This article outlines two workflows for finding the closest reproducible match to a target color. We’ll use PANTONE 137 C, a vibrant orange, as an example:
- Connected workflow: Create and print a ColorBook using CalderaSubmit DTF.
- Manual workflow: Create a ColorBook, export it, and print it using any compatible RIP.
We’ll begin by creating a ColorBook containing a range of color variations. We’ll then print the chart and compare the printed patches with a physical target reference to identify the closest match. Although this article uses PANTONE 137 C as an example, you can apply the same workflows to other target colors.
Choose your workflow
- Example: Use a recipe for your print configuration
- Starting values: Yellow 95.69%, Orange 34.51%, White undercoat 65%; other displayed inks: 0%. These values belong to this example configuration, not a universal PANTONE conversion.
Use the same printer, inks, media, and calibration for the test and production.
Connected: CalderaSubmit DTF
In the connected RIP, select PANTONE 137 C and click Fine-tune in CalderaColor. The inkset and ink values are automatically populated:
Manual: use any RIP
- Open CalderaColor and configure the active inkset in Settings.
- Enter the base ink values manually.
Create and refine your ColorBook: the three workspace areas
The numbers identify workspace areas, not the order of operations:
- Inkset and ink values (left): ink selection, percentages, Purify, and locks.
- Live preview (middle): generated pages, zoom, and page navigation.
- Configuration and actions (right): variations, layout, and export controls.
Follow the action sequence
- Adjust ink values, use Purify, and set locks.
- Configure the color steps and percentage change, then set patch dimensions, spacing, and page dimensions.
- Review the generated pages: check the patch count, layout, and readability using zoom and page navigation.
- Export and print using the steps for your workflow below.
Export and print
Warning: Check your ColorBook save location
Send to Print and Export TIFF ZIP use Settings → Process Options → Colorbook export destination; neither action opens a save-location dialog when a folder is configured.
To choose a location every time you use either action, clear the folder path.
Change this in process options.
Connected: Send to Print
- Select Connected: Send to Print to return the ColorBook to the RIP.
- Find it in the RIP's file manager. In Image Information, verify Source: CalderaColor.
- Insert it onto the canvas and respond to the studio/configuration prompts described in the linked guide.
- Print directly in the connected RIP. Color management is automatically disabled for the ColorBook image only; calibration remains applied.
Manual: export TIFF ZIP
- Manual: Export a TIFF ZIP, extract the TIFF pages, and import them into CalderaRIP, a manufacturer RIP, or a third-party RIP.
- Disable ICC color conversion in your RIP. Keep calibration settings applied: linearization and ink limits.
- Print the ColorBook.
Compare the printed result
Compare the printed patches with a physical PANTONE 137 C reference, not the screen swatch. Record the closest patch's ink values for your production configuration.
Next Colorbook
Connected: Fine-tune the next color
For the next target, click Fine-tune in CalderaColor in the RIP. The new import replaces the inkset and ink values, preserving your last color steps and layout preferences. No manual reset is needed.
Manual: Reset and start again
Click Reset color book to clear the current setup.