KM C500 Color Adjustment

[M. Gerald Crofoot]

I need to be sure that the color printed matches the color sent. Assuming that the spot colors used in the file my customer emails to me are the Pantone colors they say they are, how do I adjust my printed result to match Pantone? I have a Service Manual, but I'll accept any tips you can offer.

 

[UberTech]

RIP Model?

 

[M. Gerald Crofoot]

RIP is Fiery. Fiery screen shows 50 C-K.

 

[UberTech]

Well, this may be 'spot on' 101. The files they send you will have the pantone number in the file. If you have Pitstop you can check your clients files using the eye dropper. This will give you the exact pantone name and number. If they are sendng you a jpeg or word document the spot colour will not be in the file.

I had a customer swear that a colour in the file was a PMS colour, I asked what the file was from, answer, a Jpeg.

Once you have established this, I can help you more.

 

[M. Gerald Crofoot]

Here's my challenge in the case at hand: The three-color logo artwork is sent to me in a jpeg. I have approved hard copy of the file. I have customer's PMS numbers for the colors which visually match what I see on the hard copy. Using the customer-provided PDF version of the jpg file I get good PMS color number matches using my color ID program. But . . . when I copy the approved hard copy using the copy function of the printer or when I directly print from the PDF file the colors do not match the hard copy original. The output, copied or printed from file, look the same one to the other, but do not match the approved hard copy original. This difference is also true when I copy from almost any other color document. This difference is also true when I direct print pages from my PMS guide file.

 

[UberTech]

Ok, the chances of getting a photocopy to match an orignal is pretty remote, and as far as a c500, zero.

As for the JPEG, the jpeg is probably rgb. With RGB or CMYK the image data is converted to what ever colour settings are on the rip. Probably Adobe 1998 and swop coated, so the colour values that you see on your pdf will be different after the files is processed. There is way to many things working against you to get the colour correct. Unless your customer has a fiery and you can duplicate the settings.

If the orignal file had the PMS colour embedded then all the colour flow is bypassed and you will get a predictable result. In saying that you are probably using a PMS swatch that does not have a CMYK bridge which is what the fiery will actually produce.

The only other option is colour protection, I'm not sure if that rip had colour protection or not. If it does then you can use the colour values you do have, protect them, and tell the machine what colour to print. You can select the colour off the orignal using a ES1000.

 

[M. Gerald Crofoot]

I learned today that this RIP does provide color protection using a PMS simulator. Makes sense, and your input sounds like the same approach. First thing tomorrow I'll get going with that program. Many thanks.
By the way - where in the world are you?