An automated utility for obtaining an identification of a new type of media from a user and searching remote databases to locate and retrieve properties of the new media to set appropriate printing parameters, including colorimetric parameters. To print on a new media, the user can enter a common identifier of the new media, or it can be automatically detected by the user's printer. Based on this information, remote databases can be searched to locate properties of the new media. The properties can be used to automatically set up an application or computer to use the new media on an intended printer. In addition, if no color profiles are found of the new media and the user's intended printer, a new color profile can be derived from pre-existing color profiles located in the remote databases. Starting with a similar color profile, a difference in colorimetric properties between the media of the similar color profile and the new media can be used to translate the similar color profile into a new color profile. To derive the new color profile for the new media with the intended printer, the colorimetric properties of the new media are substituted after the rest of the color profile has been translated.