HP 9500hdn HP Color LaserJet 9500n/9500hdn - User Reference Guide - Page 161

Matching colors, PANTONE®* color matching, Swatch book color matching

Page 161 highlights

Matching colors The process of matching printer output color to your computer screen is quite complex because printers and computer monitors use different methods of producing color. Monitors display colors by light pixels using an RGB (red, green, blue) color process, but printers print colors using a CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) process. Several factors can influence your ability to match printed colors to those on your monitor. These factors include: q print media q printer colorants (inks or toners, for example) q printing process (inkjet, press, or laser technology, for example) q overhead lighting q personal differences in the perception of color q software applications q printer drivers q computer operating system q monitors q video cards and drivers q operating environment (humidity, for example) Keep these factors in mind when colors on your screen do not perfectly match your printed colors. For most users, the best method for matching colors on your screen to your printer is to print sRGB colors. For more information about solving issues related to color output, see "Solving print-quality problems" on page 256. PANTONE®* color matching PANTONE®* has multiple color matching systems. The PANTONE®* Matching System is very popular and uses solid inks to generate a wide range of color hues and tints. See http://www.hp.com for details about how to use PANTONE®* Matching System with this printer. Swatch book color matching The process for matching printer output to preprinted swatch books and standard color references is complex. In general, you can obtain a reasonably good match to a swatch book if the inks used to create the swatch book are cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. These are usually referred to as process color swatch books. Some swatch books are created from spot colors. Spot colors are specially created colorants. Many of these spot colors are outside of the gamut of the printer. Most spot color swatch books have companion process swatch books that provide CMYK approximations to the spot color. Most process swatch books will have a note on what process standards were used to print the swatch book. In most cases the process is SWOP, EURO, or DIC. To achieve optimal color matching to the process swatch book, select the corresponding ink emulation from the printer menu. If you cannot identify the process standard, use SWOP ink emulation. See "Four-color printing (CMYK)" on page 160. 5 Using color and fonts 159

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5 Using color and fonts
159
Matching colors
The process of matching printer output color to your computer screen is quite complex
because printers and computer monitors use different methods of producing color.
Monitors
display
colors by light pixels using an RGB (red, green, blue) color process, but
printers
print
colors using a CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) process.
Several factors can influence your ability to match printed colors to those on your monitor.
These factors include:
print media
printer colorants (inks or toners, for example)
printing process (inkjet, press, or laser technology, for example)
overhead lighting
personal differences in the perception of color
software applications
printer drivers
computer operating system
monitors
video cards and drivers
operating environment (humidity, for example)
Keep these factors in mind when colors on your screen do not perfectly match your printed
colors.
For most users, the best method for matching colors on your screen to your printer is to
print sRGB colors.
For more information about solving issues related to color output, see
“Solving print-quality
problems” on page 256
.
PANTONE®* color matching
PANTONE®* has multiple color matching systems. The PANTONE®* Matching System is
very popular and uses solid inks to generate a wide range of color hues and tints. See
for details about how to use PANTONE®* Matching System with this
printer.
Swatch book color matching
The process for matching printer output to preprinted swatch books and standard color
references is complex. In general, you can obtain a reasonably good match to a swatch
book if the inks used to create the swatch book are cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
These are usually referred to as process color swatch books.
Some swatch books are created from spot colors. Spot colors are specially created
colorants. Many of these spot colors are outside of the gamut of the printer. Most spot
color swatch books have companion process swatch books that provide CMYK
approximations to the spot color.
Most process swatch books will have a note on what process standards were used to print
the swatch book. In most cases the process is SWOP, EURO, or DIC. To achieve optimal
color matching to the process swatch book, select the corresponding ink emulation from
the printer menu. If you cannot identify the process standard, use SWOP ink emulation.
See
“Four-color printing (CMYK)” on page 160
.