The Total Ink Limit determines the maximum ink application for mixed colors on a given printer/ink/media combination. It controls how much and how many different colors we can print on top of each other before the ink starts bleeding out. The Total Ink Limit is expressed in percentages of ink application. For example, a Total Ink Limit of 300% will allow 3 colors to be printed on top of each other with 100% each. If we reduce this to e.g. 200%, we could print 100% of one color, but only 50% each for the other colors, or any other distribution as long as the total does not exceed 200%.
Lowering the total ink limit will decrease the gamut of a given printer since it can’t combine as much of the different inks together. So, ideally, we will want the Total Ink limit to be as high as possible, while also being so low that no color combination bleeds or flakes on the material. To find the optimal value, Ergosoft RIPs use the Total Ink Limit chart to visually test at which point the inks start to bleed out, and then set an appropriate limit.
Determining the Total Ink Limit is usually performed as part of the Output Calibration after creating the density linearization and before creating the profile. In the JobComposer, make sure the Print Environment you want to create the Total Ink Limit for is selected. Open the Print Settings and make sure that Total Ink Limit is NOT active in the Quality tab, so we can test the ink limit with the maximum possible application. Make sure your printer is ready and your PrintQueue is running.
Open a new Job, then go to Tools > Linearization and Profiling Tools > Test Images. From the listed files in the folder, select the files we want are TotalInkLimit_A4White and TotalInkLimit_A4Gold. Import one or both of these into the JobComposer.
Print the Chart as you would any other image and grab the output so you can check it.
With the chart before us, let's have a look at what the output looks like. Generally, you’ll want to examine the chart from left to right to find the last shape that is printed normally, without any bleeding or other effects, and note down the percentage value above that row.
Generally, the Ink Limit should fall somewhere between 300% and 230% if it is noticeably lower than 230% you’ll probably lose out on a lot gamut, so it’s best to revisit your density linearization and limit to maximum ink application of the individual channels down further and then repeat the Total Ink Limit process to see if you can get to a limit above 230%.
Once you have determined your Total Ink Limit value, you can apply it to your output in two places.
You can also enter the Total Ink Limit in the Print Environment settings at the bottom of the Quality Tab. Check the Total Ink Limit box and enter your values there, then confirm with Ok.
If you’ll go on to create a Color Profile with Ergosoft's ColorGPS tool, you should also enter your ink limit restriction right into the profile by entering the Total Ink Limit percentage into the profile configuration before printing a chart. For more detailed instructions, see the Color Profiling article.
Normally, you’ll want the ink limit in both the Print Environment settings and the profile to be the same to ensure profile accuracy. However, if you find that you want to further reduce the total ink limit after you have already created the profile, you can check the box for Apply Total Ink Limit on top of the profile and set a lower value. This will cause the ink limit in the Print Environment settings to overwrite the limitation in the printer profile and set a lower ink limit without having to regenerate the profile. However, this should be done with caution as it can lead to color inaccuracies because the ink limit is now different than the one the profile was created for.
After entering your values and confirming, the new Total Ink Limit will be applied to any new print.