Color printer calibration with blended look up tables

A color printer including a calibration system, the color printer responsive to printer signals directed thereto to deposit printer colorants on a medium in accordance with printer signals received, comprising:

• means for generating printer signals selected to cause the printer to print color samples on the medium;
• means for measuring a first colorimetric response of the printer to the printer signals from the color samples;
• means for using the first measured colorimetric response to generate a mapping of colorimetric values to printer signals;
• means for using the first measured colorimetric response or a subsequent measured colorimetric response to generate at least one additional mapping of colorimetric values to printer signals;
• a color conversion memory;
• printer control means for storing the first and additional mappings in the color conversion memory;
• weighting means to producing printer signals as a function of the first and additional mappings stored in the color conversion memory, to convert color definitions from a first color space to printer signals suitable for producing a corresponding response at the color printer, wherein at least two mappings contribute non-zero components to said printer signal.

A color printer including a calibration system, the color printer responsive to printer signals directed thereto to deposit printer colorants on a medium in accordance with printer signals received, comprising:

• means for generating printer signals selected to cause the printer to print color samples on the medium;
• means for measuring a first colorimetric response of the printer to the printer signals from the color samples;
• means for using the first measured colorimetric response to generate a mapping of colorimetric values to printer signals;
• means for using the first measured colorimetric response or a subsequent measured colorimetric response to generate at least one additional mapping of colorimetric values to printer signals;
• a color conversion memory;
• means for combining at least the first measured colorimetric response and any subsequent measured colorimetric response to produce a color conversion mapping, and storing said color conversion mapping in said color conversion memory;
• weighting means to producing printer signals as a function of the first and additional mappings stored in the color conversion memory, to convert color definitions from a first color space to printer signals suitable for producing a corresponding response at the color printer, wherein at least two mappings contribute non-zero components to said printer signal.

A method of calibrating a color printer responsive to printer signals to deposit printer colorants on a medium in accordance with printer signals received, including the steps of:

• producing a calibration print as a printer response sample;
• deriving a first mapping relating colorimetric values to printer response;
• deriving at least one additional mapping relating colorimetric values to printer response;
• generating a color conversion mapping as a weighted function of the first and additional mappings and storing said mapping in a color conversion memory, wherein at least two mappings contribute non-zero values to the color conversion;
• operating the calibrated printer with the color conversion mapping to convert colorimetric values received to printer signals.