Alters the color output for the entire job based on a gradation curve. The gradation curve will be applied uniformly across the entire job and affect all images and colors.
To access Gradation Curves make sure no image in the Job is selected, then go to the Properties & Actions Pane on the right side of the JobComposer Workspace and select Job Gradation Curves.
Note that for this feature, no color accurate preview is possible, output may look quite different from what is shown in the Job Preview window.
To define a gradation curve for the Job, either select -Custom Settings- from the dropdown menu and then click the Edit button, or click the green + button to create a new gradation curve Preset.
In the Job Gradation Curves window, you’ll see the channel setting at the top. This defines which color channel you are altering with the curve. Select the channel you would like to adjust and change the curve as desired. You can alter all channels together, or each channel individually. You may also use the All Channels checkbox so the same curve is applied to all color channels.
The horizontal axis represents the theoretical channel density. Think of this as the input density, i.e. the density for a channel that is defined in the file. The bottom left corner is zero or no density, the bottom right corner is the full or maximum density for the channel.
The vertical axis represents the output density of the channel. The bottom right corner is zero or no density, the top right corner is the maximum density.
Using this graph lets us map an input density value to an output density, affecting the ink output in that channel. An easy example would be if we notice that a color channel applies too much ink. By adjusting the vertical endpoint to a lower value, e.g. 70%), we specify that the maximum available density (100% on the input/horizontal axis) may not exceed the 70% of the vertical axis. This maps 100% input density to 70% output density effectively limiting the density of the white channel to 70%, decreasing ink application in a linear fashion as a result.
In the above example we keep the ink application linear so the rise of the input density still directly corresponds to the rise of the output density, but we cap the maximum output density to 70% meaning that we can reduce the maximum of one ink channel that is applied.
This helps you to control ink application and push the contrast of your image by ensuring that the peak values of a color match the maximum applied by the profile.
The gradation curve also lets you specify additional points in the curve itself by clicking any point on the line and dragging it to the desired point. This allows for complex adjustments and non-linear density gain to match and customize printer and ink behavior.
Auto: At the bottom of the dialog, you'll also find an Auto Button. This will use internal calculations based on the profile in the Print Environment to create the optimal maximum value for the Job Gradation Curve. in practice, this will yield better color dynamics, contrast and saturation for your job output. The example below shows automatic job gradation applied to the orange channel of the image:
You can also see a video representation of the effects of Job Gradation Curves in this video on our Youtube channel.
Once you have made the desired adjustments, confirm with Ok to save your curve or Cancel to discard your changes.After adjusting the curve, remember to click Apply in Properties & Actions > Job Gradation Curve to apply your modified curve to the Job itself.