Overview of Calibration

What is calibration?

Calibration is a very important color tone adjustment task among the daily color management. If you perform calibration, this machine accurately outputs colors that are input on other devices.

There are two types of calibration, regular and advanced.

Regular Calibration

Regular calibration corrects color tones by measuring the density of primary colors (CMYK) currently being output. The measurements are then used to create calibration data. The color tone is corrected based on the data without re-creating a profile.

There are two methods of regular calibration for the machine:


  • For details about the calibration in color management by the main body, refer to [Color Density Control].

  • Controller calibration, through Color Centro color management, using a colorimeter

Advanced Calibration

Advanced calibration provides a method to easily correct color tones, without the need to create a new profile as was necessary in previous machines, and without having to adjust the density of primary colors (CMYK).

You can use one of the following methods.

  • Exact Color

  • G7 calibration

Exact Color corrects profiles.

It corrects reproduction of mixed colors of CMYK as well as that of each color of CMYK.

Therefore, it can achieve higher accuracy than regular calibration can.

Use Exact Color in any of the following cases:

  • Once every 2 months to 3 months

  • When you want to improve the accuracy of a standard profile

  • When you want to eliminate the gap between machines if you have more than one of this machine

G7 Calibration is designed to acquire gray reproduction in various printing methods by adjusting the curve of each color of CMYK.

G7 calibration is a calibration method that IDEAlliance® develops to control gray balance.

In Color Centro, Exact Color is configured as default.

You can use only either Exact Color or G7 calibration.

To switch to G7 calibration, contact your service representative.

Notes when you switch to G7 Calibration:

  • You cannot use profiles and conversion tables (LUT) that you created by using Exact Color.

  • The following profiles and tables are not automatically deleted from the image controller.
    To delete them, delete them manually.
    - Customized profiles that are registered before you switch
    - Conversion tables (LUT) that are registered before you switch

  • If you are using G7 in an environment other than Color Centro, you can continue to use the following data.
    - Profiles of user data
    - Spot color tables of user data

  • For hold jobs that you saved before you switch, specify profiles appropriately, and then perform RIP (color conversion) again. After you switch, check hold jobs.

Choice of an Appropriate Calibration Method

In order to ensure accurate and stable colors, perform regular calibration routinely.

Use advanced calibration to correct inaccurate color tones caused by changes in the machine's physical environment (temperature, humidity), or to ensure different machines produce the same color tones.

If you use the controller calibration of Color Centro, you can print a chart for measurement, measure the chart by using a colorimeter, create calibration data, and register the calibration data in the image controller.

For each screen type, you can create calibration data for a paper type.

To keep accurate and stable color printing, register calibration data that is appropriate to the condition of this machine and environment.

Tips

  • The most recent calibration data saved on the image controller is applied to the following print jobs when printing.
    - General print jobs
    - Print jobs saved in the image controller area of the hard disk
    - Print jobs saved in the main body area of the hard disk

For details, refer to [Calibration Manager] Screen and Calibration Flow.