Color gamut refers to the entire range of colors available on a particular device such as a monitor or printer. Understanding color gamut is crucial for achieving the desired results in printing and display.
A Card Printer is made up of a collection of electronic, software, firmware and manual components. These components work together to yield a particular color gamut range capability for that printer model.
Several Observations:
- Card Printers are not WYSIWYG. A monitor, which displays RGB signals, typically has a greater screen color gamut than a printer, which uses CMYK inks. This means that you may choose a color on the monitor that the printer is not capable of printing.
- Within the CMYK color range, each printer model will print a smaller subset of the CMYK gamut. There is considerable overlap between the printers, so only a small percentage of colors are not actually achievable on certain models.
- When you transition from one printer model to another, you will notice a difference in the output color. Upgrading from an older printer to a newer printer results in a noticeable color difference on the printed card, and that can cause considerable concern. This highlights the importance of color management in printing to ensure consistency across devices.