A method for compensating for color variations introduced by printer hardware limitations and other factors is described. First, the extent of color variation throughout a printed page is determined. Based on this determination, each page is partitioned into a plurality of image areas. A color profile is generated for each image area. The partition and the multiple color profiles are stored in the printer. In an actual printing process, the page of image to be printed is divided into a plurality of image areas based on the paper size and the stored partition, and the respective stored color profiles for the image areas are retrieved and used to process the digital image for printing.