• Using the optional Spectrophotometer Unit allows you to perform higher precision color calibration compared to the sensor built into the printer. It also has a built-in function for self-diagnosing variations in color tones from measured values (color check).
• Color calibration can be executed by creating a Calibration Target (*1) for paper other than genuine Canon paper and feed certified paper by using the Media Configuration Tool (MCT) utility for adding media information that is included with the printer together with the Spectrophotometer Unit (optional).
• Calibration Target is for paper other than genuine Canon paper and feed certified paper (*1) can also be registered in printers that do not have a Spectrophotometer Unit (optional) mounted (*2) as a custom media information file. Since this makes it possible to execute color calibration on the paper you are using even on printers that do not have a Spectrophotometer Unit (optional) mounted (*2), it delivers efficient, low-cost color management.
  *1: Standard values of the colors corrected by color calibration
  *2: Only supported by printers (12-color models) that support calibration link

For a detailed explanation, see below.

When operating with only one printer

You can correct for variations in the color tones on the printer you are using by executing color calibration by using the printer sensor. If you are using the Spectrophotometer Unit (optional), you can perform color calibration with even higher precision.
You can create a Calibration Target for paper other than genuine Canon paper and feed certified paper by using the Spectrophotometer Unit (optional) together with the included MCT. When you have a Calibration Target, it allows you to execute color calibration even on paper other than genuine Canon paper and feed certified paper. Since you can execute color calibration on the paper you are using, this efficiently reduces variations in the color tones of the printing.
In order to create a Calibration Target for paper other than genuine Canon paper and feed certified paper, you need to register a media information file in advance using Add Custom Paper. Color calibration can be executed from the printer control panel or from the CCMC color management utility.
For a detailed explanation, see "Managing Colors Using Printer Sensors" below.

•Color Management Using the Spectrophotometer Unit (Optional) •When operating with multiple printers
If you have multiple printers, you can make the color tones of the printers the same by executing color calibration on each of the printers.
Furthermore, using the CCMC color management utility allows an administrator to centrally manage multiple remotely connected printers from a single computer, and to reduce the variations in color tone between the printed material output from multiple printers.
For example, this lets you grasp the color management status (information on the date, time, and paper when color calibration was executed) of each printer, and allows you to execute color calibration on each printer from a remote location.
The CCMC color management utility is used to perform this kind of centralized management.

Furthermore, in CCMC, if you are printing on the same paper on multiple printers, you can manage the color differences between each printer to fit within a fixed range. This function is called calibration link, and is displayed in the same Calibration group in CCMC. The following conditions are required when using the calibration link function.

• The same paper is loaded in the printers
• Color calibration is executed on the paper loaded in the printers
• The printers are on
• The printers being color managed support the calibration link function

•When using paper other than genuine Canon paper and feed certified paper
You can also reduce the variations in printed color tones when using paper other than genuine Canon paper and feed certified paper by creating a Calibration Target by using this printer with a Spectrophotometer Unit (optional) mounted and the included MCT.
You can also execute color calibration on paper other than genuine Canon paper and feed certified paper by registering a custom media information file that contains this Calibration Target using the included MCT on printers (12-color models) that support calibration link without a spectrophotometer unit mounted. Furthermore, it is also possible to execute color calibration on paper other than genuine Canon paper and feed certified paper even on remote printers (12-color models) that support calibration link by sending the Custom Media Information File that contains the Calibration Target by e-mail.
This allows you to operate efficiently and at reduced cost because you can perform calibration operations that unify color tones across workplaces.

 

Stabilizing Colors (Color Calibration Execution Guide Settings)

It is important to carry out color calibration because color tones change as a printhead ages and the environment changes.

This printer has a function that notifies when it is recommended to execute color calibration. This prevents forgetting to carry out color calibration and allows you to continuously reduce variations in color tones.

In the CCMC color management utility, Advisability of executing color calibration is displayed as a progress bar. This allows you to manage color efficiently because you can visually check roughly how long until color calibration is executed next.

 

Outputting Color Measurement Data for Creating ICC Profiles

If you want strict color management using paper other than genuine Canon paper and feed certified paper, use a dedicated ICC profile for that paper.

Dedicated ICC profiles (*1) for paper other than genuine Canon paper and feed certified paper need to be created using commercially available ICC profile creation software. (*1: Some paper manufacturers also distribute profiles from their websites.)

You can create a dedicated ICC profile by creating color measurement data using the CCMC color management utility and this printer with Spectrophotometer Unit (optional) mounted, and using this color measurement data in commercially available ICC profile creation software.

(This printer does not have a built-in ICC profile creation function.)

 

List of Color Management Functions

This is a list of the functions that can be used for color management in this printer.

Color management function	Printer + Spectrophotometer Unit	Printer only	Reference
Color Calibration Using the Printer Sensor	Can execute	Can execute	Color Calibration Using the Printer Sensor
Color Calibration Execution Guide Settings	Can execute	Can execute	Color Calibration Using the Printer Sensor
Color calibration using the Spectrophotometer Unit	Can execute	Cannot execute	Color Calibration Using the Spectrophotometer Unit (option)
Expanding the range of paper that supports color calibration	Can execute	Cannot execute	Paper than can be used in Color Calibration
Managing Color Precision Using Color Check	Can execute	Cannot execute	Color Checks Using the Spectrophotometer Unit (option)

 

This is a list of color management functions that require the MCT.

Color management function	Printer + Spectrophotometer Unit	Printer only	Reference
Creating a Calibration Target for paper other than genuine Canon paper and feed certified paper	Can execute	Cannot execute	Create Calibration Target (Windows) Create Calibration Target (Mac OSX)
Reading a Custom Media Information File that contains a Calibration Target	Can execute	Can execute	Import Custom Media Information (Windows) Import Custom Media Information (Mac OSX)

 

This is a list of color management functions that require the CCMC.

Color management function	Printer + Spectrophotometer Unit	Printer only	Reference
Remotely executing color calibration	Can execute	Can execute	Executing Color Calibration (Windows) Executing Color Calibration (Mac OSX)
Managing the color calibration execution logs of remotely connected printers	Can execute	Can execute	Checking the Color Calibration Status (Windows) Checking the Color Calibration Status (Mac OSX)
Displaying the Advisability of executing color calibration	Can execute	Can execute	Calibration Sheet (Windows) Calibration Sheet (Mac OSX)
Displaying the Calibration group (Calibration link)	Can execute	Can execute	Features of Color Calibration Management Console (Windows) Features of Color Calibration Management Console (Mac OSX)
Managing Color Precision Using Color Check	Can execute	Cannot execute	Executing Color Check (Windows) Executing Color Check (Mac OSX)
Outputting data for creating ICC profiles	Can execute	Cannot execute	Acquiring Color Measurement Data for Any Color Chart (Windows) Acquiring Color Measurement Data for Any Color Chart (Mac OSX)