Xerox Color 550, Color 560, Color 570 FreeFlow Print Server Color Handbook
February 2009
701P49575
FreeFlow® Print Server
Color Handbook
©2009 Xerox Corporation. All rights reserved. Xerox and the sphere of connectivity design, and
FreeFlow® are trademarks of Xerox Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Adobe® and the Adobe logo, InDesign®, Illustrator®, PageMaker®, Photoshop®, Acrobat®,
Distiller®, and the Acrobat logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe
Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.
PANTONE® is a registered trademark of Pantone, Inc.
Document Version: February 2009
Table of Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
About this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Multi-media program for FreeFlow® Print Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Where: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
What: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Typographical conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
2 Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
ConfidentColorTechnology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Consistent Results through Superior Color Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Built-in printer profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Dynamic DeviceLink profiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
RGB file handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Color standards: evolving to meet changing needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Every Object Type is Optimized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Smart technology tends to the details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Spot colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Fine-tune the results to your satisfaction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Color tuning down to the page level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Automatic Image Enhancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
3 Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
When and How Often to Calibrate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Three Input Methods:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
1. Calibrating with a spectrophotometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
2. Calibrating using a scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
4 Adjusting Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
TRC editing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
The User TRCs window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
User TRC menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Opening the User TRCs Edit window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Adjusting Color Balance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Color Balance Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Adjusting color balance using slide bars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Using Advanced Preview to identify color for adjustment. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Saving and re-using Tone Reproduction Curves (TRCs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Adjusting color with Tone Reproduction Curves (TRCs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Going Further . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Automatic Image Enhancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Color Handbook 3
Table of Contents FreeFlow Print Server
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Spot Color Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Spot color processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
PANTONE® colors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
About the Spot Color List window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
About the Spot Color Editor window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
5 Color Management Workflows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-1
What is Color Management?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Use the Color Default settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
About Xerox color gamut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Understanding the FreeFlow Color Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Device Link Emulation Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
ICC Standard Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Custom Color Workflows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
CMYK Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
About the CMYK tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Establishing your Default CMYK Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Sample CMYK Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Printing with your default CMYK Source Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Changing your CMYK Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Using Direct CMYK to maximize color from your printer . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Matching another press (CMYK). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
RGB Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
About the RGB tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Source Profile and Rendering Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Using Embedded Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Sample RGB Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Professional Photo workflows (RGB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Consumer Photo workflow (RGB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Gray Color and Monochrome Workflows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
About the Gray tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Printing Gray Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Printing Gray in RGB, when R=G=B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Printing RGB and CMYK as Black and White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Sample Grayscale workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Using Gray Color Embedded Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Printing with Gray Color settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Printing RGB Gray (R=B=G) using Black-Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Printing Color as Black and White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Spot Color Workflow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
About the Spot tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Sample Spot Color workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Printing the Spot Color Swatch Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Using Preflight to identify Spot Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
4 Color Handbook
FreeFlow Print Server Table of Contents
Using View Report to identify missing Spot Colors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Adding a custom color to the server’s Spot Color List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Adjusting a color on the server’s Spot Color List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Advanced Color Matching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Laying a Foundation for Color Matching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Advanced Color Matching using Profiling Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Standardizing Color to Match Prepress Color Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Sample Color Matching Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Using the same CMYK Source and Relative Colorimetric . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Using profiling software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Setting the server to use prepress color definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Color Workflow considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
When to apply RGB Emulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Importing a source profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
Adding ICC Profiles to the DFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
6 Other Image Quality Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Image Interpolation “Smart” Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Key uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Low Resolution Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Very High Resolution Images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Smart Interpolation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Trapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Anti-aliasing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
PDF/X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
About PDF/X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Accepting and using PDF/X files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Creating a PDF/X file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
About the PDF/X tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Commercial Offset workflow (PDF/X) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Other considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
7 Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server Color Workflow. . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Rendering Intent summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Color Workflow Using Standard ICC Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
How are the Color Settings defined? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Most Popular RGB Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Most Popular CMYK Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Most Popular Grayscale Processing (not illustrated) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Most Popular Spot Color Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
PDL color management (embedded profiles) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Color Handbook 5
Table of Contents FreeFlow Print Server
6 Color Handbook
Introduction
About this guide
The Color Handbook is designed to inform you about the features and operation of the
FreeFlow® Print Server to help you achieve the best color from your printer as quickly as
possible.
While this document was developed using v7 software, the concepts contained within
apply to other software releases.
