Getting colors right...Step by step...

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So we've got a new flatbed printer (gandi 1224) and of course we are running into color management issues....(I'm sure many do not feel sorry for us but,)

Normally everything is pretty straightforward and customers are not married to an exact color, but the ones that do make the process pretty maddening.

We are also using Onyx 10.1 and designing in Illustrator.

One option is to buy an xrite i1 Pro and after 2 grand maybe our problems are solved...Can't find a rental...

This is what I do step by step tell me what a dumbass I am. These steps worked for our Roland with versaworks. (although we used the built in swatch table)

1. Design in illy with CMYK (I know some say that you should design in RGB but the printed colors look more vibrant when we do it that way.)

2. Click print...tell it that the printer is JETI 1224 Onyx Production house etc.

3. Tell it custom artboard size.

4. Now I'm not sure about the Color management tab so I leave it default
I assume many of my problems are here...Let Illy determine colors, US web coated SWOP V2, and relative colorimetric.

5. Send it to print

6. Goto Onyx and use the default settings for my printer.



Advice, Hate, or both?

Btw anyone want to rent out an i1 pro?? :iamwithstupid


:edit I'd like to be able to use the pantone swatches, but tried printing a few PDF charts and they never are reproducible from picking a color in Illustrator.

Oh and sorry for the misleading holy grail thread of a title.

I went through both sides of a coro board today adjusting ink densities

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

You need to make your own profiles to get on the mark colors period.

I paid 5 grand for my color management software back in 06, if you can get it for 2k I'd go for it, it's something you really should have anyway's it's part of this business.

 

[J Hill Designs]

I definitely use the "press print and pray" methodology at times

 

[HulkSmash]

Good luck, that's an old machine.. and it's hard to get what you want from it.
We looked at one, and just couldn't print the quality we needed. Hopefully you find a way to get it how you need

 

[Bly]

Onyx 10 makes profiling easy.
It does automatic ink restrictions which were previously the hardest part of profiling.

 

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Onyx 10 makes profiling easy.
It does automatic ink restrictions which were previously the hardest part of profiling.

explain?

 

[Bly]

http://www.onyxgfx.com/newsletter/M...n=thrive_2010-11-22_maximize_ink_restrictions

Prior to v10 you had to gauge restrictions by eye or using separate software.

 

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I still need a special tool though right?