Let's look at a new tool that will help you evaluate colors based on different conditions.
In our applications bar, we see that we have configure ColorCheck -
we'll select this.
This is the area where tests can be created for several different environments.
Here you can see some for named color evaluation, standard simulations for G7, and
baseline testing. There are a variety of different tests we can create to check for color consistency
Let's take a look at baseline.
A baseline test will test for consistency on a printer over time.
Here you can see the verification expiration is set to one week. This weekly baseline is included by default.
Let's use this and print this chart.
In the printing setup,
you'll notice that we have the proper printer selected, the media type, the mode and quick set.
I will print the chart.
In the RIP queue you can see the baseline chart is there and waiting to print. At this point we can close
configure ColorCheck, and we can print our chart.
Once you have a ColorCheck swatch printed, it stays in the queue, but the status changes to waiting to measure.
Now we'll take our print and measure. To do so, we simply double click waiting to measure
and we begin to do our measurements. By double clicking the file, we see a new setting of job properties
specific to ColorCheck. Now, I will click on measure and then using my color measurement device, I will read in the chart.
Once the readings are done, you will see a menu appear with our readings results.
Okay, and this is going to give us a bit of a report here.
So we'll notice that the metrics and the tolerances that are set are all in a standard of zero.
This is the first time a baseline has been run for this particular mode. What this means is you printed a set of swatches,
you get their measurements; but because the first time you're actually setting, this is the target for any future baseline test.
So again,
we have everything set to metrics at zero.
You can see what our tolerances are set to. This information is just again the beginning baseline
reflecting a zero status. This is the beginning chart to judge to.
You'll notice a report button.
By selecting that we can export out our report and
then see that expand in a HTML file, and at this time
this is our initial baseline setup.
So this report is just gonna give us standard data, not necessarily comparing to anything.
I will close this menu, and
now that ColorCheck chart of baseline goes to the bottom as a buffer job.
So now let's say a certain amount of time has passed,
one week, two weeks, a day, and you want to check your current condition to see if we've had any changes
in our environment or printer conditions that may have affected our baseline.
In the upper right corner,
we see the tab ColorCheck. If we select print ColorCheck,
what we'll be doing is printing a series of swatches again.
And we can print that baseline test to see if we are
experiencing any drift of our baseline, due to environmental ordered printer conditions or
maybe even changes in media or ink cartridges. I'll select my weekly baseline test type,
and I'll ensure that I have the proper mode and Quick Set selected below. And at this point I'm going to click on print,
I'll select print now.
Once again, I can see that my status has changed
waiting to measure. I will double click my file to go into my job properties and
at this point I will measure this target.
Now we can see the deltas between the original measurement and the one we've just taken.
These types of measurement numbers are pretty low.
If the numbers are much higher, they might indicate that there might be some things that are needing service,
possibly a linearization;
maybe it's something to do with a print head - it might need changing, or it could be something in the environment has changed
enough to affect the color output.
From ColorCheck, we can generate a report. So again, in the lower left corner, I'll click on the report.
These reports can be saved, shared, or printed out. The report gives you a list of
tolerances and all the color information.
So here you can start to see the tolerance settings.
Below, we can see all of our swatch measurements that are making off the baseline chart.
We can sort by different categories, and we can also hide this chart altogether if we didn't want to see it.
So we'll notice that we've got a verification of past,
and in my upper right corner I can also see my conditions for my print setup.
Now if I RIP a job I can see its current status as well.
This job is going to print based on that same print mode,
that I just did my baseline test for. You'll notice in the lower right corner,
just before we see print now, we get a green verification checkbox.
I'll go into my ColorCheck tab, and I get information regarding the
baseline for this print mode, the last measurement date and time, and also when my verification expiration will take place.
Again, this baseline is set to default to expire every seven days. So every seven days we're going to see an icon change.
It's gonna give us a warning to make us aware, kind of like an alert,
that it's time to run another baseline test and make sure that everything is running consistently.
That completes our ColorCheck for a baseline test.