Tutorial - Create a TAC DeviceLink profile

DeviceLink profiles complement the use of normal ICC device profiles; making it possible to specifically circumvent the weaknesses of color conversions based on an ICC device profile for certain tasks.

You need your own DeviceLink profiles if you use in-house standars, papers that deviate from the standard, or certain TAC.

In this tutorial I adapt the total amount of color (TAC) to printing-specific requirements without altering the color impression by creating an own DeviceLink profile for a conversion from CMYK to CMYK.

Launch CoPrA

Open the DeviceLink panel

1. Click "DeviceLink".

Customize the TAC DeviceLink profile

1. In the Source Profile drop down list choose "CoatedFOGRA39.icc".
2. In the Target Profile drop down list choose "CoatedFOGRA39.icc".
3. Click "Customize".

NOTE: The source and target profiles are identical for pure TAC reduction.

Customize the rendering in the TAC DeviceLink profile

1. Click "Rendering".
2. In the Rendering drop down list choose "Relative Colorimetric".
3. Click "Black Generation".

Customize the black generation in the TAC DeviceLink profile

1. In the Mode drop down list choose "Preserve Separation".
2. Enter the Black Control Range value "90".
3. In the Black Calculation drop down list choose "Balance CMY".
4. Enter the TAC value "300".
5. Enter the Black TAC value "300".
6. Enter the Max.Black value "100".
7. Click "Save as".

Save the TAC DeviceLink profile setting

1. Enter the TAC DeviceLink profile setting "TAC300 Reduction".
2. Click "OK".

Share the DeviceLink profile setting with ZePrA

The saved TAC DeviceLink profile setting "TAC300 Reduction" is available in the Setting drop down list.

1. Enable the checkbox "Share with ZePrA".
2. Click "Next".

NOTE: The TAC DeviceLink profile setting is available in the SmartLink feature in the color management server ZePrA. The profile setting can be selected and used in ZePrA to build DeviceLink profiles on-the-fly.

Save the TAC DeviceLink profile

1. Change the Name to "CoatedFOGRA39_CoatedFOGRA39_TAC300 reduction.icc".
2. Enable the checkbox "Create Profile Report (PDF)".
3. Click "Save".

Analyze the saved TAC DeviceLink profile

The TAC DeviceLink profile "CoatedFOGRA39_CoatedFOGRA39_TAC300 reduction.icc" is successful created in the ColorLogic shared folder (Users/Shared/ColorLogic).

Analyze the profile report

The profile report from the created TAC DeviceLink profile opens automatic in your default PDF reader. The report contains profile statistic details, gray balance curves, gradients curves and sample images. The report is saved in the CoPrA "Reports" folder (User/Documents/CoPrA/Reports).