This guide contains information about the following topics:
• Benefits and features of the FreeFlow® Print Server
• Description of calibration including when and how often to calibrate.
• Custom and built-in color profiles
• Color Management controls for objects within a page
• Spot color editing
• Automatic Image Enhancement
• Descriptions of the different color paths in the FreeFlow® Print Server
• Customizing the color workflow.
1
Contents
• Chapter 1 Introduction
Describes the purpose and conventions of the guide.
• Chapter 2 Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server Overview
Describes the new features of the FreeFlow® Print Server with ConfidentColor technology.
•Chapter 3 Calibration
Provides information on when and how to perform calibration on the FreeFlow® Print
Server.
• Chapter 4 Adjusting Color
Describes the use of the different color editing tools on the FreeFlow® Print Server.
• Chapter 5 Color Management Workflows
Describes the different workflows and provides procedures and examples of these
workflows.
• Chapter 6 Other Image Quality Considerations
Describes additional FreeFlow® Print Server tools such as Smart Interpolation, trapping,
anti-aliasing and printing PDF/X files.
• Chapter 7 Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server Color Workflows
Displays a graphic of the FreeFlow® Print Server Workflow.
Color Handbook 1-1
Introduction FreeFlow Print Server
Multi-media program for FreeFlow® Print Server
Summary
Xerox is now offering a new resource designed to help you learn the basic operation of the
FreeFlow® Print Server to get you printing as quickly as possible with your new Xerox printing
system. If you are a new user or have not used the FreeFlow® Print Server much, the Getting
Started resource is the perfect place for you to start!
This one hour program will kick start your learning!
Where:
Getting Started is multi-media based and available for download from www.xerox.com/
freeflowgettingstarted.
The multimedia version will also be available on the “Customer Documentation” CD-ROM.
Inside the folder named “Getting Started FreeFlow® Print Server Multi-media Program”
What:
Getting Started with the FreeFlow® Print Server covers topics including:
1-2 Color Handbook
FreeFlow Print Server Introduction
Basic Printing
• Print Server Tour and Job Flow
•How to Submit Jobs
• How to Manage Jobs
• How to Customize your Screen
Managing Color
•Calibrating Color for your System
• Color Management Flow
• Adjusting Color Balance
What’s New with FreeFlow® Print Server 7.0:
• Changes to the User Interface
• New Features
• Enhanced Features
• Performance Improvements
How Long?
Getting Started with the FreeFlow® Print Server will take approximately one hour to complete.
At the end there are exercises that you can print and take to your system so you’ll be able to
start using the FreeFlow® Print Server to print and manage basic jobs quickly!
Color Handbook 1-3
Introduction FreeFlow Print Server
Typographical conventions
This guide uses the following conventions:
• Select [option] - Within procedures, the term select can represent various methods of
launching a feature; the option to be selected is enclosed in square brackets.
• To open a drop-down menu, move the cursor to the menu name or to the drop-down
arrow and press the left mouse button once. For example, select [System].
• To choose a menu item, move the cursor to the item, press the left mouse button to
highlight the item, then release the left mouse button. For example, select [Logon].
• To choose an icon or row and open the associated window, move the cursor to the item
and double click. For example, double click [upper tray] on the Feeders window to open
the next level window.
• Select [option > option] - Multiple options are separated by an arrow, with the name of the
drop-down menu appearing first, followed by the menu item name. For example, select
[System > Logon].
• In a Portable Document Format (PDF) file displayed on a workstation, blue text identifies a
link to other information in the file. Select the specified text to activate the link. For
example, refer to Typographical conventions in this guide.
In a hard copy version of the PDF file, the link is printed as non-black text. Locate the
specified section title in your document.
Note
This icon identifies notes. A note is a paragraph (separate from the body text) containing
related information that merits emphasis.
1-4 Color Handbook
Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server Overview
2
ConfidentColorTechnology
From preflight to press, the Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server with ConfidentColor Technology gives
you the power to manage color and quality—with ease, speed, and confidence.
Built-in and transparent controls optimize color for great results, right out of the box. Or refine
server settings with hands-on flexibility. The user-friendly interface puts high-level control at
your fingertips, so you can fine-tune for individual preferences or compensate for less-thanperfect files.
