In this article, you will learn
- which prerequisites are required for this Fixup, and
- how to apply this Fixup.
1. Introduction
The Fixup Reduce Tonal Values in Midtones is available in the Workflow. The purpose of this Fixup is to reduce the tonal values in the midtones, thereby brightening the printed image.
2. General
Use the Fixup Reduce Tonal Values in Midtones to reduce the tonal values in the midtones by the desired percentage, thereby brightening the printed image. Among other uses, this Fixup can be applied to counteract poor linearization of the printer.
You can find this Fixup on the tab Data Preparation of an Article, Order or Production Job by:
- entering the name of the Fixup in the area Filter,
- activating the option Color in the area Category,
- activating the option Convert or Apply in the area Action,
- activating the option CMYK, RGB or Tonal Value in the area Property.
3. Description
Use this Fixup to reduce the tonal values in the midtones. The lower the selected percentage, the lighter the printed image in the midtones.
3.1. Requirements and Functionality
For the Fixup to perform as intended, no specific requirements must be met, as the Fixup is applied to the entire print image (all object types).
Figure 1: The dialog of the Fixup Reduce Tonal Values in Midtones
The following options can be selected to increase the tonal values in the midtones:
- Templates [1] – settings selected in the dialog can be saved as a template and applied to other Articles/Print Items, as well as used within Fixup Chains and in the Operations Apply Fixups and Check Print Item and Apply Fixups.
- Dot Gain Curve [2] – the diagram shows the curve that should be applied. The curve is used to reduce the tonal values in the midtones.
- Input [3] – enter the percentage by which the midtone values should be reduced. For example, if 50 is entered in this input field, the 50% tonal values are reduced to the percentage value selected in the option Output.
- Output [4] – enter the target value for the tonal value here. For example, if 75 is entered in this input field, the midtone values are reduced to the percentage value entered here, based on the percentage value entered in the option Input.
- Add [5] – add a new point to the curve. This allows you to change the steepness of the ramp in the curve as required.
- Linear Curve/Bezier Curve [6] – determine whether the curve should only consist of corner points or whether the curve should be made up of Bezier curves.
3.2. Before/After
To experiment with this function, refer to the sample file "Sample_Reduce Tonal Values in Midtones.pdf". The file was created with CMYK and should now be reduced slightly in the midtones.
After applying the Fixup, the file "Sample_Reduce Tonal Values in Midtones_End.pdf" is created. The tonal values in the midtones have been reduced by 25%. The values from Figure 1 were used.
Figure 2: Left: Original file; Right: Edited file in which the Tonal Values in the Midtones have been reduced
Article update: Workflow 1.20.1 – 04/2025