Importance

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Abstract

A system, method, and program of the invention determine a unique combination of four colorants (C'M'Y'K') of a given printer that is equivalent to an externally defined four colorant combination (CMYK) by having the same color values (e.g., L*a*b* values). L*a*b* values associated with each three component combination (CMY) with the fourth component value (K) equal to zero of the externally defined four colorant combination (CMYK) are used in an inversion/interpolation program The printer also prints out a matrix of predetermined varying combinations of the three colorants of the printer (CMY)p with the fourth colorant K equal to zero. L*a*b* values are measured for each patched. These values and the corresponding three colorant combination values are inputted into the inversion/interpolation program. For any given externally defined three colorant combination (CMY), or L*a*b* value, a corresponding three colorant combination (C'M'Y') of the printer can be determined from the inversion/interpolation program by matching L*a*b* values. Then, a fourth colorant, e.g., black, (K) of the externally defined four colorant combination is mapped to an equivalent fourth colorant (K') of the printer by matching color values (e.g., L*). For example, the L* value is found for various percentages of the fourth colorant through standard tables where C=0, M=0, Y=0. The L* value is found for various percentages for the fourth colorant of the printer by printing varying percentages of the fourth component and measuring its L*a*b* values and, assuming a* and b* are near zero, using the L* value. As such, the conversion takes place in two steps, from CMY to C'M'Y' and from K to K'.

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First Claim