About Media Manager X10Media
A paper or other substrate that the printer creates images on. Manager allows you to create, modify and manage media and print modes; configure printer and color devices; and includes advanced tools for assessing color measurement data.
The Media Manager profiling wizard has been simplified to minimize the amount of time to profile and maximize results. For the novice, most print modes are as simple as “Print, Read, Next”, and include technology to take the guess work out of Ink RestrictionsEnsure placement of the proper amount of ink and prevent oversaturation of ink combinations. Experts too will benefit from the ease of generating a base print mode, as well as the improved data measurement and viewing tools.
Additionally, all configuration settings and measurement assessment tools are now accessible from within the profiling wizard and it is no longer necessary to exit the wizard to make configuration changes.
TIP: You can also watch the Media Profiling video tutorial that will walk you through the process of creating a new media profile.
From the Toolbar, select Create.
- When creating a new media, select Create a New Media.
- When creating an additional print mode for an existing media, click Create a New Mode.
- Select the Media Group in which you want to add the new media, or click the
next to the Media Group drop-down to add a new Media Group. Choose a name for your new Media Group that will help you organize your media effectively, such as UV, Dye or a Media Manufacturer name. - Enter a new name for your Media. This should be a name that will help you identify your media easily, such as Glossy Photo-Grade Film. Media Names can be up to 57 characters including spaces.
- Ink Configuration represents the ink set in your printer, and which inks are used. Click the gear icon next to the Ink Configuration drop-down to enable/disable additional Ink Configurations.
- Select your Process ColorsThe four ink colors used in four-color process printing: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. from the list. The Process Colors available to you are printer specific and reflect the color sets that will be used for the purposes of processing. Click the gear icon next to the Process Colors drop-down to enable/disable additional Processing Options.
NOTE: If both the Process Colors and Spot Colors are included in the inks defined by the Ink Configuration then color output will be performed, otherwise the printed output will be made using separations.
Spot ColorA specific color or type applied to individual graphic items. Setup allows you to specify spot colors that will be used for the purposes of processing. Normally, the number of spot colors will be automatically set up based on the Ink Configuration you selected. To further refine those settings or manually define your own spot colors, click Spot Color Setup. Another dialog will open that will allow you to insert, edit and delete spot colors, and arrange the order in which they appear.
3. Define the printer settings for the media.
Select the page sizes that will be available for your media.
Basic Mode Settings
1. Enter a name for your mode. This should be a name that will help you identify your Mode easily. A typical Mode Name format is ResolutionThe number of dots available to represent graphic detail in a given area. On a computer screen, resolution is usually measured in pixels per inch (ppi). On a printer, the resolution is measured in dots per inch, or dpi. Halftone resolution measurements are in lines per inch, or LPI. See also Screen Ruling., DotA single element in the halftone printing process. In traditional halftone generation, dots vary in size to control the intensity of the printed color. In digital printing, the dot size is fixed by the print mechanism. Pattern (e. g. 600, Stochastic)
2. Click the down arrow and select your Resolution. Resolution determines the quality or speed of the image output (e. g. higher resolution means higher quality, lower resolution means higher speed). Click the gear icon next to the resolution drop-down to enable/disable additional resolutions.
Use Legacy Ink Restriction enables the legacy (manual) method of setting Ink Restrictions.
3. Click the down arrow to select from the available Dot Patterns. Click the gear icon to enable/disable additional Dot Patterns. The available dot patterns may vary depending upon Ink Configuration and resolution.
4. Define the printer settings for this mode.
- Click Mode Options to view the printer specific options for the selected resolution.
- Click ScaleTo enlarge or reduce an image by increasing or decreasing the number of scanned pixels, or the sampling rate, relative to the number of samples per inch needed by the printer or other output device. Adjust to adjust your print width or height. If your measured output is different from your desired output, you can use the scale adjust tool to scale your print to the calculated scale factor. Type in the desired width or height for the test image then enter the measured values to calculate the scale factor.
Ink Restricting is the process of determining the maximum amount of “usable ink” that a media coating can accommodate without artifacts. Artifacts consist of bleed, mottling, cracking, smudging and flaking. The Ink Restriction also sets the maximum available ink from which to achieve the ink and media’s combined potential gamut.
