A method for compensating for color variations among multiple user printers by providing a target simulation process in each user printer that modifies its default color characteristics so that it has the same color characteristics as a designated target printer. In a WCS implementation, a target CDMP and a user CDMP representing color characteristics of the target printer and the user printer, respectively, are stored and used by the WCS workflow to perform color conversion when printing an image on the user printer. In an ICC implementation, a color simulation profile is generated that matches the color characteristics of the user printer to those of the target printer. The color simulation profile is combined with the default color profile of the printer to generate a combined color profile which is used to perform color conversion when printing an image on the user printer.