Profiling establishes a fixed target for you to achieve. For example: If you were an archer, you would probably already know how to use a bow and arrow, but without a target, there is no way you can know if you're shooting in the right direction. Similarly, you may know how to use a printer, but without a target or goal, you will never know how well you are doing. See Profiling Workflow for more details.
Profiling establishes the target for your print mode. A mode is a combination of your printer, media, ink set, dot pattern, and resolution. When you profile, you create the optimal settings to achieve the optimal results for all of these factors. The combination of this information creates the target or goal at which the software will aim to print as accurately, predictably, and repeatably as possible. Accurate, predictable, and repeatable results save you time and money.
Creating a Profile
Building a profile is somewhat similar to building a pyramid where each level of the pyramid is necessary for the creation of the following levels. The top of the pyramid represents your target. Just like a pyramid must be built from the bottom up in an organized manner, a profile must be created following consistent steps. The image below shows a representation of these steps.
The steps in the profiling process are as follows:
- Creating a New Media and define mode options - Media names can include part numbers, print resolution, mode options, and other descriptions.
- Set Ink Restrictions - Ink restrictions control how ink from each channel is used to create single color saturation and two color combinations.
- Create a Calibration - Linearization table by linearization the printer in it's current condition - Linearization displays settings for target densities and mid-tone coverage.
- Determine Ink Limits - Ink limits control your ink usage in multi-ink combinations and can help identify light ink issues.
- Generating an ICC Profile - This then becomes your target.
Before you begin the Profiling Workflow make sure you understand the things you should do in preparing your printer to get the best output. Read the section titled Getting Started - Preparing to Profile for more information.