This step takes the guess work out of ink restricting for the novice by using swatch measurements and preset targets to determine optimum settings, allowing the user to quickly profile for purpose. It is also possible for the advanced user to fine tune these to achieve an optimized starting point while still preserving the transitions, particularly when transitioning between light and dark inks sets.
The simple premise of “Print, Read, Next…” is recommended as a first order approach to setting up ink restrictions in order to save time and take the guess work out of media profiling. The user is encouraged to initially just follow this simple process. As the user becomes more familiar with the profiling process then it might be desirable to use the improved advanced user tools (found in the View Measurements plotting tools in the Read SwatchStandard print image used by RIP-Queue for profile generation. A swatch contains multiple patches. drop-down) as a basis of modifying the ink restriction settings.
X10 - Assisted Ink Restrictions (Print, Read, Next)
1. Click Print to open the Print Ink Restriction Swatch dialog. Select your color device and page size and click Print. See Print Ink Restriction Swatch for a detailed description of the dialog.
2. Read the Ink Restriction Swatch.
The Read Swatch dialog gives instruction for and feedback on patch measurements. It also allows for device specific features.
Ink Restriction values are displayed as a graph after reading the Ink Restriction Swatch. The values for each channel and a plot of the Ink Restrictions will be displayed.
Pre-X10 - Legacy Ink Restrictions (manual ink restriction selection)
NOTE: Some printers may not support Assisted Ink Restrictions
- Print the Ink Restriction Swatch.
- After reviewing the swatch for artifacts, select the patch (%) that best represents the maximum amount of ink before artifacts. Click the appropriate patch (Basic), or enter the appropriate value (Advanced).
White Ink Verification Swatch (available in version X10.1 or newer)
Printing a white ink verification swatch is an optional step shown only for configurations containing a spot channel (such as white or varnish). White ink verification swatch allows you to visually evaluate white ink both individually and in combination with other colors. It can be used to determine the percentage of ink to use in a flood fill.
The variable dot control for this swatch is the same as for the Print Ink Restriction Swatch.
NOTE: If you plan on making changes to the variable dot configuration, you should do it in this step. Changes performed here will affect all ink levels.
To print the white ink verification swatch, simply press the first print button and a basic print dialog for that swatch will be displayed.
Changes to the print dialogs for other swatches
After printing the white ink verification swatch, you can continue the profiling process as usual. The difference will be seen when you select Print for your swatches. In each print swatch dialog, you will be able to choose whether you want to print and measure spot inks, or print a flood fill with them. In the Print Ink Restriction Swatch dialog, you will also have the ability to restrict the amount of white ink to use. This value would be based on your evaluation of the white ink verification swatch printed in the previous step. The value set here will become your ink restriction setting for the spot color.
Calibration is the process of establishing a baseline of how your printer uses ink when specific demands for each color are given. The readings in calibration are based on the settings in the Ink Restriction step (if it was performed). Target densities are used to define the desired tone of the printed output, and represent the desired known condition of the printer and media. As time passes, environmental, hardware and ink changes can be adjusted for by performing a recalibration to try to return the printed output to those target conditions.
1. Print Swatch creates a swatch representative of how the printer is currently printing. This is initially defined by the Ink Restrictions step (if it was performed). Measurement of the calibration swatch is used to capture the current condition of the printer and media.
2. The readings from the swatch represent the current condition of your printer and media. Having this information allows for the possibility of getting back to the current condition, relative to changes in print environment, ink, and condition of the print heads (See Recalibrate)
Clicking on Advanced opens the Tweak Linearization dialog. Advanced users may choose to evaluate and make adjustments to the target densities used to define the mode’s linearization. It is recommended to click Next.
For instructions on generating G7 advanced calibrations (available in version X10.1 or newer), see Advanced Grayscale G7 Calibration.
For more information, see Calibration and Recalibration.
One might wonder about the need for an Ink Limit when an Ink Restriction has been performed. While the Ink Restriction step establishes the maximum ink available for each individual process channel in a print mode, the Ink Limit step sets the maximum ink levels allowed for printing with more than one process channel at the same time in order to eliminate artifacts.
