Color aggravation....

[ABBOTARTDEPT]

I have had a color problem with flexi forever. the mimaki will not print the color i have selected in the swatch. red comes out dk red, orange comes out brown, ..etc. I know this has something to do with the color gamut which i dont know much about. Ive used a work around; adjusting the color until it prints right. but i waste so much material testing to see if the color is right and im getting to wits end. why wont it just print whats on the screen. everything is in cmyk mode. anyone here have this problem? using flexi 7.6 / mimaki jv3-160 / mega ink brand ink

 

[luggnut]

sounds like a profile problem ... and monitor calibration. if you are having to use canned profiles and not making your own the color will always be hard to get perfect. but with most provided profiles if it is the one for the media you are using should get you pretty close.
first thing is to make sure you monitor is color calibrated.. then get the profile for the media or make one

 

[bob]

The settings that have some effect on your problem are legion. What profile are you using for your monitor? For your saved files? For your printer? What are your rendering intents? Are you invoking View->Soft Proof in Flexi?

There are but a few of the bewildering array of specifications that have something to do with your problem.

Rather than actually becoming familiar with all of this you can take the easy way out. Just print a full Pantone chart on whatever media you like with whatever printer profile you fancy. Then pick colors from this chart and pay no attention to the colors displayed on your monitor.

The printed Pantone chart is the truth, all else is merely opinion.

 

[ABBOTARTDEPT]

my rend intents are: rel colormetric for bitmap and gradient. spot color for the rest. my monitor is calibrated. also forgot to mention. when i pring out jpgs for bmps the color is just fine. only when im printing vector art is the color messing up.

 

[ABBOTARTDEPT]

ive thought about the pantone chart thing. and im using profiles that are set up my the guy that used to work here. i dont know how to make my own profiles.

 

[thewood]

Rather than actually becoming familiar with all of this you can take the easy way out. Just print a full Pantone chart on whatever media you like with whatever printer profile you fancy. Then pick colors from this chart and pay no attention to the colors displayed on your monitor.

The printed Pantone chart is the truth, all else is merely opinion.

Agreed. The proof is in the pudding.

 

[ABBOTARTDEPT]

another weird thing. if instead of importing ai files (i create in illustrator) to flexi, i can import directly to production manager and print . the colors are perfect.

 

[gabagoo]

do what Bob said. I use my charts everyday to source colours. I to print from Flexi and even using the pallets that are supposed to reflect colour charts from vinyl mfg never works that well as who knows what profile and media they were designed for

 

[P Wagner]

Many users, particularly those who use Adobe applications to design in, will bring the file directly into the Flexi RIP (Production Manager) to process and print the file, without involving FlexiSIGN in the workflow.

In our experience, opening the file directly into the RIP has many advantages, particularly in the areas of color fidelity, and font consistency. In other words, do what works.

Bob

 

[ABBOTARTDEPT]

Thanks peeps. ill just bring stuff directly into the production manager from now on. thats is until i can find a good rip thats works with mac version of illustrator.

 

[gabagoo]

I feel dumb asking this as I have never done it and would like to test it. How does one bring a file directly into the rip?

 

[ABBOTARTDEPT]

just click add a job or drag the file. click on your print list, then drag.

 

[gabagoo]

what are the advantages of bringing the file direct into the rip? Can I save the file from there as I would from flexi or is it more a one time thing?

 

[P Wagner]

As I mentioned previously, the advantages tend to center around better color (more consistent with external applications like Adobe and Corel), fewer issues with Acrobat PDF files (font substitution, color), and more predictability with other formats of Postscript files, such as EPS. You do not creative print files in any dedicated RIP, you process and print them there. Design software is required to create the print file (Adobe, Corel, Flexi, etc).

Depending on your version of FlexiSIGN-Pro, most Postscript flavors (EPS, PDF, PS) are supported, as are raster formats like TIF and JPG. Newer versions of Flexi will also support native formats like PSD, AI, and FS files.

Bob