HP Color LaserJet, HP OfficeJet Enterprise Color, HP PageWide Enterprise Color - Manage color settings

Use the HP EasyColor option

Learn how images can be enhanced using the HP EasyColor option available in the HP print driver.

Note:

The HP EasyColor option is enabled by default in both the HP PCL 6 print driver for Windows, and the HP print driver for macOS.

HP EasyColor used with the HP PCL 6 print driver for Windows automatically improves mixed-content documents printed from Microsoft Office programs.

HP EasyColor scans documents and automatically adjusts photographic images in .JPEG or .PNG format.

Rather than dividing an image into several pieces, HP EasyColor technology enhances the entire image at one time, which results in improved color consistency, sharper details, and faster printing.

HP EasyColor used with the HP print driver for macOS scans all documents and automatically adjusts all photographic images to improve the color consistency and sharpen the image quality.

In the following example, the images on the left were created without using the HP EasyColor option. The images on the right show the enhancements that result from using the HP EasyColor option.

Example of an image created without HP EasyColor (left) and with HP EasyColor (right)

Disable HP EasyColor

To disable HP EasyColor and manually adjust the color settings, follow the steps below that pertain to your operating system (Windows or macOS).

Windows:
1. From the software program, select the Print option.
2. Select the printer from the list of printers, and then click the Properties or Preferences button to open the print driver.
3. Click the Color tab, and then clear the HP EasyColor check box.
macOS:
1. In the software program, click the File menu, and then click the Print option.
2. Select the printer.
3. Click the Color/Quality Options tab, and then clear the HP EasyColor check box.

Change the color theme for a print job (Windows)

Learn how to change the color theme for a print job from the software program in Windows.

From the software program, select the Print option.
Select the printer, and then click the Properties or Preferences button.
Click the Color tab.
Clear the HP EasyColor check box.
In the Color Themes drop-down list, select a color theme from the following options:
- Default (sRGB): This theme sets the printer to print RGB data in raw device mode. When using this theme, manage color in the software program or in the operating system for correct rendering.
- Vivid (sRGB): The printer increases the color saturation in the midtones. Use this theme when printing business graphics.
- Photo (sRGB): The printer interprets RGB color as if it were printed as a photograph using a digital mini lab. The printer renders deeper, more saturated colors differently than with the Default (sRBG) theme. Use this theme when printing photos.
- Photo (Adobe RGB 1998): Use this theme with printing digital photos that use the Adobe RGB color space rather than sRGB. Turn off color management in the software program when using this theme.
- None: No color theme is used.
- Custom Profile: Select this option to use a custom input profile to accurately control color output (for example, to emulate a specific HP Color LaserJet printer).
Click OK to close the Document Properties dialog.
In the Print dialog box, click OK or Print to print the job.

Change the color options (Windows)

Learn how to change the color options for the print-job from the software program in Windows.

From the software program, select the Print option.
Select the printer, and then click the Properties or Preferences button.
Click the Color tab.
Clear the HP EasyColor check box.
In the Color Options area, click the Manual option, and then click the Settings button.
Adjust the general settings for Edge Control, and the settings for text, graphics, and photographs.

Change the color options (macOS)

Learn how to change the color options for the print-job from the software program in macOS.

From the File menu, select the Print option.
Select the printer from the Printer menu.
Expand the drop-down list, and then select Color Options.
Clear the HP EasyColor check box.
Open the Advanced settings.
Adjust the individual settings for text, graphics, and photographs.
Click Print.

Manual color options

Use the Manual color option to adjust the Neutral Grays, Halftone, and Edge Control settings for text, graphics, and photographs.

