In this article, you will learn
- what pre-linearization is,
- when pre-linearization is useful, and
- how to create a pre-linearization.
1. Introduction
In print production, the quality of a profile is only as good as the initial condition of the printing system used to create it. To ensure that a printing system can deliver high-quality and reproducible color results, it must be in a linear state as far as possible. In this context, linearity means that the ink applied by the printing system is in a consistently proportional relationship to the desired tonal value – a test patch with a tonal value of 50 % is reproduced on the substrate with approximately 50 % coverage.
If this is not the case, the printing system is referred to as being in a non-linear state. Within a profiling project, this state can be partially corrected by applying a pre-linearization before the actual linearization step.
2. General
Printing system manufacturers deliver their devices with varying degrees of linearity. This is partly due to the fact that printheads are installed with different head voltages from one device to another. In addition, the following factors can contribute to the non-linearity of a printing system:
- High-pigment inks – the use of inks with an increased pigment concentration, such as highly pigmented black or cyan inks, leads to a significantly steeper linearization curve, as a large portion of the measurable color coverage is already produced at low tonal values.
- Printing process – when inks for direct printing and transfer printing are used by the same manufacturer, the steepness of the linearization curve can differ considerably, even when the same printer model is used.
- Printing configuration – if a printing system offers multiple print configurations, e.g., different print speeds, the linear behavior can vary significantly between these configurations. The higher the print speed, the more ink must be applied to the substrate within a short period of time, which directly affects the tonal value reproduction.
As a result of the combination of these factors, two printers of the same type can differ significantly in their linearity.
Figure 1: Left: Linearization curve of a printer without pre-linearization; Right: Curve after applying pre-linearization
Note on the Figure
The curves show a small kink at approximately 33 %. This indicates that the system is a two-bit printing system. If this condition occurs, a DitherMix Array of the printing system should be adjusted beforehand so that the transitions between the first and second droplets become less noticeable.
3. Create Pre-Linearization
From a technical perspective, pre-linearization calculates a compensation curve. The resulting pre-linearization profile is then automatically applied when printing all subsequent measurement template charts. By flattening the curve, the measurement values are distributed more evenly across the entire tonal value range, providing the basis for more stable and accurate subsequent profiles.
3.1. Prerequisites
To create a pre-linearization, the following prerequisites must be met:
- A new profiling project has been created.
- When creating the project, the Pre-Linearization option must have been enabled (in the Advanced tab, which is only accessible in Expert Mode).
Standard Mode vs. Expert Mode
The Expert Mode [3] is available in the user interface of each step. Depending on whether Expert Mode is enabled, the user interface adapts accordingly.
In each step, you can follow the instructions in the status bar [2] for detailed guidance. To access additional configuration options or to move back to a previous step, Expert Mode must be enabled. In both cases, all required sub-steps are covered.
3.2. Step-by-Step Instructions
To perform a complete pre-linearization, proceed as follows:
- Open the respective profiling project and switch to the Pre-Linearization [1] step.
- The status bar [2] displays the current status. To view the sub-steps, switch to Expert Mode [3].
- Since pre-linearization does not require printing, measuring, or analyzing the measurement template charts, these sub-steps are disabled (greyed out).
Figure 2: The Pre-Linearization step in Expert Mode
- Click the command Create Pre-Linearization Profile [4]. This opens the Create Pre-Linearization Profile dialog.
- The Template [5] selection menu defines the basis on which the compensation curve is calculated. The Gradiation Curves [6] section displays a preview of the resulting curve. The X-axis represents the input value in percent, and the Y-axis represents the output value in percent.
- Define the desired pre-linearization in this dialog and click Create Pre-Linearization Profile to complete this step.
Figure 3: The Create Pre-Linearization Profile dialog with the selected Template Coated Paper (105)
Additional information about Pre-Linearization
All further information on Pre-Linearization can be found in the chapter Pre-Linearization.
Article Update: $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW 2.1.0 – 06/2025