This article explains how to configure and manage color calibration within a printer preset in Caldera Direct-to-Film RIP.
Access Printer Calibration
Warning
Before starting, ensure that a spectrophotometer is configured.
To access the Printer Calibration, go to Settings > Devices & Presets > Select a Printer > Select a Preset. The Printer Calibration section is located near the bottom of the preset configuration panel:
Calibration Workflow
Printer color calibration is performed through four main steps:
- Droplet: Defines the base droplet configuration used by the printer.
- Linearization: Adjusts each ink channel to ensure consistent and predictable ink output.
- Ink Limit: Determines the maximum amount of ink that can be applied without causing oversaturation or drying issues.
- ICC Profile: Creates the color profile used by the software to accurately reproduce colors.
Start the Calibration Wizard
Click "Start Calibration" to open the Color Calibration wizard. The wizard guides you through each stage of the calibration process in sequence. If necessary, you can return to a previous step at any time by clicking "Previous".
The following chapters describe each stage of the wizard and provide recommendations for configuring the settings effectively.
1. Droplet
Definition
| What is it? | Droplet management is the precise control of how ink droplets are created, sized, and placed on the media during digital printing. It includes adjusting droplet size, firing frequency, placement accuracy, and ink flow to ensure each drop of ink lands exactly where it should, in the right amount. |
| Why is it important? | Good droplet management improves print quality, ensures sharp details, smooth gradients, and accurate colors. It also makes printing faster and more efficient by reducing ink waste, avoiding visible defects (like banding or blotches), and adapting to different materials. In high-end printing, it is essential for producing consistent, professional results every time. |
At the bottom-right corner of the wizard, you can choose how the droplet settings are applied:
- Keep Default: Uses the droplet parameters automatically recommended by the software.
-
Set Custom Droplets: Allows you to manually define droplet sizes and ratios.
Warning
Droplet customization is intended for experienced operators. Before adjusting the settings, review your printer’s operating manual and confirm the capabilities of the installed printheads.
Droplet Configuration
Set droplet size and ratio to control ink precision and coverage: small drops for detail, large for fill. Adjust the ratio for balance, and use override to manually cap ink density if needed:
For further guidance and recommended settings, refer to the dedicated droplet configuration article.
The action buttons at the bottom right corner of the wizard allow you to:
- Reset to Default: Uses the automatically recommended droplet parameters.
- Save Custom Droplets: Saves manually defined droplet sizes and ratios and moves on to the next step.
2. Linearization
Definition
| What is it? | Linearization is the process of adjusting the printer's response to ink density to ensure consistent and accurate color reproduction across the entire color gamut. It involves mapping the printer's response to the desired output, ensuring that the printer can produce the correct amount of ink for each color. |
| Why is it important? | Linearization improves print quality, ensures consistent colors, and reduces ink waste. It also makes printing faster and more efficient by reducing the need for manual adjustments. |
In the bottom right corner of the wizard, you can choose to go back to the "Previous" step or continue to "See Curves".
Linearization Configuration
See Curves
Here, you can preview the linearization curve (a generic curve is shown initially):
This section lets you:
- View each ink and its percentage values.
- Toggle an ink's visibility using the eye icon.
- (Experienced users only) Hover over a point to drag it and adjust the maximum ink percentage for each channel, preventing bleeding and other artifacts from excessive ink.
In the wizard's bottom-right corner, you can "Export", "Import", or "Print" (a target for linearization). When finished, click "Save linearization configuration".
Export a linearization file
Click "Export" to save the current linearization for reuse.
Import a measurement or linearization file
Click "Import" to import a measurement file or an existing linearization curve. Use this when you’ve performed measurements or linearization with third‑party tools (for example, CalderaRIP).
Print a target
Click the Print button to open the Measurement window:
- Select a previously configured spectrophotometer, an associated preconfiguration or preset, and the target to measure.
- You can "Rescale" each ink or "Mirror" the calibration target image to fine‑tune ink output and optimize print quality:
-
Rescaling: Rescaling enables you to modify the ink output levels, which can be particularly helpful in preventing issues like ink dripping. For example, if you rescale the white ink to 80% to stop dripping, it allows for better control over the ink density during printing.
Info
Ensure that the rescaling is correctly set before scanning. If you change the linearization to 100% after rescaling to 80%, it may not correspond directly to the original output, potentially leading to ink dripping. Always verify that the scaling settings are applied correctly to the profiling patches to avoid such issues.
-
Mirroring ("Printer Configuration
"): This option allows you to flip the entire image (the calibration target), which is essential for Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing or when printing in mirror mode for pressing. This ensures that the image is correctly oriented for the final application.
-
- Click Print to print the target first.
- After the target is printed and dried, make sure the spectrophotometer is connected, then click Measure.
- Measure each strip with your device; progress is shown in the interface.
- When complete, the software will provide the optimal linearization values.
Click "Save linearization configuration" to move on to the next Printer Calibration step.
3. Ink Limit
Definition
| What is it? | Ink limit defines the maximum amount of ink that can be applied to the media, either per color channel or in total across all channels. It is set to ensure that the printer does not lay down more ink than the media can absorb. |
| Why is it important? | Too much ink can lead to smudging, bleeding, drying issues, or even damage the media. Setting the correct ink limit ensures optimal color density, sharpness, and drying time-helping maintain print quality and media integrity. |
In the bottom right corner of the wizard, you can choose to go back to the "Previous" step or continue to "Set Ink Limit".
