Color Matching

[viczulis]

Re: Color Matching

get a patone color chart then print test page if colors match then it has to do with the calibration of their screen not printer

[teckat]

Re: Color Matching

get a patone color chart then print test page if colors match then it has to do with the calibration of their screen not printer

low end customers never go for spending 150.00 on a Patone Color Chart / and these ADVANCE PRINTERS are the worst for matching color

RGB screen calibrations "Never" satisfies a LOOP USER Customer/ loop.jpg
they usually have cheap monitors/

only a big design or advertising company buys the correct monitors/ and they are the worst to deal with / have dealt with many Fortune Five Hundred companies in the Big Apple

[copier tech]

Re: Color Matching

This is kind of round-about, but it works for me:

When a customer complains about color matching, the first thing I do is a simple cleaning and color calibration. This test pattern is very handy to identify flaws in CMYK. See below:

Then if it's still not close enough, I'll connect my laptop to the MFP and get a copy of the enduser's document. If it's not in a format that I can open, I'll use a PDF conversion of that document.
1) I'll open the document and confirm with the enduser that I've identified the color that they are concerned with matching. Using ColorPic I can identify the CMYK description of that color in the electronic document, i.e. CMYK:50/40/30/20
2) Next I print the document with PCL6 and PS3 drivers. Using my Pantone Color Bridge I find the closest match and compare the CMYK description.
3) If it matches (or close), then it's time for the business cards. Ask each person in the office for a business card and set them all on the table side by side. Typically you'll see four or five shades of similar and some totally dissimilar colors. "So which is the official color? There are 5 choices here." Your keyop will choose a sample and say "This is it." or they might say "It's none of these. I'll get you one." Compare the sample to your Pantone Color Bridge, and determine the closest CMYK description, i.e. CMYK:55/45/35/25.
4) Open a Paint document, and create a color patch that matches the endusers official sample (55/45/35/25). Along side of that create a patch of the color in step #1 (50/40/30/20). Print it, and confirm that both colors appear as they should using Pantone Color Bridge.
5) So you say "OK, so the color in this electronic document as you can see here is CMYK:50/40/30/20. and the machine prints CMYK:50/40/30/20. And your official color is 55/45/35/25 per the Pantone Color Bridge. If that color was in the electronic document it would print it, like this sample I created in Paint. All we need now is your official color to appear in this document."

You can also throw out there that just because a document is printed in ink, or came from a professional printer, that does not necessarily make it a good example of their official color. The business cards demonstrate this.

Notice how I've completely side-stepped the topic of Additive (RGB) versus Subtractive (CMYK) color. When pressed about the monitor versus print issue, the line I like to use is: "When they invent electronic light producing paper, then copies might look like your monitor. For now, copy paper is reflective, not refractive." Naturally there are ways of calibrating your monitor to more closely match refractive colors, but almost noone goes to that trouble. =^..^=

Nice test page, very useful, is there a way I can edit it to A4 size?

[blackcat4866]

Re: Color Matching

Nice test page, very useful, is there a way I can edit it to A4 size?

I don't see why not. It's created in Publisher 2003, then converted to a PDF.
I'll see what I can do. =^..^=

How about this?:

[copier tech]

Re: Color Matching

I don't see why not. It's created in Publisher 2003, then converted to a PDF.
I'll see what I can do. =^..^=

How about this?:

Thank You, i've put them on a USB stick they will come in handy

[teckat]

Re: Color Matching

Thank You, i've put them on a USB stick they will come in handy

good information !!!!

I find the most difficult to maintain is a "Company Logo" that is on upper left corner of paper/
I keep reminding customer to use same brand of 28lb stock/ set the Pantone on imagePress 7000 series/ but find that a blue logo is almost impossible to maintain for a month !!

[qbert69]

Re: Color Matching

good information !!!!

