This is a very useful feature to check if the profiles that you have already generated still keep the same quality and if the printer consistency is stable.
The main purpose of re-profiling with Calibration Wizard is to establish quality control of the master calibration. Especially after a period of time after the calibration, some differences in unseasonal or other conditions can appear. Also when paper rolls of the same types are changed or/and inks of the same types are re-filled in the machine.
Re-profiling is based on the full calibration process and will always match the values back to the measured values of the master calibration profile, which is done as the first printer calibration with its inks and media. The master profile will not be changed and the tool will generate a new profile.
The following explained action tool is useful to recheck the profile and printer consistency after some period of time use. If you need to change inks or media, this re-profiling is not the tool to do as you should make a full new calibration. Nevertheless, to reach the best result for your profile, the absolute recommendation is to start a new calibration. Be aware of DeltaE changes in the white of the media, which means that some changes appear on the fabric or paper between re-profiling and the first calibration. The important value is the DeltaE of average, which is acceptable between 3 and 4. With extremely high values we recommend making a new full calibration.
Before starting
As in the full calibration process, we recommend paying attention to the following points:
- Pay attention to nozzle print quality in your digital machine. Make sure to do the nozzle check before you start a new calibration.
- Re-profiling test chart must be printed UNI - directional, under the same condition as done with the first calibration.
- Printing always in the same direction (horizontal OR vertical) to secure the same printing environment during the calibration process and making an average in neoStampa 8, which means reading two target charts.
Re-profiling Printer
In the first window of Calibration Wizard the third action is to select. Search for the scheme in the drop-down list, and hit Next, on the lower bar. You will access the device measurement settings and the profiling window of the calibration.
1. This action detects automatically the reference of the profile or type of target which was used in the full calibration (1530 patches) in the first master calibration. Since this process is just a check, the profile that will be generated is based on 140 patches which is the calculation for the target with 1530 to match the best recheck values.
2. Click on 'Print…' to proceed. As in all prints in the Wizard, you will be able to configure it before.
3. Proceed to print the target and measure it, the same process of printing and measurement as in the full calibration process, using 2 measurements to average the values.
4. When the reading is done, you will get the compared dE results to the initial calibration profile. If you wish to see all the target comparison results in values, click on the 'View all results…' to see where the colors with high dE values are, with the option to export the results with the 'Export results…' button.
5. If the dE results are higher than desired, in the next step you can generate by pressing 'Generate…' a new profile.
Calibration Wizard will locate the printer scheme folder to allow the saving of the new profile and is modifying the file name by adding the _ reprof0 to differentiate it from the master profile. The generating of the new ICC will start automatically until is proceeded to 100% of the generation process.
6. In the last step of re-profiling your printer, you are available to embed the new profile into the printer scheme.
Also creating a new printing scheme using the new profile is given as a possibility when clicking on 'Finish'. This new scheme will use all necessary embedded files, as the linearization curve. It is a copy of the master calibration using the new profile and new scheme name. You have finalized the re-profiling process in Calibration Wizard. The printer using the new profile is ready to use until the next re-profiling is pending. Back in neoStampa, when opening the printer scheme, you can see the embedded re-profiled ICC in the 'Color' tab under 'Color Management.