COLOR MANAGEMENT
(If this is not the correct FAQ list for you,
locate the category of FAQ at the bottom of the page that best describes the type
of question you have, and then visit that FAQ Department by clicking on the
icon.)
 Yes.
By utilizing the Color Spec dialogue in Flexi
7, it is very easy to match Pantone and Vinyl Colors. For example: Let's say
that you need to match Pantone PMS 200 (a dark red). First, open the Color Spec
dialogue by clicking on the "VIEW" menu and selecting
"COLOR">"COLOR SPECS". Click on the "LIBRARY"
tab. Click the "VENDOR" drop down menu and select "PANTONE."
The screen will list all of the Pantone Colors. Scroll through the list and
select "PANTONE 200." Now click the "ADD" button. This will
add that color to your SWATCH TABLE.
A Pantone color is indicated with a white circle and black dot at the top
right corner of the swatch. Close the COLOR SPEC dialogue. Now, draw a rectangle
and fill it with Pantone 200. Open up the COLOR SPECS dialogue and click on the
"FIND" tab. In the top right corner of the menu, select the drop down
menu labeled "Tolerance" and select "Normal (Delta
E>40)." The window below this menu displays the vinyl makers in the
Flexi 7 library. Uncheck "Swatch Table" and place a check mark in the
vinyl maker you want to use. In this example we will select "AVERY"
(you can select more than one vendor). Now, click the search button. Flexi will
now search its library and give you the results. The vinyl color at the top of
the list will be the one closest to Pantone 200... in this case "Bright Red
Pearleset Part # A5828-S." The other colors listed will also be a close
match. By changing the TOLERANCE to "BEST (Delta E>10)" the list
will be shorter. Top
Do
you find you can not match the font? Not able to
match the color for a digital print because the artist created it in RGB mode,
and digital prints must be printed in CMYK?
As sign professionals, it is our place to explain to clients how files should
be manipulated so they will become the great works of art that the graphic
designer envisioned. If at all possible, all fonts must be converted to outlines
or curves (dependent on the program utilized). Many graphic programs, including
Illustrator and CorelDraw, are capable of this procedure. If not possible, make
sure that the fonts are included. TrueType fonts are easy to transport, however,
PostScript and Type 1 fonts are a little tricky. These font types utilize two
different files to make up one font (a screen font and a print font). Both of
these files are necessary in order to re-create the font for final output.
These suggestions are also offered: Provide all the essentials. This includes
all working files, fonts and images. Separate image files such as TIFFs, BMPs,
JPEGs, etc. that are in the file must be included on the disk just in case the
image does not come in correctly when imported onto your system.
Use Photoshop or Illustrator. According to the digital print professionals
interviewed, these files work best. Both file types can be imported into most
programs, including Flexi. For those who are in the DP field, I strongly
encourage utilizing Photoshop for most of your color correction needs Keep it
layered. By keeping Photoshop files layered, it will be easier to manipulate
objects in case something needs to be moved for production purposes. Top
Send files in CMYK. This should be a no-brainer, however most graphic artists
don't think in those terms. Also, include Pantone numbers when color matching is
critical Send a color proof. Again, this should be a no-brainer.
Finally, some graphics files just cannot be taken by most sign programs. Such
examples include Quark Xpress and Pagemaker. There are a couple ways to overcome
this problem. First, as a sign professional, you may want to purchase these
programs. Second, suggest to the artist to save the files as an .EPS files. To
do this, the artist must print the files, through the print dialogue, and
indicate that the graphic is to be Printed To File. Sign Biz offers
camera-ready instructions on disk or as instant downloads that you can provide
to your clients. Go to the Download Department to get your copies now! Top
Two
prominent color management systems include ColorSync for the Mac OS and
ColorBlind color calibration for PC systems. You can start by reading up on
the subject in the Sign Biz virtual Tech Department .>> Tech
Department. Top
The ColorBlind system is quite sophisticated and requires training by the
manufacturer for its application, Sign Biz is an authorized dealer for the
product. In addition, a fully trained expert on staff is available for on-site
ColorBlind services. Read more about it here >> East
Coast Tech Ops. Top
Using
a hardware or software RIP is dependent upon what type of digital print
business you run. If you are running a production house, a hardware RIP would be
your best choice. With a hardware RIP you have the option of sending files to
multiple printers. This is the advantage over a software RIP. While you can send
to different printers through a software RIP, you must wait until the RIP (and
in many cases the print itself) is complete before sending to another
printer.
