Four-color printing (CMYK) Cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) are the inks used by a printing press. The process is often called four-color printing. CMYK data files are typically used by and originate from graphic arts (printing and publishing) environments. The HP Color LaserJet 4550 series printer is optimized to print RGB colors for a good match to the screen, but will also accept CMYK colors through the PostScript printer driver. By default, the HP Color LaserJet 4550 series printer interprets CMYK data according to the Standard Web Offset Press (SWOP) standard. This standard defines how a particular set of CMYK inks should behave.
The printer performs a SWOP color map and internal half-tones to emulate a SWOP CMYK press. Emulations for Dainippon Press (DIC) and Euro- standard CMYK inks used in the Far East and Europe are also available, and can be selected from the printer driver. Matching PANTONE ® colors The PANTONE ® Matching System colors are specified as CMYK colors as supported in many graphics software applications. This color-matching system is useful for matching printer output to a specific color (for example, a logo). See the documentation for your software application for instructions on using PANTONE® colors.
For more information about using PANTONE® colors, see the Readme file for the PANTONE® color-matching system included on the printing system CD-ROM. Note Color settings, halftone settings, and print media affect the appearance of PANTONE® colors. To optimize PANTONE®-certified colors, use the default PostScript 3 emulation driver settings and HP LaserJet paper. Automatic PANTONE ® calibration Automatic PANTONE® calibration generates high-quality PANTONE® colors from the PANTONE® color name automatically, providing the best possible color calibration in the HP Color LaserJet 4550 printers. An example of a PANTONE® name is: PANTONE® 286CVC.
When printing PANTONE colors, Automatic PANTONE® calibration is the default setting for HP Color LaserJet 4550 printers. This feature automatically converts PANTONE® colors to optimal color values for the HP Color LaserJet 4550 using the PANTONE® color name in the data stream sent to the printer. Most application programs that support the use of PANTONE® colors for graphic objects will include the PANTONE® name in the PostScript output, along with the color values assigned to the object.
The HP Color LaserJet 4550 printer will recognize the PANTONE® name and substitute the optimum color values for the printer based on color tables developed to provide the best possible match for each specific PANTONE ® color within the printer’s color gamut. No special actions are necessary in the application program or the driver to enable this feature. You have the option of turning off Automatic PANTONE® calibration if you want to use application- generated color values rather than HP-generated color values. To turn off Automatic PANTONE® calibration: In Windows, go to Properties , Advanced , and then Printer Features . On a Macintosh, go to the CMYK Inks page of the driver interface.
248 Troubleshooting C7085-90921