Print color accurately

Basic 

All methods use Color Management, meaning the printer must be profiled using the ICC Profile. The same technology can be used for cheap desktop printers and high-end industrial printing devices. In all cases, profiles characterize how the printer is printing using specific settings (resolution, speed, screening method, etc.) on one selected substrate—e.g., paper. This profile is valid only for this particular combination. You should save all settings whenever you create a profile to avoid accidentally changing anything. 

The primary condition is that the printer is repeatable and consistent. This means that if you print the same color on the whole page, it should be similar across the page (we call it intra-page variation) and between sheets ( inter-page variation). In most cases, inkjet printers are more consistent than laser. 

The ICC Profile describes the device gamut—the color space covered by the printer/setting/substrate combination. Only colors inside the gamut can be printed accurately. 

A. ICC Profile only

Simple method - less accurate, faster, and require less resources. To perform this, you must create an ICC profile for your printer. It can be RGB or CMYK. Also, nCLR profiles are supported.

Create ICC Profile. If your instrument comes with profiling software, use it. if you don't have any, you may use ChromaChecker to do that, but that might require a subscription

Please note that you can try a profile delivered by a paper or printer manufacturer - but that solution might not offer the expected accuracy. Custom ICC Profile is strongly recommended. 

 

B. LUTs Technology.

This is based on the ICC Profile with a series of iterations. Each step reduces error for each color independently. LUT is a text file that contains corrections required for best match.

ChromaChecker is offering Color Match technology. This requires:

  1. Color Printer
  2. An instrument that you can connect to CC Capture software. Check the compatibility list here. 
  3. CC Capture software and active subscription. 

To learn more about how to use LUTs, consult the ChromaChecker manual.