Whether you’re starting out in digital color or already delivering color-critical jobs, this sleek,
simple, and smart print server can help you get the job done. It makes easy work out of both
traditional CMYK and digital-age RGB workflows (including emulations), so you can move jobs
between offset and digital workflows. And programmable queues allow you to easily customize
your setup once, consistently giving you the results you need.
This is the print server to count on for the most creative—and most critical—customers. Yours.
Color Handbook 2-1
Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server Overview FreeFlow Print Server
Consistent Results through Superior Color Calibration
To meet the specialized needs of digital production environments, ConfidentColor Technology
draws on a strong color heritage to take calibration to the next level. Thanks to a unique,
patented calibration technology, the FreeFlow® Print Server provides superior image quality—
every time.
This technology moves beyond traditional density control to provide true gray-balance
calibration. So in addition to individual color levels, the FreeFlow® Print Server analyzes CMY
combinations from highlight through shadow, refining curves to assure neutral balance. You can
count on exceptionally smooth transitions, and skin tones that are rendered with incredible
accuracy.
For long print-on-demand and variable data jobs, the FreeFlow® Print Server shines with
outstanding consistency. It allows you to calibrate in the middle of the run—without the need
to restart the job. And when it’s time to reprint, Fast Reprint Format (FRF) assures that the job
will run with the current calibration for superior and consistent results.
Calibration yields predictability over time. But to get the “right” color, you need to account for
how color is defined upstream, and how output can be matched across digital and offset
devices. That’s where ICC color management comes in and where ConfidentColor Technology
provides a powerful toolset for ease and efficiency.
2-2 Color Handbook
FreeFlow Print Server Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server Overview
Built-in printer profiles
Under most circumstances, the FreeFlow® Print Server automatically delivers consistency and
quality using its built-in profile representing general printer characteristics. Several Gray
Component Replacement (GCR) options are included and optimized for each Xerox digital color
press. Default GCR settings provide for efficient toner usage while still yielding high-quality skin
tones and excellent highlight colors. Optional settings allow you to fine-tune toner usage for
your own desired balance between image stability and smoothness.
Dynamic DeviceLink profiles
DeviceLink profiles are a snap when you need the control to emulate output from another
digital printer or even an offset press. When you use a custom-loaded profile, the FreeFlow®
Print Server dynamically creates a look-up table in real time to link the source and destination
profiles. By building these tables only as they’re needed and used, the FreeFlow® Print Server
efficiently uses disk resources. DeviceLink technology also preserves the K (black) information
that’s lost in traditional ICC color conversion. So with the FreeFlow® Print Server, you get
output that more clearly matches the original intent.In addition, DeviceLink provides the final
component necessary for unifying offset and digital color workflows by giving you the same
option with RGB data. The FreeFlow® Print Server does this by passing RGB data through your
selected CMYK device emulations, producing the closest reproducible output for both RGB and
CMYK.
Dynamic
DeviceLink
Profile
DeviceLink technology on the FreeFlow® Print
Server connects your source and destination
profiles. So you can output to a digital or offset
press—even split a run—and get the same results.
Color Handbook 2-3
Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server Overview FreeFlow Print Server
RGB file handling
ConfidentColor Technology also gives special attention to optimizing RGB color. Leave your files
defined as RGB and let the Print Server produce the best possible color on your printer—without
an intermediate and limiting CMYK conversion. By delaying conversion of RGB files to the last,
possible point in the workflow, the FreeFlow® Print Server gives you the richest colors.
Note
Digital photography in your workflow? RGB images are more accurate with ConfidentColor
Technology. Since files are converted at the Print Server, CMYK is defined for the output
device, using its full gamut of colors.
RGB converted to CMYK at the file
source
RBG converted to CMYK at the
FreeFlow® Print Server
Color standards: evolving to meet changing needs
Press-to-press variability in a traditional offset color workflow—and even with today’s digital
output devices—makes standardization an ongoing challenge.
SWOP and FOGRA standards developed for traditional offset are a start, but they can be
limiting in the digital world where a broader range of colors can be produced. To bridge the gap
between older standards and newer device gamuts—without changing workflow upstream—
Xerox first developed “SWOP Plus” and “FOGRA Plus” to help digital output devices produce
better color with standard print files.
Today’s new and emerging standards, such as Gracol and ISO Coated, are more in keeping with
actual capabilities and provide more realistic targets for both offset and digital presses.
The FreeFlow® Print Server with ConfidentColor Technology accommodates all of these
standards to give you the functionality you need.
