Lexmark C530DN Troubleshooting Guide - Page 8

How does the printer know what color to print? When a user prints a document, information describing the type and color of each object is sent to the printer. The color information is passed through color conversion tables that translate the color into appropriate amounts of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black toner needed to produce the desired color. The object type information lets different color conversion tables be used for different types of objects. For example, it is possible to apply one type of color conversion table to text while applying a different color conversion table to photographic images. Should I use PostScript or PCL emulation printer software? What settings should I use for the best color? The PostScript driver is strongly recommended for best color quality. The default settings in the PostScript driver provide preferred color quality for the majority of printouts. Why doesn't the printed color match the color I see on the computer screen? The color conversion tables used in Auto Color Correction mode generally approximate the colors of a standard computer monitor. However, because of technology differences that exist between printers and monitors, there are many colors that can also be affected by monitor variations and lighting conditions. For recommendations on how the printer color sample pages may be useful in solving certain color-matching problems, see the question, "How can I match a particular color (such as a color in a corporate logo)?" The printed page appears tinted. Can I slightly adjust the color? Sometimes a user may consider printed pages to appear tinted (for example, everything printed seems to be too red). This can be caused by environmental conditions, paper type, lighting conditions, or user preference. In these instances, adjusting the Color Balance setting may be used to create more preferable color. Color Balance provides the user with the ability to make subtle adjustments to the amount of toner being used in each color plane. Selecting positive (or negative) values for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black under the Color Balance menu will slightly increase (or decrease) the amount of toner used for the chosen color. For example, if a user believes the overall printed page to be too red, then decreasing both magenta and yellow could potentially improve color preferences. For information about adjusting the Color Balance setting, see the Menus and Messages Guide on the Software and Documentation CD. My color transparencies seem dark when being projected. Is there anything I can do to improve the color? This problem most commonly occurs when projecting transparencies with reflective overhead projectors. To obtain the highest projected color quality, transmissive overhead projectors are recommended. If a reflective projector must be used, then adjusting the Toner Darkness setting to 1, 2, or 3 will lighten the transparency. For more information, see the Menus and Messages Guide on the Software and Documentation CD. Make sure to print on the recommended type of color transparencies. For more information about the paper and media specifications, see the User's Guide on the Software and Documentation CD. What is manual color correction? The color conversion tables applied to each object when using the default Auto Color Correction setting generate preferred color for the majority of documents. Occasionally, a user may want to apply a different color table mapping. This customization is accomplished using the Manual Color menu and the Manual Color Correction setting. Manual Color Correction applies to RGB and CMYK color conversion table mappings as defined in the Manual Color menu. Users may select any of the different color conversion tables for RGB or CMYK: Color conversion table RGB CMYK Settings • sRGB Display • Display-True Black • sRGB Vivid • Vivid • Off • US CMYK • Euro CMYK • Vivid CMYK • Off Note: The Manual Color Correction setting is not useful if the software program does not specify colors with RGB or CMYK combinations. It is also not effective in situations where the software program or the computer operating system controls the adjustment of colors. 8 How can I match a particular color (such as a corporate logo)? Occasionally, users have a need for the printed color of a particular object to closely match a specific color. For example, a user may need to match the color of a corporate logo. While instances can occur in which the printer cannot exactly reproduce the desired color, users should be able to identify adequate color matches for the majority of cases. The Color Samples menu item can provide useful information in helping solve this particular type of color-matching problem. The nine Color Samples values correspond to color conversion tables in the printer. Selecting any of the Color Samples values generates a multiple-page printout consisting of hundreds of colored boxes. Either a CMYK or RGB combination is located on each box, depending on the table selected. The observed color of each box is obtained by passing the CMYK or RGB combination labeled on the box through the selected color conversion table. The user can examine the color samples pages and identify the box whose color is the closest to the desired color. The color combination labeled on the box can then be used for modifying the color of the object in a software program. For instructions, see the software program Help. Manual Color Correction may be necessary to utilize the selected color conversion table for the particular object. Selecting which Color Samples pages to use for a particular color-matching problem depends on the Color Correction setting being used (Auto, Off, or Manual), the type of object being printed (text, graphics, or images), and how the color of the object is specified in the software program (RGB or CMYK combinations). When the printer Color Correction setting is set to Off, the color is based on the print job information; no color conversion is implemented. Note: The Color Samples pages are not useful if the software program does not specify colors with RGB or CMYK combinations. Additionally, certain situations exist where the software program or the computer operating system adjusts the RGB or CMYK combinations specified in the program through color management. The resulting printed color may not be an exact match of the Color Samples pages.