A color output device is generally driven by at least three independent control signals for control of its response. A desired response in device independent color space is normally obtained by employing a cascade consisting of a characterization transform and calibration transform. The calibration transform transforms input control variables into output control variables that are directly used to drive the device. Input control variables can be transformed into intermediate control variables, which can be then mapped to output control variables utilizing a two-dimensional transformation. The two-dimensional calibration architecture provides improved control functionality and flexibility.