Xerox DocuColor 2060 - Manual (Page 34)

A B O U T C O L O R P R I N T I N G
D O C U C O L O R 2 0 6 0 / 2 0 4 5 O P E R A T O R M A N U A L 1–6
Additive color Computer monitors work with energized phosphors that glow red, green, or blue
on the face of a picture tube. If accurate color reproduction is important to you,
your monitor should be calibrated on a regular basis. Calibration adjusts and
corrects the gamma, white and black points, and color balance of the monitor.
Monitors display color with impressive accuracy, but they can never match the
printed page perfectly because of the physics of color involved. Monitors display
additive color space RGB, and printing devices use CMYK, which is subtractive
color space.
Subtractive color Printing is based on the subtractive color process. Cyan, magenta, and yellow dry
ink/toner is placed on white reflective paper. Each color then absorbs, or
subtracts, its opposing counterpart from the reflected white light. This process
controls the amount of red, green, and blue light that is reflected from the white
paper. The CMYK colors are printed as layers of halftone dots in various sizes and
at various angles to create the illusion of different colors. The varying dot sizes
create an effect similar to the varying intensities of the red, green and blue
phosphors of a monitor.
Media The paper on which the image has printed significantly affects color
reproduction. Paper reflects unabsorbed light back to the eye of the viewer.
Therefore, the more reflective the surface of the paper, the wider the range of
colors that can be produced.
Refer to the Color Materials Usage Guide included in your Customer
Documentation package for more information on how paper influences image
quality.
Raster Image Processors Once a file is ready to print, it is sent to a Raster Image Processor (RIP) to be
processed for output. RIP units typically offer a wide range of functionality,
including electronic collation, RIP while printing, color management, automatic
trapping, and calibration.
Refer to your Raster Image Processor (RIP) User Documentation for more
information on the functionality of your RIP unit.