The invention relates to a method of modifying a data set containing color component values, which method allows the component of a color in a color spectrum that is provided to be generally set to zero and thus not to use that color. For this purpose, it is provided to first select an image area of a printed product, i.e. a portion of the data set. Further, it is determined which color from the color spectrum shall not be used. The color value for the selected image area is determined. A tolerance range around the color value is fixed. In a further step, it is determined which combinations of color component values that are formed of the remaining colors of the color spectrum include color values that are within the tolerance range fixed around the color value of the selected area. Thereafter, one of the combinations of the color component values is selected. Finally, the color component values are exchanged for the color component values from the selected combination of color component values in the selected portion of the data set.