2-4 Color Handbook
FreeFlow Print Server Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server Overview
Every Object Type is Optimized
Within any given page, you can have a combination of contone data such as photographs,
vector graphics, and text in both RGB and CMYK. Optimizing for only one object type—or
compromising to accommodate all types—can result in less-than-optimal printing.
To get the best results, you need a way to focus attention on each object and tailor its
treatment.
The FreeFlow® Print Server automatically recognizes what object type is being processed and
treats it in the way that will maintain the highest possible quality. So when you send even a
single page that contains several different elements, it will recognize which parts of the page
are text, which parts contain graphics, and which parts contain images—and then treat each
accordingly.
• Separate color-management controls allow you to manually manipulate object types. For
example, saturate your line work while preserving the integrity of images.
• Color overprints are honored and trapping is optimized for your printer so that overlapping
text, graphics, and/or images yield desirable and expected results.
• Anti-aliasing of text and graphics uses special processing to smooth the rasterization of
curves and diagonal lines.
The beauty of all of this? You end up with beautiful results, automatically.
Smart technology tends to the details.
Page content comes in various encodings and compression types, and images can vary greatly
in resolution. The FreeFlow® Print Server makes easy work of these challenges, taking into
account both the type of printer being used and human visual perception.
Xerox Multi-Mode Compression dynamically adapts to compress objects for easier file
management without compromising image quality. It preserves sharp edges and fine detail in
text and line work, while optimizing the compression of contone images on the same page.
Xerox Smart Interpolation uses sophisticated, context-based calculations to scale content up
or down to match printer resolution.
These and other patented technologies help assure that the details you began with are the
details you output.
Color Handbook 2-5
Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server Overview FreeFlow Print Server
Spot colors
With ConfidentColor Technology on the FreeFlow® Print Server, your spot colors will be exactly
what you expect.
When a spot color is identified in a file, the Print Server uses PANTONE®-licensed CMYK
formulas defined for each Xerox digital printer family to preserve the color and fully utilize the
rich gamut available. Because spot colors are processed independently, they’re preserved
regardless of other settings or adjustments made for RGB and CMYK.
Standard formulas can be modified through the Print Server’s Spot Color Editor to meet your
needs or preferences. For example, you can match a reference print or object using swatch
books printed for your digital press as a guide. You also have the ability to create your own
named spot colors for customized workflows.
ConfidentColor Technology preserves spot colors when they’re used in tints and sweeps, as well
as by calculating tints in an independent LAB space. When you lighten a spot using the Print
Server’s tint control, the hue will hold true, giving you more creative control while assuring
consistency.
Whether applied to simple graphics, sophisticated multi-color sweeps, or multi-tone images, the
FreeFlow® Print Server produces spot colors with predictable results.
Note
ConfidentColor Technology does
wonders for your spot colors, putting
control and creativity at your fingertips.
Tints are automatically calculated in an
independent LAB space to maintain
hue, delivering predictable screens,
sweeps, and multi-tone images.
10%
80%
70%
20%
30%
2-6 Color Handbook
PANTO NE®
7469 CS
40%
60%
50%
FreeFlow Print Server Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server Overview
Fine-tune the results to your satisfaction
Color tuning down to the page level
While most print servers force you to apply the same color settings to a document in its entirety,
with the FreeFlow® Print Server, you have the flexibility to make adjustments to the entire
document or at page level.
• Image quality features can be customized to each individual page, including color profiles,
anti-aliasing, and trapping.
• With Tone Reproduction Curve (TRC) control, operators can manipulate CMYK separations
independently and with extreme precision.
• In a save/reprint workflow, images do not have to be re-RIPped to apply these corrections.
The FreeFlow® Print Server has several levels of color control built in, so images can be
corrected at the print server when adjusting the source files isn’t practical.The resulting output
quality is optimized because each page is treated exactly as needed.
Automatic Image Enhancement
Through its Automatic Image Enhancement (AIE) feature, the FreeFlow® Print Server enables
“one click” photo enhancements for exposure, sharpening, saturation, red-eye reduction, and
more. Use it to compensate for underexposure or overexposure. Bring details out of the
shadows. Saturate colors flattened by ambient light. And more. With AIE, you can make quick
and simple modifications to photo applications while maintaining the integrity of the rest of
the document. You’ll get better results when using lower-quality images, without timeconsuming or expensive prepress processes. You can even adjust AIE to target your preferences
with custom color controls.