With a hardware RIP you can send a file to one printer, then send a second
file to another printer, and so on. This is because a hardware RIP will run
through the Windows (or MAC) print driver. The files are queued in the driver
and send to the appropriate printer. The disadvantage of the hardware RIP (at
least in the case with the Windows Print Driver) is that you are limited to the
size of the print. Windows print drivers only allow up to 129 inches of
printing. If you are printing a 12 foot long banner, you are out of luck. The
other disadvantage is that you do not have as much control of color, resolution
or speed as you do with a software RIP.
One exception to the color issue is a printer with a Postscript Driver such
as an HP DesignJet 5500PS. This will be addressed in more detail later.
Utilizing a software RIP gives you the advantage of controlling color more
readily. For example, using the Flexi 7 RIP from ScanvecAmiable, allows the user
to choose from multiple ICC and media profiles thus allowing better consistent
color. With the hardware RIP, you are limited to the profiles provided in the
printer's hard drive, or the software the comes with the driver and usually it
is limited to the manufacturer's media.
Using a software RIP also allows you to choose from multiple screen patterns
such as "Error Diffusion" (different screen patterns produce different
effects to the color and print). Other advantages to the software RIP also
include Color Mode (CMYK, CMYKlclm, greyscale, etc.), Rendering Intent (such as
Colormetric, Perceptual, or Saturation... again related to color), Print
Resolution (in dpi) and Number of Passes (how much ink is laid down to render
the print). So if you are using your printers for production a hardware RIP is
best. If you have clients that are more concerned about color accuracy (such as
advertisers or tradeshows) a software RIP is your best bet.
Get
a good start on it right here>> Digital
Print Terminology.
The
reason that it is important to select the exact media (brand and even the
product type) so that the printer is told to place the correct amount and
combination of dots to product the desired result. Every product has a different
amount of ink it can "hold" before over-saturation occurs. Since every
media is different, so is every media ICC profile. You can select the closest
match from the list and sometimes the results are acceptable, ranging from
almost great, to not so good. In all cases of this practice, the file printed
with the correct profile would be of superior quality. Most media manufacturers
have the ICC Profiles for their media available from their websites. You can
also have custom profiles made for your specific printer, as they do vary
slightly from printer to printer, of the exact same model!
Although the
printer prints in CMYK and excellent results can be
achieved using CMYK, most people designing in CMYK don't have their color
properties set up to get outstanding results. If you set up your color
properties in your design application to use the Output ICC profile of the
printer/media you will be printing to, no color conversion has to take place at
the RIP level and the file should take full advantage of the printer/media's
color gamut.
Many people use the standard default, SWOP CMYK and are not utilizing the
much larger color gamut of the printer/media they will actually be outputting
to. By designing in the even larger RGB color gamut, you can push your files to
the absolute limits of the printer/media's color ability and let the RIP handle
the color conversion by selecting the correct Output ICC profile. Either way
will yield great results… using RGB in wide format printing is not only
easier, but seems to have become the standard.
There are a
few different possible answers to this question, depending on the
application at hand. For the absolute best quality, 200 pixels per inch will
yield excellent picture quality. This would be for a viewing distance of 1-3
feet. This may be used for a fine art reproduction where people will view the
item up close. For a banner that will be viewed from 3 - 5 feet, 150 pixels per
inch will be great. For an item that will be viewed from farther distances, even
lower resolutions of 75 pixels per inch would suffice. Resolutions of less than
75 pixels per inch will almost always have a pixilated square look up close, but
from a far they look alright.
