ICC profile verification for digital printing

Abstract

Today, the ICC profile is a hot topic in the digital printing industry. However, it may not be as accurate as it should be due to insufficient data to verify that the current level of Color Management Modules (CMMs) compatibility will allow consistent processing of profiles provided by different vendors. ICC recommends a procedure for creation of an ICC profile for a particular printing system. But, it has not provided any standard method for verification of color outputs generated using the profile. This paper aims to address such problems encountered in the digital printing industry. It discusses the key issues for verification of ICC profiles, especially CMYK output profiles, in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The accuracy of an ICC profile can be improved by minimizing the error propagation in the color communication and transformation. A practical method for verification of ICC profiles for digital printing is finally introduced. It is critical for digital printing, especially for Print-On-Demand, due to the time pressure involved.