Note
Put more life into less-than-perfect images with Automatic Image Enhancement (AIE) on
the FreeFlow® Print Server. It’s ideal for jobs featuring amateur or candid photography, or
images clipped from Web pages or compressed in emails.
Before AIE After AIE
Color Handbook 2-7
Xerox FreeFlow® Print Server Overview FreeFlow Print Server
2-8 Color Handbook
Calibration
3
Background
To meet the specialized needs of digital production environments, ConfidentColor Technology
draws on a strong color heritage to take calibration to the next level. Thanks to a unique,
patented calibration technology, the FreeFlow® Print Server provides superior image quality--every time.
This technology moves beyond traditional density control to provide true gray-balance
calibration. So in addition to individual color levels, the FreeFlow® Print Server analyzes CMY
combinations from highlight through shadow, refining curves to assure neutral balance. You can
count on exceptionally smooth transitions, and skin tones that are rendered with incredible
accuracy.
When and How Often to Calibrate
Calibrating your system is the easiest way to manage your color output. It’s quick and it
effectively removes any color variations that occur over time. Color calibration ensures
consistent quality for all print jobs. If you do nothing more that calibrate frequently and print
with the default color settings on your server, you will achieve high-quality color output.
A printer may drift from its original color output due to general use, changes in temperature
and humidity, and changes in paper. When you calibrate, you bring the printer back to its
original quality output.
How often should you calibrate? You’ll need to get a feel for the best frequency for your specific
printer. Each printer is different. In general, if you are printing high volumes of color, you’ll
probably find it beneficial to calibrate once each day. At a minimum, you should calibrate at
least once a week.
It is also a good practice to calibrate after your printer has been serviced, and some customers
like to calibrate after a major change of stock. After performing a few calibrations, you’ll be able
to see how far your printer has drifted from the last calibration. This will help you determine the
best frequency for your environment.
You should calibrate on your most commonly used stock, or a centerline stock that has a midrange weight and coating for your type of printing. You may need to check with your key
operator or supervisor to see what stock is typically used.
To calibrate your system, you first print a spectrum of color on a page. This is called a target.
The target is printed using the printer’s current settings for color.
Color Handbook 3-1
Calibration FreeFlow Print Server
Next you scan the target using either a spectrophotometer or your scanner, depending on your
system. This is called “measuring the target”. The spectrophotometer or scanner reads the color
on the target and feeds the values to the print server.
Then the print server generates calibration data. This data represent a mathematical formula
that the color data will process through. Finally, you click the Accept or OK button. This instructs
the system to accept the calibration data and adjust itself to the new formula. The actual
calibration takes only a few minutes.
Three Input Methods:
With the FreeFlow® Print Server, there are three different procedures for color calibration.
Which one you use depends on your printer model and options.
1. Hand-held spectrophotometer. You should follow the procedure first described below.
2. Off-the-glass / off-the-copier method (Xerox 700). If you do not have a spectrophotometer,
you should follow the procedure for calibrating using a scanner.
3. The final method is a an in-line automatic method. Gen4 has a standard in-line
spectrophotometer standard while iGen3 and DC8000 have optional in-line
spectrophotometers.
The in-line automatic method does not require a manual procedure to perform calibration.
Following are the calibration procedures using a spectrophotometer and a scanner.
1. Calibrating with a spectrophotometer
Use this procedure if your system has a spectrophotometer. If your system does not have a
spectrophotometer, follow the 2. Calibrating with a scanner procedure.
1. At FreeFlow® Print Server, select [Calibration] from the Color drop-down menu.
2. From the Stock Name field, select the loaded stock that you want to calibrate on.
Note
This should be the paper you use most often. If you use a variety of stocks, you can use a
“centerline stock”, which means a stock that is mid-range in terms of weight and coating.
3-2 Color Handbookk
FreeFlow Print Server Calibration
3. After setting the paper, click [Print Target].
• A dialog box opens to give you the option to print at the end of the current copy, the
current job or immediately:
Color Handbook 3-3
Calibration FreeFlow Print Server
• Generally, you won’t be printing when you calibrate, but if a long job is running and the
color appears to be drifting, you can request to print the target before the job
completion. This way the job is paused and you can correct the color quality for the rest
of the run.
• This box also lets you select more that one target to print. The default is 5, because it is
generally best to let the printer warm up on a few prints and use the last one. You
should leave it set for 5, and use the 5th print for the target to scan.
