Creating Your First Media Calibration

Before You Start

Smart Media Manager uses Smart Print Controller to send the Calibration patches to the output device.
As a result Smart Print Controller must be installed and working to the required output device.

X-rite or Myiro Scanners are required to scan prints to make accurate Smart Media Definitions.

Smart Print Controller must be running on the same PC as Smart Media Manager.

To get best results this process requires a reliable and stable print system, any variation in the quality of imaging between prints will results in poor results.

Connecting Smart Media Manager to Smart Print Controller

1. Smart Print Controller must be set to enable external control.
   For details how to do this, see the Smart Print Controller Queues Pane#EnableExternalControl

If Smart Media Manager and Smart Print Controller are on different PCs, the Smart Print Controller Waiting Folder must be network share.
Also, the Waiting Queue Folder setting in SPC (Engineer Pane → Folders → Waiting Queue Folder) should be set to a UNC path (e.g. \\MyPcName\Waiting)

Conducting a Calibration

It is possible to run through the workflow with dummy data.
The example calibration files allow the full process to be run without the need for a scanner.

In this case since no output from Smart Printer Controller will be scanned , it can be set to output to either TIFF or None.

Before starting, ensure that SPC is in a state to print to the output device, with External Control Enabled

1. Click Create a New project in Smart Media Manager
   This will import the current Printer Profile from Smart Print Controller.
   It will also create a new media based on those settings.
   1. Change the Media Name field to be the name of the media you will be creating.
   2. Under the General tab, ensure the Scanning device is set to the correct scanner, to use dummy data select X-Rite.
2. Click Characterisation
   1. Step1 - Drop Level Mixing
      1. This stage displays and allows editing of the drop transitions, these can be left at default settings
      2. Click next
   2. Step 2  - Pinning Target
      
      1. Click Print Target, when printing has finished click Next
      2. Review each print, for the 'best quality' print for each colorant enter the percentage in the dialog, this step can be skipped when using dummy data.
      3. Click next
   3. Step 3 - Dot Gain
      
      1. Click Print Target, when printing has finished click Next
      2. Click Import Measurements, for dummy data select Step3-Xrite-Dotgain.txt
      3. Click Next
   4. Step 4 - Print Ink Limit Target
      1. Click Print Target, when printing has finished click Next
      2. Click Import Measurements, for dummy data select Step4-Xrite-InkLimit.txt
      3. Click Next
   5. Step 5 - Print Gray Balance Target
      1. Click Print Target, when printing has finished click Next
      2. Click Import Measurements, for dummy data select Step5-Xrite-Gray_1_M0.txt
      3. You will notice that there is a red indicator under the graph to show that acceptable tolerance has not been achieved.
      4. Click Iterate
      5. Click Print Target, when printing has finished click Next
      6. Click Import Measurements, for dummy data select Step5-Xrite-Gray_2_M0.txt
      7. There is now a green indication to indicate quality is good enough to proceed.
      8. Click Next
   6. Step 6 - Print Reference State Target
      1. Click Print Target, when printing has finished click Next
      2. Click Import Measurements, for dummy data select Step6-Xrite-ReferenceState.txt
      3. Click Next
   7. Step 7 - Print ICC Chart
      1. Click Print Target, for dummy data select Step7-ColorAnt-CMYK-900-Chart.pdf
      2. When printing has finished click Next
      3. Click Import Measurements, for dummy data select Step7-ColorAnt-CMYK-900-Chart-Reference.txt
      4. The ColorAnt Measure tool will open:
         1. Click Connect
         2. Double Click square A1 to start the measurement
         3. When the measurement completes click 'Transfer and Exit'
      5. Click Next
      6. Click Generate ICC to create the ICC profile.
      7. Click Export SMD
         This will create an SMD file o disk that can be imported into Smart Print Controller

Finally the new Smart Media should be imported into Smart Print Controller.

In Smart Print Controller

1. Disable External Control
2. In Engineer → Media, click the + and navigate to the newly created media
3. This will now be available to be selected in the Setup →  Media page