Ink Limit Configuration
To determine the correct ink limit, inspect the printed target. If you see the previously described artifacts, the ink limit is too high:
- Ink limit: Enter a percentage to cap total ink coverage when channels are combined.
- (Advanced settings) Preserve ink: Select "Black" to preserve black channel dominance and maintain perceived color saturation while reducing overall ink usage.
Click "Save ink limit configuration" to move on to the next Printer Calibration step.
4. ICC Profile
Definition
| What is it? | An ICC profile is a standardized color profile that describes how colors should be interpreted and reproduced on a specific printer, using a specific ink set and media. It translates image color values into precise ink amounts to ensure accurate color output. ICC profiles are created based on color measurements taken from printed test charts and define the color behavior of the printer. |
| Why is it important? | ICC profiles are essential for achieving consistent and accurate color reproduction across different devices and print jobs. They ensure that what you see on screen matches what gets printed, minimizing color shifts and waste. A well-made ICC profile guarantees predictability, color fidelity, and repeatability-especially critical for brand colors, proofing, and high-quality production work. |
In the bottom right corner of the wizard, you can choose to go back to the "Previous" step or continue to "Set ICC Profile".
ICC Profile Configuration
Here you can choose the input and output color management settings that will be applied to your ICC profile.
Info
By default, these parameters inherit the values defined in Settings > Color Management. You can override them here if needed; however, for most workflows, we recommend leaving the default settings unchanged.
In the wizard's bottom-right corner, you can "Export", "Import", or "Print" (a target for profiling). When finished, click "Save ICC Profile & Close".
Export an ICC Profile
Click "Export" to save the current ICC Profile for reuse.
Import a measurement or linearization file
Click "Import" to import an existing ICC profile. Use this when you’ve performed measurements or linearization with third‑party tools (for example, CalderaRIP).
Print a target
Click the Print button to open the Measurement window:
- Select a previously configured spectrophotometer, an associated preconfiguration or preset, and the target to measure.
- You can choose to "Mirror" the calibration target image ("Printer Configuration
- Click Print to print the target first.
- After the target is printed and dried, make sure the spectrophotometer is connected, then click Measure.
- Measure each strip with your device; progress is shown in the interface.
- When complete, the software will generate the ICC Profile.
Click "Save ICC Profile & Close" to finish the Printer Calibration and close the wizard.
Previous Versions
1. Custom Droplet Management
Please refer to the dedicated article for more details on this step.
2. Linearization (per ink channel)
Enable Linearization to display the action buttons:
Linearization combines both:
- The limitation of each ink channel. For example, the 80% cyan patch can be the new 100% to avoid bleeding and save ink.
- The linearization of each ink channel, ensuring that the ink delivered corresponds to a linear density to provide a linear gradient.
Measure a target
Click the Measure action button to open the Measurement window:
- Select a previously configured spectrophotometer, an associated preset, and the target to measure.
- You can choose to Mirror or Rescale each ink, which can be useful for fine-tuning the ink output to achieve optimal print quality.
- Mirroring: This option allows you to flip the entire image (the calibration target), which is essential for Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing or when printing in mirror mode for pressing. This ensures that the image is correctly oriented for the final application.
-
Rescaling: Rescaling enables you to modify the ink output levels, which can be particularly helpful in preventing issues like ink dripping. For example, if you rescale the white ink to 80% to stop dripping, it allows for better control over the ink density during printing.
Info
Ensure that the rescaling is correctly set before scanning. If you change the linearization to 100% after rescaling to 80%, it may not correspond directly to the original output, potentially leading to ink dripping. Always verify that the scaling settings are applied correctly to the profiling patches to avoid such issues.
- Click Print to print the target first.
- After the target is printed and dried, make sure the spectrophotometer is connected, then click Measure:
- Measure each line with your device, you will see the progress in the interface.
- Finally, the software will give you the best values to linearize.
Load a measurement file or a linearization file
Click the Load action button to load an already linearized correction curve or a measurement file.
This is useful if you are using third-party software, or CalderaRIP, to perform the measurement or linearization.
View the linearization curves
Click the View action button to see the results of linearization per ink and check the values.
It is possible to view the Measure and the Correction curves. On the Measure curves tab, you can visually check if the maximum percentage of ink in the target is the same as the maximum density.
Export a linearization file
Click the Export action button to export a linearization that you can reuse.
3. Ink Limit
Enable Ink limit to display the following parameters:
- Global ink limit: Enter a % value to set a limit for all ink channels when they are mixed.
- Preserve ink: Select Black to maintain color saturation while optimizing ink usage.
4. Profile Management
Enable Profile management to display the action buttons and parameters:
Info
By default, these parameters inherit the values defined in Settings > Color Management. You can override them here if needed; however, for most workflows, we recommend leaving the default settings unchanged.
Measure a Target
Click the Measure action button to open the Measurement window:
- Select a previously configured spectrophotometer, an associated preset, the illuminant/observer conditions, and the target to measure.
- You can choose to mirror the measurement.
- Click Print to print the target first.
- After the target is printed and dried, make sure the spectrophotometer is connected, then click Measure.
- Measure each line with your device, you will see the progress in the interface.
- Finally, the software will generate an ICC profile.
Load a Measurement File or an ICC Profile
Click the Load action button to load an existing ICC profile or a measurement file.
This is useful if you are using third-party software, or CalderaRIP, to perform the measurement.
Export an ICC profile
Click the Export action button to export an ICC profile that you can reuse.