Color matching

[rydods]

Hi. I am printing from flexi 8.5 to a roland versacamm sp 300. I have also printed from versaworks as well with the same issue. Here it is...
There is another company supplying art as jpegs and we are printing for another company. Some colors are not matching properly. Blues are kind of purple. We've tryed eps but have too many issues with the conversion coming over from the art department. What should we do?

 

[Pacific Coast Sign]

You can download the spot color library for VersaWorks and match the colors to the VW spots colors. Replace those colors in your design software and then print from VW. It should match. You should print the spot library on the media you are using so there isn't a media variable involved.

 

[P Wagner]

You can download the spot color library for VersaWorks and match the colors to the VW spots colors. Replace those colors in your design software and then print from VW. It should match. You should print the spot library on the media you are using so there isn't a media variable involved.

This suggestion would work well for a vector-based file, but in this case, the OP referred to JPG (raster) files as having the blue > purple problem. The way to solve this issue is to use a Media in the RIP (Versaworks or FlexiPro) that is built for the actual media that you are using. Assuming that the media profile is dialed-in, and your monitor is calibrated, you should expect blues to not turn into purples when output. Changing the Magenta value in the RIP will affect all colors in the file, and is a file-by-file based band-aid approach to resolving the problem.

 

[dlndesign]

+1

 

[rydods]

So you're saying i should play around with the profiles in each program until i achieve the desired color? Will this fix this and any color match issue. A lot of these filed are logos and need to be precise matches.

 

[Pacific Coast Sign]

I"m not sure if this applies to Flexi and I hope I'm not confusing the issue. In Photoshop you can create a spot color channel and rename the spot color channel with the RVW spot color that matches the color you want. Add the spot color graphics to this spot color channel. Then save the file as Photoshop PDF.

I have only done this in practice with Metallic spot colors but I'm pretty sure the technique is the same.

Found a video that may be a better explanation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uydc2VmfvQ

I hope this helps you out.

 

[P Wagner]

So you're saying i should play around with the profiles in each program until i achieve the desired color? Will this fix this and any color match issue. A lot of these filed are logos and need to be precise matches.

I am saying that color reproduction is a complex subject, which has many variables. The only one solution to solving equations with lots of variables is to account for each variable. This starts with your display (calibrate it regularly), extends through to the file (use a standard embedded working space), and on out to the printer (output media profile built for your printer, RIP, media, ink, resolution, rendering intents etc).

If this is all a mystery, and color accuracy is important to you, I can suggest a good reference material to start - a reference book:
Real World Color Management, by Fraser, Murphy, and Bunting. It is available from Amazon.

 

[Terremoto]

If this is all a mystery, and color accuracy is important to you, I can suggest a good reference material to start - a reference book:
Real World Color Management, by Fraser, Murphy, and Bunting. It is available from Amazon.

Good advice!

One more thing. The OP said he was printing JPGs. JPGs are not the best files to be outputting to a wide format printer. A much better choice would be an uncompressed TIF.

I try to maintain a PDF workflow but there are times when a problematic file necessitates preparing the file as a TIF. If at all possible I avoid JPGs like the plague but sometimes that's all you have to work with. I always warn the customer that I'm not going to guarantee any kind of color integrity if all they can supply is a JPG.

Color management can be a complicated subject but once you get a handle on it the payoff is huge. Your output will be predictable and consistent.

Dan

 

[Terremoto]

Another advantage that often gets overlooked when the subject of proper color management comes up is the substantial savings in ink. I know there's many here that don't quite understand how that could possibly be but the savings are there for the taking.

To put it in simple terms using just black ink as an example. When your printer is properly linearized it will only lay down just enough ink to achieve the perfect black on the vinyl being used. If the printer hasn't been linearized or perhaps not properly it could be (and most likely will be) laying down more ink than necessary. Your output isn't going to be any blacker just because the printer is laying down 30% more ink than what is required.

Hope that helps a bit.

Dan