Mix Drop Levels defines how each drop size is applied across the tonal range of a print.
For example, in a three-drop inkjet printer, the smallest drop is typically used for highlights, a medium drop for mid-tones, and the largest drop for shadows.
In the illustration above, drop level 1 (smallest) is used from paper white up to 40% tonal density. Drop level 2 (medium) is applied from 39% to 70%, overlapping slightly with the small drop. Drop level 3 (largest) is used from 69% to 100%, again with a 1% overlap with the medium drop. These overlaps ensure smooth transitions between drop sizes.
The values set here apply to the highlighted ink in the list on the left.
If you prefer not to use a particular drop size, simply uncheck it in the "Enabled" column.
Ink Limit
Print Ink Limit Target
Click the Print Ink Limit Target button. A dialog appears where you can select either a standard target or an inline target imported through Import Targets pane.
Click Print target to generate and print a target similar to the following:
Use the output of this target to determine the correct Ink Limit for all your colorants.
Print Interval Bars
Use Print Interval Bars to show or hide interval bars on the ink limit target.
Measure Ink Limit Target
Click the Measure Ink Limit Target button. A dialog appears where you can select either a standard reference or an inline reference generated when the inline targets were imported.
Click OK to open Measure Tool with the correct setup for the printed ink limit target. After measurement, Smart Media Manager populates the colorant ink limits.
Import Ink Limit Measurements
Use Import Ink Limit Measurements to load an .it8 or .txt file and populate the colorant ink limits.
Drop Levels
Print Drop Level Mixing Target
Click the Print Drop Level Mixing Target button. A dialog appears where you can select either a standard target or a pre-installed inline target.
Click Print target to generate and print a target similar to the following:
Measure Drop Level Mixing Target
Click the Measure Drop Level Mixing Target button. A dialog appears where you can select either a standard reference or a pre-installed inline reference.
Click OK to open Measure Tool with the correct setup for the printed drop level mixing target. After measurement, Smart Media Manager populates the colorant drop level maximum percentages.
Pinning
Print Pinning Target
Print Pinning Target generates a pinning target using all colorants in the device configuration.
Pinning is only required when using a UV press where the ink is UV sensitive and a pinning lamp is used between ink stations.
This can be ignored if there are no pinning stations.
Drop Level Details
Largest Drop Coverage (Ink Limit)
Ink limiting restricts the primary inks to prevent over-inking.
To control the amount of ink applied, you can enter a number below 100 in the Ink Limit field. This is a coarse adjustment to prevent over-inking, which can cause flooding or make color patches illegible. However, avoid setting it too low, as it will reduce the printer’s achievable color gamut.
When this value is changed, the graph on the right updates.
Output Density (%)
Use this table to enable or disable drop levels and set the maximum value for each drop level except the highest. The available drop levels are defined by the screen selected in the Media Setup pane.
The minimum value of the lowest drop level will always be 0%, and the maximum value of the highest drop level will always be 100%.
The minimum value of each other drop level adjusts automatically based on the maximum value of the previous enabled drop level and the selected Drop Transition Overlap. This keeps the overlap consistent between drop levels, so these minimum values cannot be edited directly.
NOTE: When enabling or disabling a drop level, the min/max values of the remaining enabled drop levels change to an even spread of densities, while still respecting the Drop Transition Overlap. A warning dialog is shown before this change is applied.
Drop Level Overlap (%)
A value between 1 and 10 determines the overlap between a drop level’s maximum value and the next drop level’s minimum value. The overlap helps create a smooth transition between drop levels. Changing this value updates the minimum values for all drop levels.
Drops Graph
This graph represents the minimum, maximum, and drop level overlap percentages for each drop, and the ink limit of the largest drop.
