In the Precision Color Media Configuration wizard, the Total Ink Limit step determines the maximum amount of ink to use for the media.
After you print the Total Ink Limit charts, find the chart with the highest total ink limit number. You can find the total ink limit number in the caption for each chart (Total Ink Limit = <number>).
Next look at the charts with lower total ink limit numbers and review the patches in each chart for artifacts.
While viewing the charts, tilt the media to better see artifacts.
Select the chart with the highest total ink limit number and the fewest number of artifacts.
Table 1. Common artifacts for different media. The type of artifacts you see depends on the type of media. The following table lists common artifacts for different types of media.
| Media type | Common artifact | Description of artifact |
|---|---|---|
Matte media printed at low resolution—for example, 720 × 360 dpi | Banding | Patches appear to have stripes in them. The patches should look uniform. |
Media puckers | Media that is saturated with ink can pucker. When the media puckers too much, the media can touch the imaging head, and the contact leaves a mark on the proof. The media should have enough ink for a wide gamut, but not too much ink. Media puckers are easily seen on the back of the media. | |
Mottling | Patches appear grainy or spotty. The patches should look uniform. | |
Clear media | Puddling | Patches have puddles of ink in them. An ink puddle forms when two or more drops of ink merge into a puddle or a pool. |
Tackiness | Patches are sticky to the touch. On clear media, patches will stay a little tacky, but they should be almost dry to the touch. | |
Higher quality media | Center green patches appear to have foggy or frosted streaks. | The green patches in the center of the chart appear to have streaks in them. The patches should look uniform. |
Heavily inked patches appear foggy or frosted. | Heavily inked patches have a dull appearance. The patches should look shiny. | |
Mottling | ||
Tackiness | Patches are sticky to the touch. Patches should be dry to the touch. |
A high total ink limit provides the largest gamut and the most artifacts. In contrast, a very low total ink limit provides the smallest gamut, and artifacts can appear when too little ink is used. The goal is to select the largest total ink limit number with the fewest artifacts.
Following is an example of a good Total Ink Limit chart printed on high-quality Type 1 media.
Example of a good Total Ink Limit chart
Following is an example of an undesirable Total Ink Limit chart printed on high-quality Type 1 media. This chart shows banding and mottling.
Example of a bad Total Ink Limit chart