# Blending the Base Gray and Toner Curves ### Quad Blending Tool The Quad Blending Tool is just as it sounds. It blends the values from two different .quad files to create a new output quad file. It works similarly to the split-tone options in the QTR print dialog but uses five control points instead of three. The new version of the blending tool is also able to open the new .qtpc component files that contain the quad values and measurements. Using .qtpc files allows you to preview the color of the blend and do a basic linearization to correct for any density differences in the two files, which isn't possible when only using the .quad files alone. ![[Quad Curve Blending Screen.png]] ### Loading the base gray and color curves First, open either the .qtpc file for the ink and measurement values from linearized base gray curve or the single .quad curve file for the linearized base gray curve. Then load the SCTV-corrected single ink toner as Curve 2—either as the .qtpc or single .quad file. You can not use two different file types, so if you loaded the .qtpc file for the gray curve, you need to use a .qtpc file for the toning curve and vice versa. ### Setting the blending values Set the blending values so that there is a consistent increase in the low gamut color through the highlights and darker mid-tones. The saturation will naturally decrease in the shadow values, so giving a 50/50 blend in the shadows is less important. There are no rules for the settings but generally start with 50/50 for the whites and light tones and then gradually decrease the amount of color ink used for the mid-tone, shadows, and black sliders. (The 50/50 blend is why I always start with a higher ink limit for the color inks in the initial curve creation step). Using the .qtpc component files from the gray curve linearization and color tint linearization steps will also enable an option to apply an automatic correction curve to adjust for any loss in density from blending the lower density color inks with the higher density gray inks. This takes the predicted blend of the two files and does an initial linearization so you can preview the color, saturation, tonality, and blended ink curves. A final linearization before creating the final .qtp profile is generally encouraged, but you can save a .qtpc file from this preview to go directly into the custom profile manager step to create the .qtp profile. Leave the slider settings unchanged so that the same amount of gray and color inks will be used for each of the low gamut components, and open and save the blend for the remaining color components for your ink set. Save the blended .quad file to the QuadXXXX printer folder and run the install command to make the new .quad files available in the QTR print dialog options to print the final linearization targets. ### Next Step: [[Linearize the Blended Curves]]