Help a Newbie with a color calibration

[streetsnake]

So we’ve purchased our first light duty production machine. It’s a xerox c70. So far so good, just trying to figure out the best way to expand our new offerings to clients. With that said, it does have fiery system. I have been trying to perform the color calibration on the fiery utilizing various articles/videos I have found. However, after I supposedly finish the calibration, the test print that shows before/after looks worse, so I keep reverting back to the default. Is this normal? Can anyone point me in the right direction of how to get this dial in? I’m not anticipating, at least initially, to have to exactly match a specific Pantone, but I do want put out an excellent product for our accounts. Hope you all can help. Thx. Ben

 

[jwheeler]

Do you have a spectrophotometer with the original kit? If so, I highly recommend that newer people use the clip board that comes with the kit. This helps you hold the spectro steady and go in a straight line. Also, make sure you calibrate the profile to the appropriate paper. Meaning, if you are doing the coated calibration, make sure you select the coated profile and use the coated paper you'll actually be printing on. You mentioned you already watched some online videos - this one shows it in great detail using the clipboard I mentioned.

 

[streetsnake]

Do you have a spectrophotometer with the original kit? If so, I highly recommend that newer people use the clip board that comes with the kit. This helps you hold the spectro steady and go in a straight line. Also, make sure you calibrate the profile to the appropriate paper. Meaning, if you are doing the coated calibration, make sure you select the coated profile and use the coated paper you'll actually be printing on. You mentioned you already watched some online videos - this one shows it in great detail using the clipboard I mentioned.

sorry for the delay in responding. I got called out of town unexpectedly. Thank you for the info and link. I do not have a spectrophotometer yet. I wanted to see if it was recommended versus just through the “normal” calibration. I’ll see if I can find a good used one.

 

[jwheeler]

Yes, you definitely need a spectrophotometer. I’m assuming the “normal” method you’re referring to is using the scanner built in to the printer. That is not the normal method most print shops use. The built-in method you’re using is not nearly as accurate.

Make sure you get a spectrophotometer that is compatible with your image controller. It will probably be an ES-2000 or ES-3000, but verify first.

Be cautious about getting a used one. If they are not well cared for, they can get thrown out of calibration (yes, the calibration device has to be calibrated too!) Most of us buy a new one with our machine and use it for the next 3-5 years without any issue. No telling how it’s treated by the auction house or eBay person you get it from after a printer is done with it.

A bit more info on spectros: Fiery Color Profiler Suite

Lastly, if you continue to have color issues after calibration, your machine may need a tune-up. It sounds like you got your machine used since it didn’t come with a spectro. Often times with used machines, the developer needs to be refreshed, drums need to be changed out, charge wires replaced, and a maybe even a new fuser installed. You will then need to calibrate after any of those things are changed. It’s standard procedure to recalibrate after image related components are changed.

 

[streetsnake]

Thanks everyone for the help. I borrowed a spectrophotometer and it did a world of difference on the calibration. I have ordered one for myself to use in the future. Thanks again