4. Click [OK] to the dialog box.
5. Collect the printed targets, and discard the first 4 that printed. Retain the 5th or last one
that printed.
6. Click [Measure] on the Calibration screen.
7. Click [Follow instructions] on the Measurement Instruction screen that opens. Then when
ready, click [Next] to follow the instructions.
Note
When you first perform a calibration, you should select Follow instructions for help. After
completing a few calibrations, you may want to select Skip detailed instructions.
Note
The steps for measuring the target vary for different spectrophotometers, but generally
you’ll have to draw the instrument over the target so it can read the color on the page.
When you are done scanning the target, the system performs calculations and then a
Calibration Complete message pops up on the server screen.
8. When the Calibration Complete message pops up on the server screen, click [OK].
The calculation results display on a graph. This graph shows the mathematical curves that
will be used to adjust your printer’s data.
3-4 Color Handbookk
FreeFlow Print Server Calibration
Note
You can compare the thin lines for each color with the thick lines. The new curve, taken from
a calculation on the target, is shown by the thick lines. The thin lines show the previous
calibration curve. If the new curves align perfectly with curves from the previous calibration,
then the system is holding steady with consistent output. If this happens every time you
calibrate, you do not need to calibrate as often. You will get a sense of how much the
system is changing between calibrations. Also, you will see a general shape to the curves,
and become familiar with the pattern over time. The curves should be generally smooth,
without bumps.
9. Click [Accept] to apply the new calibration data, and then [OK] to the dialog box that
opens.
This completes the calibration.
Color Handbook 3-5
Calibration FreeFlow Print Server
2. Calibrating using a scanner
Use this procedure if your system does not have a spectrophotometer. The procedure begins at
the FreeFlow® Print Server and then moves to the User Interface on the printer.
1. At FreeFlow® Print Server, select [Calibration] from the Color drop-down menu.
2. Select the Loaded Stock that you want to calibrate on. This should be the paper you use
most often. If you use a variety of stocks, use a centerline stock, which is mid-range in terms
of weight and coating.
3. Change the Halftone Option only if you want to calibrate on a different halftone from the
default. For this practice, leave the default value as it is in the field.
4. Click [Start Calibration].
5. A measurement instruction sheet prints along with a calibration target and a test page.
6. Follow the instruction sheet to scan the target.
7. Retrieve the test page that prints out.
8. Return to FreeFlow® Print Server and click [OK] if the test page is acceptable.
Click [Cancel] if the test page is not acceptable.
Points to Remember
As you work with your printer, remember that color calibration is the foundation of good color
management. It’s the single most important thing you can do to maintain quality.
3-6 Color Handbookk
Adjusting Color
4
TRC editing
The User TRCs window
The User TRCs window enables you to manage all custom Tone Reproduction Curves (TRCs).
You can import, export, delete, copy, print, and create new and edit existing TRCs. The New and
Edit functions are best used with a specific job as the only valid test of a color adjustment is a
proof print.
The table listing of TRCs can be sorted by either name or the file modified date by clicking the
column heading.
Color Handbook 4-1
Adjusting Color FreeFlow Print Server
User TRC menus
Selecting [Color > User TRCs] will display a list of available TRCs. Within the TRC menu, which
appears when you right-click on a TRC, or alternatively by accessing a pull down menu, are the
following selections:
• Edit...: The selected TRC can be edited using this selection.
• Copy...: The selected TRC opens in the Edit/Preview window. A copy must be saved with a
different name prior to or after editing.
• Delete: Selecting this option will delete the TRC.
• Print...: The selected TRC can be printed using this selection.
• New...: To create a new User TRC you may choose this option.
• Import...: A User TRC may be imported from another FreeFlow® Print Server using this
option.
• Export...: A User TRC can be exported to another FreeFlow® Print Server using this option.
• Redisplay: This menu option enables you to refresh the display.
Opening the User TRCs Edit window
User TRCs can be applied to a job or page to adjust the color output of a specific job. They can
also be applied to a queue to adjust the color for all jobs in the queue.
The User TRCs Edit window can be opened by using one of the following methods:
Changes made to User TRCs using any of the methods listed below appear in all the other
methods.
• From the Home Screen: Double-click a job, select the Image Quality tab and the Color
Adjustments FAB. From the Adjustment Type menu, select a User TRC and click [Edit /
Preview].
