For step-by-step instructions, refer to Print Validation (Certification).

File

Load CxF/X-4 color definitions if the dialog is empty:

Click and select a CxF/X-4, QTX file or PDF file.

Use and to successively load all files with the currently selected type available in the current folder.

Note:

To load a PQX file, click the button in the bottom right corner.

Spot color

Use this list to select the spot color to be measured next.

The list is automatically populated with all CxF/X-4 color definitions which were currently loaded when you opened the Certification dialog. If the list is empty, load a file as explained above.

Click if you want to add process colors to the list or to specify that the next color should be selected automatically after each measurement.

Clicking on one of the color boxes is an alternative to selecting a CxF/X-4 color definition from the list.

The boxes are marked up like in the following example if measurements have been made already for the selected tint value:

	Validation successful (within tolerance limits)
	Validation failed (out of tolerance)

Select the tint value of the spot color to be measured.

Click and select a different set of tint values if some tint values are not listed or missing on your spot ink characterization chart. You can also specify that the next tint value should be selected automatically after each measurement.

<Spot Color Name>

Reflectance Spectrum

Spectral reflectance curves for selected color and tint value.

• X-axis: Wavelength of incident light in nanometers.

• Y-axis: Portion of reflected light (1,0 = 100%)

Target values (reference): . Actual values (measurement): .

Target values for spot colors are defined by the CxF/X-4 data. Target values for process colors are calculated from the specified ICC profile or PDF output intent, respectively.

CIE a*b* / L*

Graphical representation of target and actual values calculated from spectral data:

• Hue (a*b*)

• Lightness (L*)

Colorimetric Data

Target and actual values indicated numerically:

• CIE L*a*b* (lightness, red/green hue, blue/yellow hue)

• CIE L*C*h° (lightness, chromaticity, hue angle)

• Deviation between actual and target color (delta E)

  A pass/fail icon indicates whether dE is out of tolerance.

To calculate dE, the program uses the tolerance value and dE formula stored in the CxF/X-4 metadata. A default value of 2.5 dE2000 is used automatically if these values are set to 0 or undefined.

Users can change these values by clicking .

Metamerism index

The metamerism index (MI) indicates the probability that two samples (reference and measured sample) will show the same color deviation under two different illuminants.

ORIS CxF Toolbox calculates up to six MI values using one or two reference illuminants (D50 by default) and up to three test illuminants (A, C and F11 by default). Validation is successful if all of these MI values are within the tolerance limit. Otherwise validation fails .

The tolerance limit is the maximum deviation permitted from a target value of 0 dE. A value of 0 means that the reference and measured sample must show exactly the same color deviations under both illuminants. A value of 3.0 means that the samples are not allowed to differ in metamerism by more than 3.0 delta E.

The program uses the tolerance value stored in the CxF/X-4 metadata. If this value is 0 or unavailable, a default tolerance of 3.0 will be used automatically.

Click if you want to change the tolerance value or to select different reference and test illuminants.

Note:

The metamerism index cannot be calculated for process colors because spectral reflectance data is not available in this case. Target values for process colors are calculated from the specified ICC profile or PDF/X output intent, respectively.

Measurement

Click this button to start the measuring process. The button changes to .

Perform a white calibration if requested to do so. Then repeatedly select a color/tint value combination and measure the corresponding color patch.

Click this button if you want to stop the measuring process. All measurement results will be discarded. The button changes to .

Click this button to load CGATS and QTX measurement files created with a third-party tool. This useful is important if your measurement device is not supported by ORIS CxF Toolbox.

This opens a dialog allowing you to load measurement files and then assign a particular measurement to each CxF/X-4 color definition.

Target Actual

The two big color boxes serve as a visual aid for assessing the difference between the target color and actual color.

The table underneath the button indicates the following:

• Total number of measurements for all colors and tint values

• Number of measurements remaining to be made

• Number of completed measurements which are successful

  Both delta E and metamerism index are within the tolerance limits

• Number of completed measurements which have failed

  Delta E, metamerism index, or both values are out of tolerance

Overall Result

Icon

A big icon indicates the overall validation result when the last measurement has completed:

	Successful:	All measurement results are successful.
	Failed:	One or more measurement results have failed.
	Incomplete:	There are still measurements to make.

Click this button to save the complete set of validation data as a PQX file. This includes all CxF/X-4 color definitions, validation settings (e.g. user-defined tolerances), and the validation results (actual values).

PQX files usually contain the validation data for a particular print job. Load a PQX file to conveniently validate the same job again.

PQX files can be also sent on for print quality evaluation at remote sites.

Click this button to load the validation data stored in a PQX file. This is useful if you want to validate the same job again or to evaluate the results of a validation process performed at a remote site.

See also Follow-Up Validation with PQX File.

Comments

This box allows you to enter a comment which will be saved together with the PQX file. Comments can be entered separately for each CxF/X-4 color definition, but only if the 100% tint value is selected.

Buttons

Click this button if you want to view the metadata and spectral curves of the selected CxF/X-4 data. The data appears in the main window in the background. Reclick to redisplay what was shown before.

Click this button to create a report for the validation results.

Click this button to open a dialog allowing you make various settings for the validation process. You can override some of the default settings like tint values to be measured or tolerances for delta E and metamerism index. It is also possible to include process colors in the validation process.