The two technical parameters, Total Ink Coverage (TIC) and Dot Gain, are the direct reasons why one ICC profile fails across different printing processes. TIC is the maximum percentage of ink that a substrate can absorb (e.g., 300% in offset versus 240% in digital). If a profile calibrated for high offset TIC is used in digital printing, it will likely lead to paper mottling and improper ink drying.

Dot Gain is also unique to each process due to differences in transfer technologies (pressure in offset versus droplet deposition in digital). The ICC profile must accurately model this specific dot gain behavior. Using a shared profile results in severe color errors, especially in mid-tones. Therefore, to maintain color stability, every process (such as screen printing, which exhibits very high gain) must have its own dedicated profile.