You team need to reproduce spot colors in print and have the most accurate result that matches the customers’ demands. You prepare the design, and it’s re ready to print, but the right color is still a mystery and is not always obvious. If the color seems alright on the computer screen may appear different once printed with your production equipment and materials.  

Caldera Direct-to-Film 2.7 introduces a connection with CalderaColor to help achieve more accurate and controlled colors. By creating controlled color variations, operators can compare real results and identify the closest reproducible match for their target. 

The approach brings together three practical advantages: 

• Make colour decisions from printed results: Evaluate what your production setup produces rather than relying on an on-screen impression alone 
• Organize your comparisons: Review controlled alternatives in a ColorBook instead of preparing disconnected tests 
• Reduce manual handoffs: Transfer color information between Caldera Direct-to-Film v2.7 and CalderaColor through a connected workflow

Why Does the Printed Result Matter 

Matching a requested color involves more than selecting a value in the software. The final appearance depends on the conditions in which it is printed. 

Together, these factors explain why a color reference and a printed match are not identical. Therefore, you can ask the question: which available result comes closest to the target under your production conditions? CalderaColor helps operators answer that question with a structured, printed comparison. 

Meet CalderaColor: From a Target Color to a Printed Reference 

CalderaColor is a Caldera application for creating, reviewing, and printing ColorBooks for professional colour-matching workflows. 

A ColorBook presents a set of controlled variations around a target color. Once printed, it provides a reference that operators can examine to select the closest reproducible result. 

The process follows a clear sequence: 

• Start with the requested color: Use a target, such as a spot colour, as the basis for the comparison. 

• Build controlled alternatives: Create variations around that starting point. 

• Print using your production configuration: Produce the ColorBook under the conditions you want to evaluate. 

• Compare the printed samples: Review the differences and identify the closest match. 

• Use the selected colour for production: Base the choice on the output you have assessed. 

This does not promise an exact reproduction of every target. It gives teams a practical way to identify the closest result their setup can produce. 

A Concrete Example: Comparing a Brand Orange 

Consider the PANTONE 137 C orange used in Caldera’s brand design. The reference establishes the color to aim for, but operators still need to see how possible matches appear in print. A ColorBook turns that assessment into an organized comparison. 

Rather than judging one isolated test, the team can examine several alternatives together. That makes differences easier to compare and gives the final selection a clear basis in printed output. 

The same principle applies to other spot-colour matching tasks: define the target, inspect the printed options, and choose the closest reproducible match. 

Match Colours Without Replacing Your RIP

Find the closest printable match using the software you already rely on. CalderaColor brings ColorBook comparisons to CalderaRIP, manufacturer RIPs, and third-party RIP software, without requiring a direct connection.

• Make confident colour choices: Compare controlled variations to identify the closest result under your production conditions.
• Simplify comparison preparation: Define ink values, adjust variations, and check page layouts in one workspace.
• Keep your existing printing workflow: Export ColorBooks as TIFF ZIP archives for output through your preferred RIP.

Gain a practical colour-matching method without changing your RIP environment. In this workflow, operators enter ink values in CalderaColor and transfer the exported TIFF pages manually, rather than exchanging them automatically through the connected DTF workflow.

Make Color Comparisons Clearer and More Focused

Find a suitable match with alternatives built around your target colour. CalderaColor brings ink adjustments and sample layouts together, helping teams create an organized ColorBook rather than manage separate tests.

• Refine the starting point: Adjust ink levels to define the colour used for your comparison.
• Keep selected inks unchanged: Lock ink values while exploring variations.
• Compare relevant alternatives: Generate controlled shades around the target colour.
• Make differences easier to review: Arrange colour patches clearly on each page.
• Simplify print preparation: Organize the pages in the same application.

Choose your production colour from a structured printed reference. By viewing the alternatives together, teams can assess their differences and identify the closest reproducible match under their printing conditions.

Prepare Clear Comparisons Before Printing

Check your ColorBook layout before committing it to print. CalderaColor’s live preview lets teams see how samples and pages are organized while preparing the comparison.

• Make samples easy to compare: Review the arrangement of colour patches.
• Confirm the layout is ready: Inspect the pages before producing the printed reference.
• Fine-tune before output: Adjust patch and page settings where needed.
• Use the printing route that suits you: Send the ColorBook through the connected workflow or export it for manual printing.

Base your final colour choice on the printed result. Live preview helps you assess the layout—not the achievable colour match. The physical ColorBook shows how the variations look under your chosen production conditions.

Keep Printing Information with the ColorBook 

A ColorBook file is more useful when the information required to print it stays with it. 

Caldera Direct-to-Film 2.7 supports opening and printing ColorBook TIFF files with their embedded print settings. It also allows ColorBooks to be exported as individual TIFF files containing the required metadata and configuration. 

• Reduce repeated entry: Open supported ColorBook TIFF files with their associated settings. 

• Keep the file and configuration together: Include the printing information with the exported ColorBook. 

• Simplify the handoff to output: Avoid treating the comparison file and its settings as separate preparation tasks. 

This complements the connected workflow by reducing the manual work involved in moving a prepared ColorBook toward printing. The improvement is practical: operators can spend less time transferring settings and more time reviewing the colour results. 

Find Your Color Match with Guessing for too Long

You can compare printed shades before deciding which one to use. CalderaColor helps you prepare a ColorBook which is a collection of color samples to find the closest match to your chosen color.

• Keep tests focused: Build variations around the shade you need
• Spot differences easily: View the alternatives side by side
• See what works in practice: Check the results from your printer, inks, material, and settings
• Save time moving between tools: Transfer color details between Caldera DTF v2.7 and CalderaColor with less manual work
• Make a clearer choice: Select the sample that looks closest to your target

The final decision stays with your team. CalderaColor makes the comparison easier to prepare and review.