Color Optimization with Your Rimage System
- Published
- 08/20/2018
- Author
- Nancy G
- Rimage Corporation, Everest Printer, Everest Encore Ribbons, recordable media, quickDisc, Rimage Software Suite
- Categories
- Rimage, Thermal Printers, Thermal Retransfer Printer, Inkjet Disc Printer, Inkjet CD Printer
Whether you use a Rimage Everest printer or a Rimage inkjet system, there is a rich variety of color that your printer can create. Though, if you have ever tried to match a very specific color or have gotten a surprising result when trying to print a certain label, you may wonder what you steps you should take to get the desired finished product.
The first thing to understand is that both the Everest and inkjet printers use the Cyan-Magenta-Yellow (CMY) spectrum. The printers use those three base colors in varying quantities to produce the wide range and variety of colors they can print. This is different from your computer monitor that is used to design the label and pick the colors initially. Computer monitors use the Red-Green-Blue (RGB) spectrum. While the printer driver is designed to translate RGB colors from the computer into CMY colors for printing, this difference is why the printed result may not completely match the color on the screen.
The second important note is that color science is complex. If you are interested in the science details, see the Rimage website for an in-depth white paper “The Science of Color” that discusses the details of color, CMY vs RGB differences, and how it impacts disc production.
There are a few options to try tweaking the color results that a printer is producing. If you’re using CD Designer, one method that you can try is to use the Image Processing options on a specific graphic file and then adjust the Contrast, Brightness, Hue and Saturation choices. These options adjust the difference between light and dark areas of the print, overall darkness and lightness, base color, and color amount. This can also be done per image so you do not have to worry about impacting images that are already printing correctly.
Another option is to modify the printer driver settings. This impacts all discs and the entire label, so it should only be used if this is acceptable. The first driver setting is the Color Matching. This changes the way that the driver translates the label color into the CMY spectrum. The desired setting can vary depending on the color and label file, so experimenting is encouraged. The second setting is the Image Adjustments. These can produce some dramatic effects, but the Custom option can be used for more subtle changes.
Additionally, it’s also possible to modify the hardware to help with color matching. Calibrating your monitor used to design labels can make it easier to know which color will be printed prior to testing the print. If a printer is serviced in the field, it might also be necessary to balance the color of the printer as well. Rimage technicians will perform color balancing when a printer is brought in for repair.
If you’d like more detailed instructions on the steps discussed here, they can be found in the Color Matching Guide on the Rimage support site or through contacting Rimage Technical Support.