How to Achieve and Assess Print Conformance? (with Alwan software)
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How to achieve and assess print conformance?
Assessing the conformance of prints can be required during production or after calibration and/or profiling.
Here are 3 tips to help you achieve and demonstrate print conformance.
1. The right paper
You probably heard the expression “paper is the fifth color”.
This is specially true for conformance assessment as measured colors will depend on the substrate color.
If assessment paper color is too far from the reference paper color, printed gamut will shift accordingly and your print colors will be out of tolerance.
If the difference between production paper and reference paper colors is higher than ∆E00 of 2, we advise you to find a paper that is closer to the reference paper and use it for conformance assessment.
Also, please follow the recommendations of paragraph 3 regarding the right color management settings.
Figure 1
3D gamuts of the same device with 2 different papers
2. The right measurement conditions
The same patch measured with different measurement conditions gives different values.
Unless agreed otherwise with your customers, choose:
D50:
This is the standard for the graphic industry and for ICC profiles.
2 degrees observer:
This is the standard for the graphic industry and for ICC profiles.
M0:
This means that instrument illuminant UV content is not defined.
Choose M0 if the reference dataset or profile has no M condition indication.
Examples of M0 datasets are FOGRA39 (ISO coated v2) and GRACoL 2006.
M1:
This means that instrument illuminant UV content is defined.
Choose M1 if the reference dataset or profile has M1 condition indication.
Examples of M1 datasets are FOGRA51 (PSO coated v3) and CRPC 6 (GRACoL 2013).
M2:
This means that instrument includes hardware or software UV cut filter.
Choose M2 if the reference dataset or colors have M2 condition indication.
Examples of M2 colors are the Pantone® libraries found in Adobe products.
Figure 2
3D gamuts of a device with 2 different M conditions
3. The right color management settings
Your workflow or color server (Alwan ColorHub) settings should be :
Input Profile:
The same profile as the one chosen as an aim in your assessment software (Alwan ToolBox JCT).
Output profile:
Your up-to-date print device profile (Hydra Profiling®).
Rendering Intent:
ICC Relative Colorimetric:
This works if assessment paper and reference paper ∆E00 < 2, choose BPC (Black Point Compensation) for production, no BPC for assessment.
ICC Absolute Colorimetric:
This works if assessment paper and reference paper ∆E00 > 2, and if reference paper color is within the gamut of the assessment paper.
This is the recommended setting for proof assessment.
Alwan Hybrid Colorimetric:
This works in most cases for production, proofing and conformance assessment.
Note that BPC is not available and can not be activated with this intent.
Alwan Hybrid Colorimetric is our recommended option in most cases.
Purities:
None.
Figure 3
Absolute Colorimetric Rendering Intent report: PASS (left),
Relative Colorimetric Rendering Intent report: FAIL (centre),
Alwan’s Hybrid Colorimetric Rendering Intent report: PASS (right)