• From the Services menu: Select [Services > Print From File]. Select the Image Quality tab
and the Color Adjustments FAB. From the Adjustment Type menu, select a User TRC and
click [Edit / Preview].
• From the Queue menu: Select [Queue > Queue Manager]. Double-click a queue, select the
Image Quality tab and the Color Adjustments FAB. From the Adjustment Type menu,
select a User TRC and click [Edit / Preview].
• From the Color menu: Select [Color > User TRCs] and double-click a User TRC.
In this dialog, TRCs can be selected, edited, and previewed but cannot be applied to a job, page,
or queue.
4-2 Color Handbook
FreeFlow Print Server Adjusting Color
Adjusting Color Balance
Background
Colors, other than Spot Colors, can be adjusted using the Color Adjustment function on the
server. These include CMYK and RGB colors. As with Spot Color adjustment, settings can be
changed for an entire queue, a particular job, or a page within a job. The Color Adjustment
function is available from the Image Quality tab for a queue or for a job. For an individual page,
you can adjust color from the Special Pages tab, under Job Properties.
Color Handbook 4-3
Adjusting Color FreeFlow Print Server
Generally you should set your standard color flow for a queue; that is: Source Profile, Rendering,
and Destination Profile. Once you set color flow for queues, color adjustments can then be
made on individual jobs or pages within a job.
There are two ways to adjust color. The first option, Color Balance lets you change the balance
of colors using a slide bar for each CMYK color. You can modify highlights, midtones, and
shadows for cyan, magenta, yellow, black, or for all colors together. As you make changes by
increasing and decreasing color, using the slide bars, you can see the effect on one of several
stock images when the modification is made at the queue level. When you are adjusting an
individual job, you can view the changes right on a representation of your job file.
The second method for adjusting color, New TRC, lets you to create a detailed Tone
Reproduction Curve (TRC). The TRC screen provides you with a graph showing the color balance
for all colors. You can select a curve for all colors or select a curve for a particular CMYK color,
and drag it to form a new curve. When you do this, the color changes and you can see the effect
of your changes on a graphic display. With TRC you have many points of control, allowing you
to accurately modify color in small increments. This method is generally used by operators who
are experienced with adjusting color.
If you use the Color Balance slide bar method to adjust color, you can click a Convert to TRC
button to convert the values to a TRC. You can then name the TRC and reuse it for other queues
or other documents.
Remember that Spot Color is not affected by these adjustments, but can be changed using the
Spot Color Editor.
4-4 Color Handbook
FreeFlow Print Server Adjusting Color
Color Balance Examples
Adjusting color balance using slide bars
Adjust the color for a job using slide bars on the Color Adjustment screen. While you will be
adjusting color for an individual job, the process is exactly the same to adjust color balance for
a queue.
1. Double-click on a job to open Job Properties.
2. Click the [Image Quality] tab.
3. Select [Color Adjustments] on the Image Quality tab. This is the top selection on the left.
4. To adjust color, you first select the color you want to change above the three slide bars. The
options for selecting a color to adjust are (from left to right) All Colors, C, M, Y and K. After
selecting the color, you move the slide bars up to increase the percentage of a color and
down to decrease the percentage of a color. There are three slide bars giving you the
option to adjust the color in Highlight areas, Midtone areas, and Shadow areas of the
image.
5. Notice that beneath the image are controls to rotate the image and page through the
document. If you are adjusting color for a multi-page job, you will probably want to page
through the job to see the effect of changes on all pages. You can also zoom in and out on
the image using the Zoom control above the image.
Using Advanced Preview to identify color for adjustment
Advanced Preview is useful for identifying the CMYK color components on different areas of an
image. When you run Advanced Preview, a high resolution image of the file is created and
displayed. You can then click an eye dropper icon and move it over the image using your mouse.
The CMYK color under the eyedropper is displayed at the top of the screen. Knowing the CMYK
composition of areas of an image can help you adjust color by knowing how much to increase
or decrease CMYK components to achieve a certain look.
1. Right-click on a job and select [Preview > Advanced Preview].
Color Handbook 4-5
Adjusting Color FreeFlow Print Server
2. When the job opens in Advanced Preview, click the eye dropper icon and move your mouse
pointer over the image. The pointer becomes a small eyedropper that you can move. Notice
that as you move the eye dropper to different locations on the image, the CMYK values
change at the top of the screen. You can see the color components at any point on the
image.
4-6 Color Handbook
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