A method of determining a printing color profile for printing with N printing inks, which form a color solid of the printable inks in a device-independent color system, includes the steps of selecting one or more printing inks, and defining an inner reference curve in the device-independent color system. The inner reference curve is preferably selected such that it lies in the vicinity of the neutral colors. Using first test forms, which are printed and measured calorimetrically, boundary surfaces between the inner reference curve and the outer envelope of the color solid are defined, which subdivide the color solid into color sectors. With second test forms for the color sectors, a projection of the color sectors in the device-independent color system is determined and, from this, the printing color profile is determined.