While viewing the Ink Limit Swatch left to right (light to dark), try to determine which patch best represents the solid dark shade for the color you are looking at. Significant consideration should be paid to identifying patches that have artifacts. Artifacts may affect your ICCICC (International Color Consortium) A group of hardware and software companies dedicated to the development of a specification that is operating system independent and provides the digital imaging, printing and related industries with a data format for defining the color and reproduction characteristics of devices and their related media Swatch and cause potential reading errors which in turn may lead to image quality problems. Common artifacts include ink bleed, an embossed or raised look, a picture frame appearance, or a glossy or dull appearance. All of these artifacts indicate too much ink, requiring a reduction to the Ink Limit. If you will be using a take up roll you should also consider the time necessary to allow the ink to dry prior to going on the take-up roll.
In summary, reduce the Ink Limit to the point that any artifact you do not want to appear in your prints has been eliminated. Additionally, if the color reaches a point where no additional change occurs, it is likely that settings above that point will be wasting ink. You should make the darkest setting possible, that does not also waste ink.
Once you have determined where to set the Ink LimitsInk Limits prevent oversaturation of three and four color combinations. Ink Limiting is the process of restricting the total amount of ink applied to a media by adjusting the maximum percentage of the color values in a processed image. you may print another Ink Limit Swatch to see if the settings you have chosen are adequate. It is recommended that the ink limit swatch be printed again after setting the ink limits. After repeating, if you notice a drop in color near the point of your chosen Ink Limit you may need to override the automatic settings for the Black and Chromatic sliders. These sliders help by adding in an amount of the color reduced in the Ink Limit, equal to the amount of black ink needed to achieve similar darkness. The Chromatic slider performs a similar function for the CMY Gray component.
If you are unable to get a good balance between color and artifacts, try the following:
- If possible, you can try increasing the printer heater temperature, and/or reduce the print speed. Both will aid ink drying.
- You may need to use more aggressive Ink Restriction Settings.
NOTE: If this is the case, all steps following the Ink Restriction step will need to be redone (E. g. new Calibration, Ink Limit, etc.) Having to revert to the Ink Restriction step may indicate an incompatible media and ink combination for the expected results.
1. Select an existing Ink Limit or create a new one by clicking the icon
2. Click Print Swatch to print an Ink Limit Swatch. If you want to configure print options, click the down arrow.
For each letter section of the swatch, choose the setting that best represents the desired color without artifacts, or potential drying time concerns (e. g. if using a take-up roll). It is recommended that you choose Basic.
Single Colors 1A (A1, A2, A3) [Minimum of A]*
Two ColorThe attribute of visual experience that can be described using the dimensions of Hue, Saturation, and Brightness. Combinations B (B4, B5, B6) [Minimum of B]*
Neutrals C (7)
* Printers with Hi-Fi extended channels (e.g. Red, Green, Orange, Blue) require additional patches for determining the Ink Limit of combination colors using those extended channels. These are controlled by the lowest setting of the preceding sections
(e. g. If A1 = 2.5, A2 = 2.7, A3 = 2.7, the corresponding [min] channels would all be set to 2.5. or equal to A1 which is the lowest of the corresponding channels. If a lower setting is required for a ‘Minimum’ channel, one of the corresponding channels must be set lower than you may have intended (e. g. If one or more ‘Minimum’ channels needs to be set at 2.1, you would need to set A1, A2, or A3 to 2.1)
1.Select the ICC ProfileAn international standard for describing color transformations. Also known as ICM (.icm). See also Color Profile and Profile Library. you would like to use or create a new ICC by clicking the plus icon. Click Import ICC to add a different ICC profile.
2. Click Print Swatch to configure and print the ICC Swatch. It is recommended to use the Ultra Accuracy swatch.
Click the down arrow to select from the available color engines (ONYX Build Engine – ONYX Graphics, Inc.; LOGO Build Engine– GretagMacbeth)
3. After the swatch has dried, click Read Swatch to measure the ICC Swatch.
4. An appropriate set of options is generally preselected based on your printer’s Ink Configuration. For most users it is recommended that you click Build ICC Profile to complete the profiling process.
Advanced users can access the Build Options by clicking Edit. The down arrow on the Edit button allows users to configure and save custom setups. These will appear in the Predefined Build Options drop-down menu.
NOTE: Custom built option presets are not auto selected based on the Ink Configuration of the printer.
If you are using a printer that does not support the new profiling workflow, please click on the link below to view legacy profiling steps.
