Introduction
Digital printers are precise machines, but like all calibrated hardware, they can gradually lose accuracy over time. This article explains what printer drift is, why it happens, how to detect it, and the tools you can use to keep your output consistent.
Key Takeaways
- Digital printers naturally “drift,” causing gradual color shifts over time.
- Drift is often invisible to the human eye without measurement tools.
- A spectrophotometer is needed to correct drift through re-linearization.
- Ergosoft’s Color QPC tool helps detect and monitor printer drift.
- Training ensures consistent print quality and long-term stability.
Broschüre herunterladen
Release-Sheet herunterladen
What is Drift?
As an inherent characteristic of their design, digital printers will tend to ‘drift’ over time.
This means that color will tend to shift, as a result of minor variations in the function and performance of the hardware itself.
As time passes, a printer’s calibration will begin to drift, but the rate at which it occurs and severity of the drift itself is highly variable.
This is a common characteristic among virtually all devices and hardware that require calibration.
For any piece of hardware, if a calibration is initially required it is because of long term operational variability.
With digital printers, it is not always visually apparent when a machine begins to drift.
Without any type of measurement device printer drift often goes unnoticed, since so much of its performance (ie- printed output) is evaluated with the human eye.
Our eyes do not have the accuracy or objectivity of scientific instruments.
So usually, when a printer begins to drift there is no way for the human eye to detect it.
How Can Drift be Corrected?
In order to restore your printer to its originally calibrated state, and correct the drift, you’ll need a spectrophotometer to perform a re-linearization.
The process itself is not terribly time consuming or complex, so don’t be intimidated by the big words.
We also offer training on how to perform these processes.
For more information about the additional benefits of owning a spectrophotometer, please see our article here.
How Do I Know When Drift Occurs?
In Ergosoft, we have a tool that is specifically designed for this challenge.
Color QPC is a tool designed to objectively measure for drift.
Color QPC makes it easy to know when its time to re-calibrate your printer. Once set up it is very easy to use, and a print operator can scan the chart to perform the system health check.
It will also generate a report that has a Pass, Warning, or Fail value for each color.
Please read our Knowledge Base article linked above for additional information on this powerful tool.
Conclusion
It is important to know that digital printers will drift over time.
We have tools in Ergosoft to help you identify exactly when - and how significantly – it is occurring.
You will need a spectrophotometer to correct it, but we can provide you with a customized training course to ensure that your product quality remains stable over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is printer drift?
Printer drift is the gradual color shift that occurs in digital printers due to hardware variability over time.
Can I detect drift with my eyes?
No, drift is usually not visible to the human eye and requires measurement tools to identify.
How do I fix printer drift?
A spectrophotometer is needed to re-linearize and restore calibration.
What tool does Ergosoft provide for drift detection?
Ergosoft’s Color QPC tool objectively measures printer drift and generates health reports.
Do I need training to handle drift correction?
While not complex, Ergosoft offers customized training to ensure accurate drift correction and long-term quality.
