Applies to: Ergosoft RIP 17.1.4.8965 and later · JobComposer · Color Replacement, SwatchBook · TIFF, PSD, PDF, EPS

Use this when:

• A design uses only a few solid colors with hard edges, for example artwork prepared for screen printing
• One or more design colors do not match the reference after an ink or media change
• Tune or curve adjustments change all colors, but you want to correct single colors

Goal

Match each design color quickly and visually. You print variations of each design color, select the best match, and replace the original color with it.

Recommended Tools

Workflow

Step 1: Check the Design Colors

1. Select the image in the job.
2. Go to Image Properties & Actions > Replace CMYK Colors (Lab or RGB, depending on the image).
3. Click Show Colors.

Result: The list shows the image colors. A design for this workflow shows only a few colors, without gradients.

Step 2: Save the Image Colors as a SwatchBook

1. Select the image colors in the list.

2. Click Add to SwatchBook.

   

3. Select a new or an existing SwatchBook, and enter a name.

Result: The design colors are available as swatches.

Step 3: Print Similar Colors

1. Open the SwatchBook and select a design color.
2. Open the Similar Colors palette. For darker variations, use Blend with Black.
3. Select the type of variation (lightness, chroma or hue) and the step size.
4. Click Print to create a print job with the color chart.
5. Repeat for each design color. Place all charts in one job.

Important: Print the charts with the same Print Environment, print mode and Job Gradation Curve preset as the production job. Otherwise, the selected colors do not match in production.

Step 4: Select the Best Matches

1. Print the job and finish the media as in production (for example steaming and washing for textiles).
2. Compare the charts with the reference under standard light (D50 or daylight).
3. Note the swatch name of the best match for each design color.

Step 5: Replace the Design Colors

1. Open the Replace Colors function of the image again.
2. Assign the selected swatch to each design color. You can drag the swatch from the SwatchBook onto the image color.
3. Print the design.

Result: Each design color prints with its selected color recipe. The other colors do not change.

Why This Works

Each design color is one solid color. Replacing a color changes only this color, not the full image. The printed charts include the real ink, media and finishing, so you select what you actually see.

Limitations

• This workflow is not suitable for photos and designs with gradients. For these, use Tune or Job Gradation Curves.
• Colors that are out of gamut cannot be matched exactly. Check the design with the Gamut Warning first. See How to Check Out-of-Gamut Colors with the Gamut Warning in Ergosoft RIP.
• If replacement colors are very close to each other, fine details in the design can become less visible. Keep enough contrast between the replacement colors.

FAQ

Why not adjust the colors in Adobe Photoshop or with Tune?
Photoshop and Tune change colors in the image color space and often affect all colors. Color Replacement changes one design color in the printer output, so the result is more direct.

Can I print similar colors without a SwatchBook?
Yes. Replace CMYK Colors has a Print Similar Colors button. It creates a chart with variations of the color recipe in the printer color space (CMYK, CMYK++).

Related Articles

• Swatchbook
• Pixel Color Replacement
• Color Replacement Introduction
• Job Gradation Curves
• How to Check Out-of-Gamut Colors with the Gamut Warning in Ergosoft RIP

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References

• Changelog #6343 – Ergosoft RIP 17.1.2.8882: Replace CMYK Colors has a Print Similar Colors button that creates a chart with color recipe variations in the device output color space.
• Changelog #13896 – Ergosoft RIP 17.1.4.8965: Replace Lab / RGB / CMYK Colors has an Add to SwatchBook button that creates a SwatchBook from the input colors of an image.
• Changelog #14074 – Ergosoft RIP 17.1.4.8965: The palette view of a SwatchBook or of an image color list has a Print function that creates a print job of all colors.
• Changelog #15069 – Ergosoft RIP 17.4.2.9412: A selected image color from the Replace Color lists can be added directly to an existing SwatchBook with drag and drop.
• Changelog #15304 – Ergosoft RIP 17.5.2.0098: Image colors can be added to a new or an existing SwatchBook.
• Changelog #15360 – Ergosoft RIP 17.5.2.0098: SwatchBook Print Similar Colors supports one decimal place.