I find the most difficult to maintain is a "Company Logo" that is on upper left corner of paper/
I keep reminding customer to use same brand of 28lb stock/ set the Pantone on imagePress 7000 series/ but find that a blue logo is almost impossible to maintain for a month !!

Many company logos use a "spot" color vs a "process" color!:

Color Intelligence - Spot vs. Process Color

The customer *NEEDS* to determine if the original logo was a spot or process color to begin with and then use a process like Pantone's Color Bridge Set that provides the closest approximation across color space types!:





PS--In regards to the "color shift/drift" of the machine itself, that falls in the realm of the machine's process control and self calibration!

[MjarbarV2.0]

Re: Color Matching

All of this and not even going the route of the screen 'white' background and the different types of 'white' paper they print on can also change the perception of the same colour! Colour matching is a pain in the 'arris at the best of times, and customers who just print and expect it to match are a special kind of stupid!

[zoraldinho]

Re: Color Matching

good information !!!!

I find the most difficult to maintain is a "Company Logo" that is on upper left corner of paper/
I keep reminding customer to use same brand of 28lb stock/ set the Pantone on imagePress 7000 series/ but find that a blue logo is almost impossible to maintain for a month !!

Do you ever have gold or copper colour company logo? I hope not.It's pain in the anus.

[teckat]

Re: Color Matching

Do you ever have gold or copper colour company logo? I hope not.It's pain in the anus.

we use to have the TRUMP account
Trump_Entertainment_Resort_logo.jpg

know what u mean

[vishop]

Re: Color Matching

I have asked a Canon tech to come and have a look at the issue. Immediately, he declared that it will never match and the print that the client has printed for a test is the maximum it can get close to and advise the user to just use the PS driver since looks more closer compare to UFR or PCL prints.

I just printed several sample prints using different settings that could be found in the printer driver. I will show to them and just let them choose which for them has the closest comparison.

So difficult to explain to them RGB, CMYK, Monitor Screen Projection, paper reflection, etc. Just stares at me, and when I'm done, still says "but the prints are very different".

[zoraldinho]

Re: Color Matching

So difficult to explain to them RGB, CMYK, Monitor Screen Projection, paper reflection, etc. Just stares at me, and when I'm done, still says "but the prints are very different".

Ha ha. Same customers all around the world.
In the same office next to Canon advance model stending the cheapest inkjet printer with much better colour match and you must explain this to users.

[teckat]

Re: Color Matching

I have asked a Canon tech to come and have a look at the issue. Immediately, he declared that it will never match and the print that the client has printed for a test is the maximum it can get close to and advise the user to just use the PS driver since looks more closer compare to UFR or PCL prints.

I just printed several sample prints using different settings that could be found in the printer driver. I will show to them and just let them choose which for them has the closest comparison.

So difficult to explain to them RGB, CMYK, Monitor Screen Projection, paper reflection, etc. Just stares at me, and when I'm done, still says "but the prints are very different".

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Do u believe in Miracles

How to properly utilize ICC profiles Canon Printers------see link
Using ICC Profiles with Canon Printers - Steve's Digicams
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Monitor matching may not be applied, or these settings may not be configurable or adjustable, depending on your monitor and the source application.

Color match.jpg


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• Printing in exactly the same colors as displayed on the monitor may not be possible due to differences in the monitor and printer color gamuts.
• Calibrating your monitor requires a measuring device.
• Because colors appear different under sunlight at different times of day, we recommend following this procedure in a room not exposed to sunlight.

1.Calibrate the printer.
2.Calibrate the monitor.
i1-Display and similar measurement devices are commonly used.

Set white point to 6500K or 5000K, Gamma to 2.2, and brightness to 120 cd.

The exact procedure varies depending on your monitor and measurement device.
3.Open the file to print and configure settings in the source application.
Display the file in the sRGB or Adobe RGB color space.
Configure settings to prevent color conversion by the application.
In Photoshop CS3, for example, select Color Management in the Print dialog box, and then select No Color Management in Color Handling.
4.Configure and adjust printer driver settings.
Select Monitor Matching using the Matching Method, and then select the Monitor White Point that you set up in monitor calibration.
In Color Space, select the color space used when displaying the file in the source application.

