A method of obtaining a calibration factor for color calibration of a printing system. The method includes printing, using the printing system, a plurality of Neugebauer primaries (NPs) each defined by a respective Neugebauer primary area coverage (NPac) vector. For each of the NPs, an area coverage change of the NP is determined from a measurement of a visual property for the NP and a measurement of the visual property for a corresponding reference NP corresponding to the respective NPac vector. The calibration N factor for the printing system is obtained based on the area coverage change for respective NPs of the plurality of NPs.