What is printer calibration?
Printer calibration is the process of making the printed image match image shown on the computer display. It is a technique that helps a printer to function efficiently. The reason behind that is because it eliminates discoloration on the page, removes overlapping words, increases the vibrancy of colors and helps distribute ink properly on paper. Moreover, it helps the printer adjust the resolution and texture to give a harmonious result.
A computer display and a printer do not always produce the same image for a few different reasons. Among these reasons are, first, print ink dots naturally overlap a little bit on paper. The pixels on the computer, however, do not overlap with each other. Second, printers commonly create images slightly darker than computer displays. Third, printers mix four pigments to create colors. These colors include cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Displays on the screen, however, contain pixels of three colors only. These colors include red, green, and blue. Lastly, different types of paper will affect the final printed image. However, computer displays do not have such issues.
With printer calibration, it is important to understand the function of software that controls the printer. This software is called the printer driver. This software can adjust the printer's various settings to help it match the display. These printer drivers will print a test page containing several images. This test page is also called a calibration sheet. It can be used to compare the display in the monitor. Sometimes, this calibration sheet is also called a diagnostic page or a self-test page.
There are two approaches on calibrating a printer. The first approach is to use the printer driver adjustment or through the color controls. This is simple in principle but you may have to a trial and error to get a good match. The second approach is by using ICC profiles. ICC profiles are files that characterize the behaviour of printer, ink, and paper combinations. This is a key feature in color management, which is a set of tools and techniques intended to maintain reasonably consistent and predictable color appearance in images captured or displayed on devices with different color responses.
How to calibrate a printer
There are 5 simple steps on how to calibrate a printer.
1. Run the printer driver on your computer by using the CD drive slot. Make sure to install the driver before the printer is plugged. After which, turn the device on to complete the installation process.2. Open the printer service dialog box. The driver will identify the make and model of your printer and will show you the appropriate calibration tool.3. Follow the on-screen instructions. The printer driver normally gives you two options to choose from when calibrating the printer: first option is for a regular printer and the second option is for a multi-function printer-scanner-fax machine.4. Click the button for printing the calibration sheet. The instructions will ask you to enter the number of calibration sheet which has the best print out. Enter the number and click finish. 5. Print the final calibration sheet and put it into the automatic document feeder of your printer.
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