There are two basic approaches to color management for your printer:

Application-Managed Colors: in this case your application program must convert the colors of your image to the color space of your printer and paper type, using the ICC profile embedded in the image and the ICC profile of your printer and paper type.

Printer-Managed Colors: in this case your application program sends your image to the printer without any color conversion, and the printer converts the colors to its own color space. The details of this process depend on the graphics language that you are using.

PostScript (PostScript printers): the PostScript interpreter module performs the color conversion using the profiles stored in the printer and any additional profiles sent with the PostScript job. This kind of color management is done when you are using the PostScript driver and you specify printer color management or when you send a PostScript, PDF, TIFF or JPEG file directly to the printer through the Embedded Web Server. In either case you have to select the profiles to use as default (in case the job doesn't specify any) and the rendering intent to apply.

Non-PostScript (PCL3GUI, HP-GL/2):the color management is done using a set of stored color tables. ICC profiles are not used. This method is somewhat less versatile than the alternatives, but is a little simpler and faster, and can produce good results with standard HP paper types. This kind of color management is done when you are using a non-PostScript driver and you specify printer color management, or when you send a PCL3GUI or HP-GL/2 file directly to the printer through the Embedded Web Server.

NOTE: There are only two color spaces that the printer can convert to its own color space using the stored color tables: Adobe RGB and sRGB if you are using Windows, Adobe RGB and ColorSync if you are using Mac OS X.

ColorSync is the Mac OS X built-in Color Management System; so, when you select ColorSync, color management is performed by Mac OS X, and it is done based on the ICC profiles of the specified paper type.

ColorSync can be selected from the Color Matching panel.

You are recommended to consult the HP Support Center (see HP Support Center on page 240) to see how to use the color management options of your particular application.

To choose between Application-Managed Colors and Printer-Managed Colors:In the Windows driver dialog: select the Color tab.In the Mac OS X Print dialog: select the Color Options panel.

In some applications: you can make this choice in the application.

Printer emulation

If you want to print a particular job and to see approximately the same colors that you would get from printing the same job on a different HP Designjet printer, you can use the emulation mode provided by your printer.

NOTE: This option is available only when printing an HP-GL/2, PostScript or PDF job. Accuracy is guaranteed only when printing on plain, coated, or heavyweight coated paper.

In the Windows HP-GL/2 or PostScript driver dialog: select the Color tab, then Printer Managed Colors, then select Printer Emulation from the Source Profile list. You can then select from the Emulated Printer list.

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