Manual Color Settings
Setting	Description	Options
Edge Control	This setting determines the rendering of edges. Edge Control has two components: (1) adaptive halftoning, and (2) trapping. Adaptive halftoning increases edge sharpness. Trapping reduces the effect of color-plane misregistration by overlapping the edges of adjacent objects slightly.	Off turns off both trapping and adaptive halftoning. Light sets trapping at a minimal level. Adaptive halftoning is on. Normal sets trapping at a medium level. Adaptive halftoning is on. Maximum is the most aggressive trapping setting. Adaptive halftoning is on.
Halftone	This setting affects color output clarity and resolution.	Smooth provides better results for large, solid-filled print areas and enhances photographs by smoothing color gradations. Select this option when uniform and smooth area fills are important. Detail is useful for text and graphics that require sharp distinctions among lines or colors, or images that contain a pattern or a high level of detail. Select this option when sharp edges and small details are important.
Neutral Grays	This setting determines the method for creating gray colors used in text, graphics, and photographs.	Black Only generates neutral colors (grays and black) by using only black toner. This guarantees neutral colors without a color cast. This setting is best for documents and grayscale viewgraphs. 4-Color generates neutral colors (grays and black) by combining all four toner colors. This method produces smoother gradients and transitions to other colors, and it produces the darkest black.

Match colors

Learn about the process of matching colors on printed pages to the colors that display on the computer screen.

The process of matching colors on printed output to the colors displayed on a computer screen is quite complex because printers and computer monitors use different methods of producing color.

Monitors display colors by light pixels using an RGB (red, green, and blue) color process, whereas printers print colors using a CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) process.

Several factors can influence the ability to match printed colors to those on a monitor. These factors include:

Paper
Printer colorants (e.g. inks or toners)
Printing process (e.g. inkjet, press, or laser technology)
Overhead lighting
Personal differences in perception of color
Software programs
Print drivers
Computer operating system
Monitors and monitor settings
Video cards and drivers
Operating environment (such as the humidity level)

For most situations, the best method for matching colors on a screen to the printed output is to print RGB colors.

Sample book color matching

The process for matching printer output to preprinted sample books and standard color references is complex. In general, you can obtain a reasonably good match to a sample book if the inks used to create the sample book are cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. These are usually referred to as process color sample books.

Some sample books are created from spot colors. Spot colors are specially created colorants. Many of these spot colors are outside the range of the printer colors. Most spot color sample books have companion process sample books that provide CMYK approximations to the spot color.

Most process sample books will state which process standards were used to print the sample book. In most cases, they will be SWOP, EURO, or DIC. To get optimal color matching to the process sample book, select the corresponding ink emulation from the printer menu. If you cannot identify the process standard, use SWOP ink emulation.

Print color samples using the printer control panel (Enterprise printer models only)

Learn how to print color samples using the printer control panel.

To use the color samples, select the color sample that is the closest match to the desired color. Use the sample’s color value in the software program to describe the object you wish to match. Printed colors vary depending on the paper type and the software program.

Note:

The steps vary according to the type of control panel.

FutureSmart 3 control panels

FutureSmart 4 control panels

Find your printer control-panel type in the options below and then follow the instructions to print the color samples.

FutureSmart 3

Follow these steps if your printer has a FutureSmart 3 control panel.

From the Home screen on the printer control panel, navigate to and open the Administration menu.
Open the following menus:
1. Reports
2. Other Pages
Select either the RGB Samples or the CMYK Samples option, and then select OK.

FutureSmart 4

Follow these steps if your printer has a FutureSmart 4 control panel.

From the Home screen on the printer control panel, select Reports, and then open the Other Pages menu.
Select either the RGB Samples or the CMYK Samples option, and then select Print.

Pantone® color matching

Pantone has multiple color matching systems. The Pantone Matching System® is very popular and uses solid inks to generate a wide range of color hues and tints.

Note:

Pantone Colors generated might not match Pantone-identified standards. Consult current Pantone Publications for accurate color.

Print colored text as black (grayscale) (Windows)

Learn how to adjust the print settings in Windows to print colored text as black (grayscale).

From the software program, select the Print option.
Select the printer, and then click the Properties or Preferences button.
Click the Advanced tab.
Expand the Document Options section.
Expand the Printer Features section.
From the Print All Text as Black drop-down list, select the Enabled option.

HP Color LaserJet, HP OfficeJet Enterprise Color, HP PageWide Enterprise Color - Manage color settings

Use the HP EasyColor option

Disable HP EasyColor

Change the color theme for a print job (Windows)

Change the color options (Windows)

Change the color options (macOS)

Manual color options

Match colors

Sample book color matching

Print color samples using the printer control panel (Enterprise printer models only)

FutureSmart 3

FutureSmart 4

Pantone® color matching

Print colored text as black (grayscale) (Windows)

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