The ability to achieve a colour match between your computer screen and your printer is one AVA’s main strengths, however, there are some very important factors which need be considered before this will happen. This range from environment to software setting.
The environment
Lighting
The ambient lighting in your studio will govern whether or not you can achieve a good colour match between your screen and your printer.
We recommend you have Osram Biolux 6500k lights installed. These are a daylight bulb. If your lighting is too warm (like the lights you have in your home), all of your prints will appear to have a warm tint to them, whereas your design on the screen will look much cooler, because computer screens generally have a cool/bluish backlight.
Environment
Stained glass windows and brightly coloured walls can cause havoc with your colour match, and therefore should be avoided if you are serious about colour. For the optimum environment, paint your walls a neutral grey colour, and use a similar, or neutral colour for your blinds or curtains.
In AVA
- Set Averaging to : Best
- Production Ink Database : If you use a Tonal Database (ToneDB) it should be set in here. Otherwise this option will be blank.
- Default layer transparency : Should reflect the transparency of the inks used in your production mill.
Note: Layer transparency can change and you should check with your colleagues what transparencies you should be using. But unless otherwise specified, this should be set to 100%. This will mean your layer order will not affect the appearance of the design.
Go to AVA Menu > Inspectors > Overprint…
- View Setting : Application
- Soft proof should be ticked. This displays the colour on the screen as it will print out with your active printer profile
- Overprint Method : Reflectance 3. This is AVA's standard overprinting method.
- Ink breakdown : Standard
- n: = 8.5 and c: = 0.5
In the View Menu, Use Dot Gain must be ticked.
In the Layers Palette, the substrate should be set to AVA Printing White, unless otherwise specified by your company.
In Coloursys
In the Colour Menu, ensure Soft Proof is ticked
In the AVA CMS Controller
Profiles tab
Ensure you have your latest monitor profile set, and the relevant printer profile set.
Viewing Conditions tab
Ensure the Colour Balance values a and b are both set to 0.
The brightness slider bar, which is the one with the sun above it, should be set to 0.000 if you are using a glossy (iMac®) screen. For everything else, you should have it set to -0.030, which is the default setting and can be set by clicking Reset in the bottom left hand side of the window.
Rendering tab
Ensure the rendering is set to Best
Advanced tab
Generally, nothing should be ticked in this window unless otherwise specified by an AVA Technician, however, if you would like more information on these settings please refer to the CMS Controller article.
Proof tab
Generally nothing should be ticked in this window unless otherwise specified by an AVA Technician, but if you would like to read more about this setting, please click here.
If the settings on your computer match those above, and you are still experiencing a problem with your colour match, please consider the following;
Can one of the heads be blocked on your printer?
Do you need to change an ink cartridge?
Have you changed the batch of paper or ink since profiling? If so, maybe re-profiling will help.
If you feel you could improve the colour match within your studio, please do not hesitate to contact AVA Technical Support.