Hitchhiker’s Guide to
Konica Minolta CR-400/410
This short guide is meant to serve as a real-world answer to the manual supplied with the
instrument. It assumes certain fundamental knowledge of the instrument (i.e. you know
how to turn it on).
The supplied manual is broken into three chapters covering Measuring Head 1,
Measuring Head 2 and Data Processor. This guide treats the Data Processor functions.
Basic Settings
You make changes to the basic settings by pressing the <Index Set/0> key. There are
several settings that may be of interest. Use the <Cursor> key to select the item to
change. Use the <Measure/Enter> key to change the setting. Press the <Esc> key to
return to the measurement screen. Details can be found on page 72.
By default the Data Processor (DP) will automatically print the data following a
measurement. You probably will want to set this to off by setting Printer to off.
The DP can store up to 2000 sets of data. If Protect is OFF the DP will overwrite old
data with new data. If Protect is ON the DP will not take the 2001st set of data.
Auto Average sets the number of measurements (1 – 30) for automatic average. The
default is 1.
Use the <Option/4> key to set the date and time and other options. See page 71.
Use the <Display/5> while in the measurement screen to change how the data is
displayed. See details on page 81.
Press the <Color Space/6> key to change the Color Space. Details can be found on page
78.
Measurement
Measurements are really very simple if you know certain secrets to what the instrument is
doing. If you don’t know the secrets you will seem to get very strange results.
You should calibrate the instrument when you first power it on. This is simple. Press the
<Calibrate/1> key. You should see the calibration data that are listed in the cover of the
white calibration plate. (They may be 0 if the calibration has not been done before.)
Compare the data to your calibration plate to make sure you are using the same plate.
Place the measuring head vertically above the middle of the white calibration plate and
press the <Measure/Enter> key. The head will illuminate 3 times and the sound will
beep 3 times. See page 86.
Taking Absolute Measurements is easy. Press the <Measure/Enter> key and it will
display data in your chosen data space.
Color Difference Measurements are also easy, but this is where you have a warped
mind to understand how the instrument works. If you don’t you will think the machine is
giving you incorrect information.
In order to take difference measurements you need to have a color reference target value.
The instrument can store 100 color difference target colors. These stored values can be
changed as needed. This may cause some problems.
While in the measurement screen, press the <Target/Symbol> key. Next press the
<Esc> key. This will give you a list of defined target colors. At the top of the list you
may see New. To create a new color target, scroll to the New and press
<Measure/Enter>. (From here on I will use either <Measure> or <Enter> for this
depending upon how it is being used.) This will present you with a Target whose values
are 0.
If there were no empty target color slots available you may not see a New entry, and you
will have to reuse an existing color target. Highlight the slot you want to reuse and press
<Enter>. At this point you will be given two choices which you can choose with the
scroll key. Edit allows you to edit the color values and the name. You will see the
existing target values along with the current name for this target. At this point the
processing is the same for the two cases. Change changes the target to the existing
values specified for this target and takes you to the measurement window.
Assuming you have chosen New or Edit, you will proceed as follows. Scroll to Target
Value. Place the measuring head over the sample where you want set the target color for
future measurements. Press the <Measure> key. This will fill in the target values for
your target. Whenever you choose this target, measurements will be compared to this
value. You also have the option of entering these values manually. This may be
necessary if your target has been reused for another target color. (Hint: when you create
a new color target, print out the values and save them in a safe place. You will probably
need them at some point in the future.)
Now enter a name for the target. The name can be up to 9 characters long. You can use
the scroll key to switch between capital letters, lower case letters and numbers. Use the
keyboard to enter the text name for the target. (You knew all of the time you spent
sending text messages would come in useful.)
Now press the <Enter> key. You will be switched to the measurement display. This is
where you may get confused. (I watched the salesmen for over an hour try to figure out
what was going on. It was interesting listening to them try to explain what they were
doing, why they were doing it, and why it wasn’t working quite right.) I should note that
if you don’t have a set of values (I am not sure if 0 – 0 – 0 is allowed) and a Name, you
will get a Data Set Error. (The salesmen didn’t know this either.)
Now that you are in the measurement display, you will notice a couple of things. One
would expect to see a blank set of data with the name of the target at the top. Instead you
see a set of data with differences that may bear no resemblance to the values of your
target and the name listed at the top of the display will not necessarily be the one you just
entered. You can scratch your head until you have no hair left before you realize that you
are looking at a set of data that has been stored in the instrument’s memory. If you now
press the <Measure> key (notice that the last time I called it the <Enter> key) you will
get a measurement that is very close to your target value and the name will change to the
name you specified.
Now as you move the Head around the page you will get a series of measurements that
will be close to your target. You can use the scroll key move forward and backward
through the sets of saved data.
You can press the <Target> key to get back to the defined target values. You can press
the <Esc> key to get back to the list of Target Colors. You can change to another color
target using the scroll key, select Change and hitting <Enter> which will take you back
to the measurement window with the chosen target values. Alternatively you select Edit
and view the values for this Target Color. If Target Value is highlighted and you press
<Measure/Enter> it will take a Measurement and change the Target Values. If you
scroll to Name and press <Measure/Enter> it will enter the changes and take you to the
measurement window. (I would suggest that you play with this operation to make sure
you understand what the instrument is doing so that you don’t inadvertently change your
target values. I am writing this without the instrument so I am working from my memory
and what the manual says. What the instrument actually does may not be exactly as
described here.)
Color difference measurements are explained starting on page 90. The key thing to
remember is that when you switch to the measurement page, you are looking at old data,
so the Name may not be the one you chose, and the values may be unrelated to the ones
stored in your color target.
Other functionality is explained starting at page 100. This includes statistical analysis of
data, deleting data, deleting color targets and related data sets, and transferring data to a
PC. This is beyond the scope of this guide. (Well, it is after all a simple hitchhikers
guide to the instrument.)