Tutorial - Create a CMYK-to-CMYK 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 create my own DeviceLink profile for a CMYK to CMYK conversion. The created DeviceLink profile is suitable to accurately convert files that where prepared for FOGRA 39 (ISO Coated v2 (ECI)) to FOGRA 51 (PSO Coated v3 (ECI)). The separation of the original data, primary colors, secondary colors, gray and blacks are preserved. Overall, only minimal changes are applied by the DeviceLink conversion to compensate for the tonal and color differences between the new and previous printing conditions. The Total Amount of Color (TAC) achieved is 330%.

Launch CoPrA

Open the DeviceLink panel

1. Click "DeviceLink".

Customize the DeviceLink profile

1. In the Source Profile drop down list choose "ISOcoated_v2_eci.icc".
2. In the Target Profile drop down list choose "PSOcoated_v3.icc".
3. Click "Customize".

Customize the rendering in the DeviceLink profile

1. Click "Rendering".
2. In the Rendering drop down list choose "Standard Compression" and "Absolute Compression".
3. Merge the rendering, enter the value "80".
4. Click "Exceptions".

NOTE: The color appearance is supposed to be preserved when using conversion profiles. Therefore, the rendering intent should be set to "Absolute Compression". A mixed setting between Standard and Absolute Compression is meaningful in order to allow the paper color to shine through slightly and to avoid any problems caused by optical brighteners.

Customize the exceptions in the DeviceLink profile

1. Select "Custom".
2. Disable the checkbox "100% R,G,B".
3. Enable the checkbox "Max. R,G,B".
4. Disable the checkbox "Black Overprint".
5. Click "Black Generation".

NOTE: This keeps areas of critical colors pure and excludes rounding errors during calculation of the DeviceLink profile.

Customize the black generation in the DeviceLink profile

1. In the Black Generation Mode drop down list choose "Preserve Separation".
2. Enable the checkbox "Preserve 0% Black".
3. Enable the checkbox "Enhance Shadows".
4. Enter the Black Control Range value "85".
5. In the Black Calculation drop down list choose first 'Target Profile", and then set "Balance CMY".
6. Click "Save as".

NOTE: Always select "Preserve Separation", so that the black and color composition is preserved. When CMY colors are reduced, you can use "Enhance Shadows" to slightly increase black again and thus maintain the contrast range. If you additionally want to be sure that CMY color combinations not including any black are still composed without black after conversion. In order to preserve overprinting properties, you should select "Preserve 0% Black".

NOTE: The Black Control Range should be set to "85", in order to achieve the smoothest possible transition in the shadows.

NOTE: Using Black Calculation "Balance CMY" keeps your black point neutral. (First choose the "Target Profile" mode, in order to automatically adopt the Total Amount of Color (TAC) and the maximum black value from the selected target profile, and then set "Balance CMY", so that CoPrA can calculate the best possible neutral black point.)

Save the DeviceLink profile setting

1. Enter the DeviceLink profile setting name "CMYK-to-CMYK - TAC330".
2. Click "OK".

Share the DeviceLink profile setting with ZePrA

1. The saved DeviceLink profile setting "CMYK-to-CMYK - TAC330" is available in the Setting drop down list.
2. Enable the checkbox "Share with ZePrA".
3. Click "Next".

NOTE: The DeviceLink profile setting will be 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 DeviceLink profile

1. Change the Name to "ISOcoated_v2_eci_PSOcoated_v3_CMYK-to-CMYK_TAC330.icc".
2. Enable the checkbox "Create Profile Report (PDF)".
3. Click "Save".

Analyze the saved DeviceLink profile

The DeviceLink profile "ISOcoated_v2_eci_PSOcoated_v3_CMYK-to-CMYK_TAC330.icc" is successful created in the ColorLogic shared folder (Users/Shared/ColorLogic).

Analyze the profile report

The profile report from the created 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).