Pixels
per inch (PPI) is a measurement of how much resolution or
"information" that a file has. It can be checked and manipulated in
most graphic applications and directly affects the output size of a file. Dots
per inch (DPI) is specification on printers that states how many dots of ink are
placed in an inch of printed output. (Ex. If you print a 100 PPI file to a
HP5500 in 600 DPI mode, the printer will print the file with 360,000 dots of ink
per each square inch (600x600) and each square inch of the output will contain
10,000 pixels of information (100x100).
Depending
on the material and ink being used, you may have to wait up to 24 hours for
the ink to completely dry. This is especially important for applications where
LOW TEMP (185 to 195) or HOT (over 195) laminating films are being used. Some
materials dry very fast due to the chemical composition of the inkjet coating
and only need to dry for an hour or so. All materials are different and some
prints have heavier ink coverage than others, so be sure to check each job
before going to lamination.
Yes,
you can use bond paper with UV ink outdoors, but you should expect a very
short life for the application… possibly as short as one month if in the
direct sunlight. Although the ink is UV protected, the paper itself will be
"yellowed" as it ages. Lamination will help this problem, but still
expect a shorter life than a synthetic material such as polypropylene or vinyl.
Each
material has a specific color gamut it can reproduce. Some materials have
larger color gamuts due different physical issues such as white point (color of
the media) and total ink saturation limit which dictated how much of each color
can be placed on the media before it is over saturated. Since many files have
color outside the CMYK color gamut of the intended media, a conversion takes
place (in the RIP) that "shrinks" the offending color (and or range of
colors depending on your rendering intent settings) into the available gamut of
the specific media.
Many
files have a large ink coverage that makes printing on bond or presentation
a tricky venture. You can try to adjust the GCR in the offending color is black.
Adjusting the GCR removes equal amounts of CMY and replaces them with K for an
overall less ink limit. If it is all colors you can try adjusting the total ink
limit in the ICC Profile found on the advanced tab on your RIP. If you are still
having trouble after that you will need to move to a media that can accept a
higher ink coverage such as Photo-gloss or Photo Matte.
Yes,
there are a few different fabric products available to make unique and
captivating displays. Silk, polyester and cotton are just a few available
products. These can be made into fine art, banners and much more!
In
recent years there have been great breakthroughs in materials and coatings
for use with wide format digital printing. These advances in the printing
technology have opened up many materials for use with the Aqueous Based Wide
Format printing technology. These materials range from the basic bond paper and
photo paper (in multiple finishes) to adhesive backed outdoor vinyl, vinyl
banner material, Tyvek banner material, Polypropylene, static cling film,
adhesive backed clear film, cotton poplin, polyester, Silk, transfer paper and
more!
You
can print out generic CMYK files and get ok to good results, but by doing so
the printer's color capabilities are not being fully utilized. There are two
issues at hand; one is that the output profile you select in the RIP is a RGB to
CMYK translation. If your file is CMYK, most RIPs print it straight through
without color correction.
A file created in RGB color allows you to use a large gamut of color to
design and lets the RIP handle the conversion to the printer (CMYK) for the best
possible results. The other issue is every single CMYK device, including
different ink and media selections on a particular device, handles color a
little differently, therefore requiring a specific profile to be accurate. Think
of the profile of your UV ink on Photo-gloss media as a "map" to the
color abilities on that single Photo-gloss product only. With that being the
case, your typical customers CMYK file is SWOP standard (the default in the
creating application) and not exactly matched up with the colors your printer
can produce. If you like to design in CMYK, use the output profile of the ink
and media you are going to print to as the CMYK color space in the design
application. When the file is printed through the RIP, not needing any color
correction to be right on!
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Color
Hardware
Design
Business Downloads
If you have any further questions or would like additional
technical information, please contact:
David
McCutcheon
Director
of
Technical
Services
24681
La
Plaza,
Suite
270
Dana
Point,
CA
92629
800-633-5580
tech@signbiz.com
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