Xerox Fiery color server, User Manual

Page: 12 / 124

xii Introduction
N
OTE
:
If color matching between your monitor and printed output is critical, calibrate
your monitor, as well as your Color Server. For most users, predictability of printed
color output is adequate and monitor calibration is not necessary. For information on
monitor calibration, see your Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator documentation.
The following section provides information on controlling and managing color output
in order to achieve predictable color results. It also discusses the basics of color
management.
Controlling printed color
When working with color materials, whether they are presentations, illustrations,
or complicated page designs, you make aesthetic decisions about the colors you use.
Once you have decided on your goal, you must make the best use of the capabilities of
your Color Server to realize your design in print. Your color printing system becomes
an ally in this creative process to the extent that results are
predictable .
• If you designed a poster to print on the Color Server, you want the printed colors to
match the design specification.
• If you are printing presentations on the Color Server, you want to preserve the vivid
colors you see on your monitor.
• If you are working with color that will be printed on an offset press, you want the
Color Server output to match other prepress proofs or PANTONE color swatch
books.
The type of print job and the final output device—Color Server or offset press—
determine the workflow you should use to achieve the best results.
No matter what your goals are, two factors always impact color print output: printer
consistency and the range of colors the printer can print, known as its
gamut . These
concepts are covered briefly in this chapter. Creating successful color documents and
presentations also requires an understanding of color management software as it is
implemented by the Color Server and on your desktop computer. Most of this chapter
is devoted to discussing the various elements of color management that contribute to
predictable color results.