[teckat]

Re: Color Matching

What is RGB?

rgb-sun-light-eye.png

What is CMYK?

What about K? Printers use CMY+K (also known as black). Rather than mix CMY together to produce black, printers utilize black ink or toner to ensure a pure black color. Also, using black toner and ink in place of CMY helps to reduce the amount of ink required, thereby saving money.

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RGB and CMY have a special relationship. Combinations of RGB create CMY, and likewise combinations of CMY will give us Reds, Blues and Greens.
cmyk-circles.jpg

CMY

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Overlapping combinations of CMY circles produce Red, Blue and Green. The black spot in the center is produced by combining C+M+Y. A wide range of colors can be created by mixing different amounts of C+M+Y. For example, mix 10 parts magenta + 3 parts yellow to yield a variation of red. Add more yellow and the red starts to appear orange.
rgb-circles.jpg
RGB

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Notice that the overlapping combinations of RGB circles create Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. The white spot in the center is the combination of R+G+B.
gamuts.jpg
Color Gamut

A key concept in achieving color matching is understanding the range of colors that your device is capable of producing. Most importantly, the range of colors displayed on your computer screen is typically greater than the range of colors that can be produced by a CMYK printer. The range of colors that a device is capable of producing is known as its color gamut.
The image illustrates three gamuts:

1. Colors visible to the human eye
2. Colors displayed on a typical computer monitor
3. Colors that can be reproduced by a printer using CMYK toner or ink.

Notice that the computer monitor has a larger color gamut and is capable of representing a wider range of visible colors compared to a CMYK printer. Vivid greens and blues seen on your display cannot be reproduced with a color printer using only CMYK toner or ink.

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Tips for Better Color Matching

One of the most frequent occurrences of color matching takes place when the RGB combinations seen on your computer screen are converted into CMYK toner combinations for your printer to use. Most digital color printers will handle the conversion automatically when they process your print job. However, it is possible that the printer may need to know more about the source of your RGB colors to provide the best match.
Converting from RGB to CMYK

One of the most frequent occurrences of color matching takes place when the RGB combinations seen on your computer screen are converted into CMYK toner combinations for your printer to use. Most digital color printers will handle the conversion automatically when they process your print job. However, it is possible that the printer may need to know more about the source of your RGB colors to provide the best match.
Each digital camera and computer monitor uses a different set of materials to produce reds, greens and blues. And each printer manufacturer has a unique set of pigments and colorants in their inks and toners. A combination of C+M+Y+K on printer A could easily yield a different color on printer B. Thankfully, nearly all modern color devices exchange color information using industry standard color spaces such as sRGB and SWOP CMYK.

Utilizing Standardized Color Spaces

color-spaces-screen-shot.jpg

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Using Spot colors

spot-colors-swatch.jpg

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Color profiles

Operating systems, graphic design applications, scanners, and printers all use color profiles. Profiles provide the mapping instructions to convert from one set of colors into another set of colors. For example, OKI printers use ICC profiles to convert incoming sRGB data into CMYK output data. Graphic applications (i.e. Adobe Photoshop) also apply profiles when importing a color image and creating a PDF file or print job.
If you are able to work within standard color spaces such as sRGB and SWOP for CMYK, then you may never have to worry about profiles. But in situations where color matching across your entire workflow is highly critical, you may need to create profiles for your scanner, camera, monitor and printer that can be used to accurately map the colors when importing images into a graphic design application. Similarly, profiling output devices (monitors and printers) will allow you to view and print nearly the same colors. Keep in mind that a profile will not increase the range of colors (or gamut) produced by your monitor or printer, but may help to ensure colors established on one device are properly mapped when converting data to represent colors on another device.

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