TekColor corrections
The printer's TekColor color correction options provide simulations of different color devices. Follow these basic guidelines so that the printer accurately reproduces the colors you want on your prints.
- For graphic arts purposes, there are four printing press standards to choose from: SWOP Press (Specifications for Web Offset Publications), Commercial Press, SNAP Press, and Euroscale Press.
- For engineering and scientific imaging applications, try printing with the Simulate Display option.
- For typical business and office printing, select the Vivid Color option before printing.
Color corrections can be selected from printer drivers, set in the printer with downloadable utility files, or set from the printer's front panel.
TekColor color corrections are performed in the printer. To use ColorSync color matching on a Macintosh, or to use host color correction in Windows 95, refer to Color Matching or Xerox' World Wide Web site for additional information.
Note: TekColor color corrections do not affect colors specified in the PostScript Level 2
international color standard CIE Based ABC developed by the Commission
Internationale de l'Eclairage (International Commission on Illumination).
PhaserMatch
With support for PhaserMatch custom profiles, users are now better able to match a specific press, paper, and ink. PhaserMatch software for PC and Macintosh platforms provides a simple approach for creating and editing color profiles. It is designed for the most demanding users who need to consistently and accurately predict and control colors. The profiles can be created by adjusting dot gain, controlling density on color reproduction curves to simulate the color output of the target press.
For detailed information and instructions on using PhaserMatch software, refer to the PhaserMatch User Manual.
Deciding which color correction to use
Color printers and computer display screens produce color differently. Printers use the subtractive primaries CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black), and produce color when light is reflected off the paper. Computers use the additive primaries RGB (red, green, blue) with a light-emitting CRT screen. The printer and the computer screen each have a different range of possible colors they can produce, with some overlap between them.
Software application packages specify color in different ways, for example as CMYK or RGB, or they may give you a choice. Get to know your applications so you can work more efficiently.
The TekColor color correction options are available for a finer degree of control over color. Since no single color correction option can address all uses, refer to the following table for the description that best fits your printing situation, and try the suggested color correction.
For the greatest control of color matching, the PhaserMatch software shipped with your printer allows you to create and customize color profiles. Refer to the PhaserMatch User Manual for detailed information and instructions.
Color correction descriptions
Click on the following topics for more information:
Turning off all color corrections
If you do not want to use any TekColor color corrections, you can specify no corrections from a supported driver, or with utility files, or from the printer's front panel. Select None when you are doing the following:
- Using applications that do their own color adjusting.
- Using ColorSync on a Macintosh or host color correction in Windows 95.
- Printing PANTONE Colors.
Printing the brightest colors and a truer blue
The Vivid Color option makes printed blue appear less purple by reducing the amount of magenta used to print blue colors. Other colors in the cyan-blue-purple- magenta range in the image are also adjusted to compensate for the adjusted blue. Colors in the red-orange-yellow-green range are minimally affected. This selection is good for applications that do not need to simulate a printing press. It is also good for making presentation graphics, such as backlit media or transparencies.
Vivid Color adjusts CMYK colors using a method that adds black to other components. This option prints more saturated (darker) colors and may be useful for printing from some applications, such as CorelDRAW!. Use this option if you have specified a color in the CMYK system, and the color has a black component, and the color appears lighter than you expected when printed.
Simulating display screen colors
The Simulate Display option makes printed colors closer to the colors on a standard display screen. This selection should improve the screen-to-printer color accuracy for most applications that don't perform their own color corrections. This selection is best for applications that define colors as RGB (red, green, blue), HLS (hue, lightness, saturation), or HSB (hue, saturation, brightness).
Closely match printing press colors
There are several printing press color correction options. Each press option conforms to a different printing standard. Use a press option if you are previewing work for a four-color job to be printed on a printing press. These options simulate a four-color commercial printing press, not solid spot colors, such as PANTONE Colors. You can use PhaserMatch to tailor a built-in press color correction for a particular press.
Note: If you are selecting PANTONE Colors in your application, use the None option; see
Turning off all color corrections for details. Also, use the None option with other color
management systems, such as EfiColor.
Click on the following topics for more information:
SWOP Press
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Press option
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Inks
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Base (paper)
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Target match
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SWOP Press
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SWOP/soy
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publication
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- Specification for Web Offset Publications
- These are specifications for color separation films and color proofing that are used to ensure the consistency of printed colors between different publications.
