cups-calibrate

Due to its non-standard and largely non-existent status in modern CUPS installations, a definitive and universally applicable synopsis for cups-calibrate is not available. If it were part of a specific project, its usage might have resembled:

cups-calibrate [options] <printer_name>

However, users will generally find no manual page or executable for this command on their systems.

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    As cups-calibrate is not a standard command in modern CUPS installations, there are no universally defined or documented parameters. Any parameters would have been specific to the particular, likely experimental, version or project it belonged to.

cups-calibrate is a command that was historically or experimentally associated with the CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) for printer color calibration. Its primary intent was to help generate or apply color correction data, such as ICC profiles, to ensure more accurate color reproduction from a printer. This would typically involve printing specific test patterns and then measuring or visually adjusting the output to match a reference.

However, it is crucial to note that cups-calibrate is NOT a standard command found in most modern Linux distributions or mainstream CUPS installations. It appears to have been part of specific development efforts, experimental branches, or third-party add-ons related to color management rather than a core, widely distributed CUPS utility. For color calibration in contemporary CUPS environments, users typically rely on printer manufacturer-provided ICC profiles, or utilize external professional color management software and hardware (e.g., spectrophotometers, colorimeters) with tools like ArgyllCMS or dispcalGUI to create custom profiles that CUPS can then use.

This command is not typically found on modern Linux systems or as part of standard CUPS installations. Attempting to run it will usually result in a "command not found" error.
Its functionality has either been absorbed into other tools, superseded by more robust color management solutions, or was part of an abandoned experimental project.
Color calibration for CUPS printers is now primarily achieved using ICC profiles supplied by manufacturers or generated by third-party color management software.

Instead of cups-calibrate, modern CUPS relies heavily on ICC (International Color Consortium) profiles for color management. These profiles describe the color characteristics of a device (like a printer). Printers often come with pre-calibrated profiles. For advanced users or specific needs, custom ICC profiles can be created using external tools (e.g., spectrophotometers and software like ArgyllCMS or displayCAL) and then associated with a printer queue in CUPS, typically via the PPD (PostScript Printer Description) file or through CUPS configuration options. This allows CUPS to perform color conversions to ensure the printed output closely matches the intended colors.

The command cups-calibrate does not have a well-documented public history as a standard CUPS utility. It appears to have been either an experimental utility, part of a specialized CUPS color management project (e.g., cups-color-calibration from early 2000s), or a component in specific commercial CUPS derivatives. It was never widely adopted into the core CUPS distribution for general user calibration purposes, leading to its current status as a largely non-existent or forgotten command in mainstream Linux environments.

cupsd(8), lp(1), lpr(1), cups-lpc(8), ArgyllCMS (external color management suite)