What Factors Control Gamut in a Printer Profile?

Q:  I just purchased an 8-color Canon i9900 printer and after creating a profile, the resulting gamut is much smaller than that of my Epson R300 (6 colors) and my ALPS contone device (CMY). Could you please advise? Is my Monaco system limited in any way with respect to large or very large gamuts?

A:  The gamut of your device as shown in the Monaco created profile is dependent on the measurements made from a printed piece, so there are several factors that can affect the final result:

1. The settings in the printer driver when the page was output.
2. The ink and paper themselves.
3. The behavior of the individual printer.
4. The accuracy of the scanner, which is affected by the settings in the scanner driver as well as the interaction of the scanner light source and color filters with the ink and paper.

Keep in mind that the number of colorants does not dictate the size of the color gamut. While in most cases the range would increase as colorants are added, a comparison across different types of devices is not necessarily safe. Even within a single type of device (e.g. inkjets), different ink and paper formulations can produce widely differing results.