibrate icon in the toolbar. 2. The Calibrator window opens. 3. Select the Calibration type to use, Standard or Expert. For this exercise select Expert. 4. Next select the Measurement Method. This allows the operator to select the calibration device that will be use, including the copier scanner (if available), ES-1000 or other supported densitometer or spectrophotometer. For this exercise select the ColorCal in the 1. Select Measurement Method area. 5. Next select the Calibration Set to use for the media type that is being calibrated. In the 2. Check Print Settings area, choose the Media Type menu and choose the appropriate media type that corresponds to the media being use to print the calibration page.

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Printer Calibration using ColorCal

Print Measurement Page

1. Next in the 3. Generate Measurement Page area, click Print to print the calibration page that will be read by the copier scanner. 2. The Print Options window will open. 3. Choose the page type from the list below: ColorCal Page Single Pattern A randomly selected calibration pattern from 255 available patterns Allows the Operator to specify the calibration pattern from 0 to 255.

4. For this exercise select Single Pattern. 5. The paper size for ColorCal is always LTR/A4. 6. Select the Input Tray that corresponds to the media being calibrated. 7. Select the Number of copies to print of the calibration page. For this exercise select 10. 8. Enter the Patch Page number that will be used. By selecting the Patch Page number the same randomized patch page will be printed each time calibration is performed, allowing for comparison of the calibration pages over multiple calibrations. Patch page 0 is not a randomized patch color page. The color patches are organized by color, starting from 0% of each color to 100%. This can assist with visually comparing calibration pages over time. 9. For this example select Patch Page 0. 10. Select Print scanner calibration page to calibrate the scanner before calibrating the printer.

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Printer Calibration using ColorCal

Show Advanced Options: Print Options

1. Select Show Advanced Options to set additional options when printing the Calibration pages. 2. The Advanced Options will be displayed in the Print Options window. 3. Select the Media Type that matches the media being calibrated. For this example select Plain. (Note: Not all devices will display the Media type option). 4. Select the Print Screen Mode: that will be calibrated, either Dot or Line. For this example select Dot. (Note: Not all device will display the Screening mode option). 5. Click Print to print the 10 calibration pages 6. The Information dialog window will open with the message: The print job has been submitted. 7. Click OK to close the Information dialog window and continue calibration 8. Click Print to print the 10 calibration pages 9. The Information dialog window will open with the message: The print job has been submitted. 10. Click OK to close the Information dialog window and continue calibration.

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Printer Calibration using ColorCal

Calibrate the Scanner

Note: Each copier/scanner will have unique steps to scan and import the date into the Fiery Controller Calibrator. Consult Color Printing Guide that was included with the User documentation for the exact step by step procedures to use the scanner to read the calibration pages.

1. Retrieve the calibration pages from the printer. 2. Select the Scanner calibration page. 3. Select Measure from the 4. Get measurements area. 4. The ColorCal dialog window will open. 5. To calibrate the scanner, follow the instructions in the ColorCal window, placing the gray scale and Color Control Patches at the top for the scanner as indicated. 6. Place the scanner calibration page on top of these two control strips as indicated. 7. Click Continue to calibrate the scanner. 8. The scanner measurements will be retrieved and the scanner will be calibrated. 9. Remove the Color Control Patches and the scanner calibration page. Leave the gray scale stip on the copier scanner. 10. Place the last print of the ColorCal calibration strip on the copier scanner as indicated in the ColorCal window. 11. Click Continue to initial the scan and calibrate the printer. 12. The color measurements will be retrieved and the printer data will be imported into the Calibrator.

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Printer Calibration using ColorCal

Validating Calibration
1. The Expert mode of the calibrator allows the operator to print a comparison page. 2. Select Print in the Print pages (optional) area to print a comparison page. 3. The Test Print dialog window will open. 4. Select the type of test print to print, Comparison Page or Sample Image Page. The Comparison Page is a predefine test page provide with the Fiery Controller. The Sample Image Page option allows the Operator to use a custom color test page loaded into the Fiery Held queue as a PostScript file named CALIB.PS.

5. For this exercise print a Comparison page. 6. Select the Paper Size, Input Tray and Output Profile appropriate for the media being calibrated 7. Click Print to print the comparison page. 8. The Information dialog window will be displayed with the message The print job has been submitted. 9. Click OK to close the window.

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Printer Calibration using ColorCal

View Measurements
1. The Expert mode of the calibrator allows the operator view a table of the measurements or a graph comparing the actual color measurements to the target color curve. 2. Select the View Measurements menu and choose Measurements vs. Target to view the comparison graph. 3. Click the View button to view the graph showing the measurements compared to the optimal target calibration. 4. The Measurements vs. Target window will open. 5. Review the chart. Take note of the percentage range 90-100. The Measurements curve (thin line) should be above the Target curve (thick line). If the measurement lines are not at or above the target, this may indicate the copier needs a linearization or possible service. 6. To assist with viewing the chart, the operator can view either the Measurements or Targets, or both together. The user can also use the Eye icon next to each color to select which colors are being viewed on the chart. 7. Click Done to close the Measurements vs. Target window.

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Printer Calibration using ColorCal

Completing the Calibration Process

1. Using the Comparison page and the Measurements vs. Target chart, determine if the calibration is acceptable. If the calibration data is acceptable, click Apply. 2. The Information window will open displaying the message Calibration successfully completed. 3. Click OK to close the Information window. 4. Click Done to complete the calibration process and close the Calibrator window.

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Print to Win EFI (www.efi.com) is the world leader in color digital print servers, and controllers; superwide format printers and inks, industrial inkjet printing systems and print management, Web-to-print and proofing solutions. EFI is dedicated to giving customers a competitive edge with award-winning, scalable solutions from creation to print that maximize productivity and increase profits. EFI maintains 26 offices worldwide.