- This option is typically used in the U.S., and is characterized to match Imation Matchprint proofs.
- Used for high-volume, web press printing.
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Commercial Press
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Press option
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Inks
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Base (paper)
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Target match
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Commercial Press
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commercial
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commercial
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- This option is typically used in the U.S., and is characterized to match Imation Matchprint proofs.
- Used for high-quality, sheet-fed printing.
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Euroscale Press
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Press option
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Inks
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Base (paper)
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Target match
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Euroscale Press
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Euroscale
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publication
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- This option is typically used in Europe, and is characterized to match the equivalent Imation Matchprint proof.
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SNAP Press
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Press option
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Inks
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Base (paper)
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Target match
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SNAP Press
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SNAP
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newsprint
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- Specifications for Non-Heat Advertising Printing
- This is a set of production standards for printing on uncoated and newsprint papers.
- This option is targeted to match typical colors for this type of printing in the U.S.
- Use this option if you are previewing work for a non-heat web offset printing press using newsprint paper.
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Custom Profiles
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Press option
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Inks
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Base (paper)
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Target match
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Custom Profiles
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n/a
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n/a
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- Create custom profiles in the PhaserMatch application to fine-tune the printing press color corrections.
- Refer to the PhaserMatch User Manual for instructions.
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Printing in gray scale
The Monochrome option prints your color image as a monochrome gray scale (shades of gray from black to white).
Using the printer's current color defaults
The Use Printer Setting option is available in supported drivers. This option sends no color correction information to the printer. It uses the current default in the printer to process colors for printing. The printer's default can be one of the following:
- Any option selected in the TekColor Corrections menu on the printer's front panel.
- One of the color correction utility files sent to the printer.
- PhaserMatch can download custom profiles to the printer.
Using simple color conversions
The following utility files use Adobe's standard color conversions to tell the printer what type of output device you want it to simulate:
- Raw CMYK Colors (RAWCMYK.PS): Converts all colors (CMYK, RGB, grays) to CMYK colors. Use this file if your application specifies colors as CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black).
This file lets you control the CMYK output of the printer's colors without using any TekColor color corrections.
- Raw RGB Colors (RAWRGB.PS): Converts all colors (CMY, CMYK, grays) to RGB colors. Use this file if your application specifies colors as RGB (red, green, and blue). This file lets you control the CMY output of the printer's colors without using any TekColor color corrections.
Note: Refer to Using Printer Utilities for instructions on installing and using the utility files.
Using the rendering intents
The color rendering intents are designed for use with images containing colors specified in the PostScript Level 2 international color standard, CIE XYZ, which was developed by the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (International Commission on Illumination).
Each color rendering intent provides a specific type of color matching.
- Rendering Intent Absolute
- Rendering Intent Relative
- Rendering Intent Saturation
- Rendering Intent Perceptual
See Using the color rendering intents for details.
Special considerations
Click on the following topics for more information:
If your Phaser 600 printer is shared on a network
Another user may use the downloadable color correction utility files, or the printer's front panel, to change the printer's default color correction setting. If this situation occurs, the prints you make through a non-supported driver may not print as expected. Refer to Sharing the printer on a network for details on how the color corrections interact with the driver settings for either supported or non-supported drivers.
Application color corrections
Some applications perform color corrections to improve screen-to-printer color matching. The TekColor color correction options in the supported drivers adjust colors in the printer after the application has performed its color corrections.
- If the application uses CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage) colors, the TekColor corrections will not be applied.
- If you select a TekColor color correction option in a driver other than None, the selection may override some application features.
- If you try one of the TekColor color correction options in a supported driver and the printed results are not what you expected, then select the None option and try reprinting your image.
- Select the None TekColor color correction option in a supported driver if you are using ColorSync color matching on a Macintosh, or host color correction in Windows 95 (refer to Color Matching or Xerox' World Wide Web site).
If you are using an unsupported driver
If you are not using one of the printer drivers shipped with the printer, or another PPD-driven driver, then use the downloadable utility files or the printer's front panel to select color corrections; see Using the Front Panel and Downloading files to the printer for details.
