Need Help Caldera Roland SG300 Color calibration

[DAHVID]

I teach a high school Graphic Design class. I have had to learn sign printing from the ground up, so I may be missing something obvious in regards to color accuracy. I have Caldera RIP (v.12) and a Roland SG300 print/cut machine. It's mostly amazing, but my biggest challenge is fine tuning the colors. I don't have spectrophotometer and I haven't been able to find the media profiles I need for my machine. I've used generic profiles and tried the different ones I have, but I just can't seem to fine tune it. Any thoughts on how to manually do this? Or do we need to figure out a way to get a spectrophotometer? Thanks.

 

[Joe House]

If color accuracy and consistency is a thing for you, then you need to get a spectrophotometer and learn to do it right. But, understand that this won't guarantee that you'll be able to hit all of the colors that you want to. There are limits to the gamut of any device.
If you can't do that and you're working with vector graphics, print out a spot color chart like a pantone chart and select from that. Use the pantone colors when designing and the RIP will print using the same ink formula as it did when printing the chart if you use the same print settings for your job and make sure that you're chart is printed on the same material as your print job.

Good Luck

 

[rjssigns]

I teach a high school Graphic Design class. I have had to learn sign printing from the ground up, so I may be missing something obvious in regards to color accuracy. I have Caldera RIP (v.12) and a Roland SG300 print/cut machine. It's mostly amazing, but my biggest challenge is fine tuning the colors. I don't have spectrophotometer and I haven't been able to find the media profiles I need for my machine. I've used generic profiles and tried the different ones I have, but I just can't seem to fine tune it. Any thoughts on how to manually do this? Or do we need to figure out a way to get a spectrophotometer? Thanks.

Get an i1 setup with automated chart reader. X-Rite has discounts for schools. They will also do on site training, but I don't know the cost.

But getting the hardware/software isn't the path to color nirvana. I'm using a full X-Rite rig and haven't been able to turn out a decent profile for a wide format printer.

Now the HP Indigo digital press in the lab is a different story. Using the X-Rite program profiling was a slam dunk and worked perfectly right out of the gate.
I assumed since X-Rite does the "heavy lifting" in the background that wide format would be similarly easy. Nope. It's been a frustrating journey of wasted media and ink.

Many people claim they are profiling "gurus" but so far I haven't found anyone willing to help. I'm going to contact X-Rite directly next week and get some direction. I also have a "call" in to a Flexi master. Once I get some basis in fact I will be happy to share. Until that point I'm going to look at profiling like a piece of steel. If I hammer on it long enough I will eventually flatten it.

 

[DAHVID]

If color accuracy and consistency is a thing for you, then you need to get a spectrophotometer and learn to do it right. But, understand that this won't guarantee that you'll be able to hit all of the colors that you want to. There are limits to the gamut of any device.
If you can't do that and you're working with vector graphics, print out a spot color chart like a pantone chart and select from that. Use the pantone colors when designing and the RIP will print using the same ink formula as it did when printing the chart if you use the same print settings for your job and make sure that you're chart is printed on the same material as your print job.

Good Luck

Thanks Joe! At this point, were not doing huge works for businesses where EXACT colors match, but I definitely want to be within the realm of general hue. I'll have to incorporate Pantone as a requirement for my students.

 

[DAHVID]

Get an i1 setup with automated chart reader. X-Rite has discounts for schools. They will also do on site training, but I don't know the cost.

But getting the hardware/software isn't the path to color nirvana. I'm using a full X-Rite rig and haven't been able to turn out a decent profile for a wide format printer.

Now the HP Indigo digital press in the lab is a different story. Using the X-Rite program profiling was a slam dunk and worked perfectly right out of the gate.
I assumed since X-Rite does the "heavy lifting" in the background that wide format would be similarly easy. Nope. It's been a frustrating journey of wasted media and ink.

Many people claim they are profiling "gurus" but so far I haven't found anyone willing to help. I'm going to contact X-Rite directly next week and get some direction. I also have a "call" in to a Flexi master. Once I get some basis in fact I will be happy to share. Until that point I'm going to look at profiling like a piece of steel. If I hammer on it long enough I will eventually flatten it.

Thanks Joe. I'll continue to weigh the options.

 

[Reveal1]

A complex subject to cover in a post. Color management in general (regardless of your equipment) is something apparently not taught in much depth to graphic designers. Teaching your graphic arts students basic color management principles would be a huge advantage to them in the workplace. Can't tell you how disappointed I am in our local graphic arts tech school and university graphic design programs. Their graduates come looking for employment and know next to nothing about even the most basic things regarding print output and even less about color management. You are in a position to fix that at least in your part of the world. Good to see your interest and best of luck to you.

 

[DAHVID]

I'm in! I want to make sure I know and understand myself and much of what I've learned has been because I need to teach it. Color theory is fascinating and then throw in applying it to product! I want to set these kids up for success. I wish I had a program like this when I was in high school. Kids eat it up. Thanks Reveal1