Color adjusting for large format

I am setting up a job on the CJ500 for a final print of 10' x14.5'. I have seen the printer print all of these colors, (within reason) on a simple graphic so I know it's capable. I am using the same profile and same material as a previous job which came out very well.

I have done 10 test prints, coming out of both Illustrator CS2 and Photoshop CS2 as tiff's. Everything is set to Adobe RGB 1998 and US Web coated SWOP v2. The navy blue prints black with a darker black detail. The "sapphire" blue prints dark navy and the "process" and yellow are fine. Part of the art includes pix of peoples faces that get weirded out with too much adjustment in ColorChoice.

Any ideas? Have attached a crop of the art for reference. Printed it full size, 29" x39" and it's the same....


Well this is something... Just previewed the post and it is printing just like this attachment, but on my monitor it is much more vivid and the black in the lower corner is definitley an achievable dark blue, while the dark blue here is more of a sapphire. geez.

I love my job.

dee

 

printing newbie, really

You have much more experience than most so it feels to us like any suggestions are going to sound insulting - other than take a step back, relax, and see what may have changed.

Please feel free! I've only been printing since Feb., but I took a seminar on color management and another on digital printing at the convention in Orlando this year that were very informative.

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks!

 

I will do the search for monitor calibration. I do have a monitor profile which has given me the best test so far.
Please PM the color file. I am printing on a matte pvc coated adhesive material. The file was created in Illustrator CS2 by the client, but has a couple drop-ins of photographs.

The previous job was printed from same computer, created in Illustrator by client but set up in Photoshop 7.01., panels saved individually as tiffs and output to colorchoice. Last week my Adobe was all upgraded to CS2. I've been playing with the many different options for color in Photoshop CS2 since today's earlier email, as well as ColorChoice and have one test print that is approaching correct, but still not there....

I don't believe the trouble I was having due to Spysweeper/Colorchoice has had any effect on profiles or anything else. It is disabled for now and there hasn't been the slightest glitch in that area or anywhere else. I do know that I am not using the correct profile for the material, but got away with it for 750 sq. ft. of printing before. I was forced to upgrade Colorchoice when the new PC took over and the available profiles are more geared to their newer printers. I don't know how to download profiles and haven't had a chance to try, having only been online with that PC for 2 days.

This is like going to college and getting paid for it. haha I think I'll like this game once I learn the rules!

Thanks for helping!

 

Mark,

I originally opened it using the embedded profile and it printed very dark, with no "pop" at all, while it looked great on the monitor. It was tagged with the newer of the 2 adobe profiles, (can't remenber the exact wording).
The best color obtained while printing was when I set up CS2 to use the older (1966) profile with a few tweaks here and there. Could it be that since I have an older machine, it understands the older profile better?

In any case, I had already scheduled 6 wrap installs on Trolleys for this week, and have to have the 3 bank trucks wrapped first week of Aug., so I sent the banks out to be printed. Only 2 of us, and not enough time to do it all this time.

Thanks for responding. I will probably be back with similar issues since i am new at printing.....

dee