Spot Color Preferences

Spot Color Preferences

The Spot Color Generation Preferences can be located in Calibrator in the bottom right hand corner. These preferences play a crucial role in determining how spots are calculated. Here's a breakdown of each setting:

Black Start: This setting ensures that all spots with a K (black) value less than the specified percentage will have 0 black added. If it were set to 20% would mean anything with 20% will be set to 0
Black Max: With this setting, no additional K (black) is added from the set value. If it were set to 80% the max black would not use more than 80% black.
Optimize Black Channel: This function purifies colors that fall outside of the gamut, optimizing the overall color output.
Hi-Res Gradation: Improved spot color gradation for out of gamut spots.
It is default “On” for new PMMs and will better simulate spot color gradations of spot colors that are out-of-gamut.   Note: for old PMMs  - made pre V6.5.1 or MX pmms: they use the old style linear gradation from the spot color after mapping it to the gamut.
Method:
This is selecting the method of mapping for colors that fall outside of the gamut of the printer's ink/media combination. The default method of mapping provides a clean and more pleasing effect for these out-of-gamut colors. However, we also offer more traditional methods of mapping the spots per PMM which follow various Delta E calculation methods. These methods provide a more "absolute" methodology of mapping Lab values to the gamut of the PMM.
Force TAC: This setting can be activated to ensure that spot colors adhere to the Total Area Coverage (TAC) values set in the PMM. By default, spot colors use the best values to achieve their colors, which may not be limited by the Total Area Coverage selected. When very low ink limits are set, this can lead to overinking. Activating Force TAC ensures that spot colors are produced within the confines of the ink limit set in the PMM, preventing overinking.

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