Hello! I'm still relatively new to learning about color management, icc profiles, and everything that goes along with that and looking for some tips to get the graphics on my illustrator artwork to print true. We had a color expert come create a couple icc profiles for us so we at least have that but I still can't say I know what I'm doing. Now I'm struggling with what is on my screen getting to print true or at least as close as possible to that. I save as a press quality .pdf file, but aside from that I'm not sure what else to try. It feels like there are endless options for settings when exporting the artwork, inputting, and so forth. What I'm struggling with most is raster graphics. They always end up a surprise for how they turn out. I have excellent monitors and don't want to mess with them as what shows up in my monitor seems true across other devices so I don't want to mess with them, but rather how to get what is currently on my screen to print more true. Any tips are greatly appreciated, thank you in advance!!
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Tips for getting color raster prints to print more true to what's on my screen? Illustrator/Caldera
- Thread starter Alamo
- Start date
victor bogdanov
Active Member
What printer and rip are you using
bob
It's better to have two hands than one glove.
Always send bitmaps, what you call 'raster images', as RGB, never CMYK.
Then, somewhere in your RIP are some settings called 'Rendering Intents'. Find them and set the one for 'Bitmaps' to 'Perceptual'. Set everything else to 'No color correction', a Good Thing but doesn't affect bitmaps.
Next, in the RIP, choose the best dither method, usually the first one on the list.
Finally, always try to print at 4 times the resolution of the input. I.e. if you're printing at 720dpi then send your bitmaps at 150ppi. More is not necessarily better here and printing at 4 times the input resolution is optimum.
The first 2 points are critical. The last two are examples of doing all that you can do to create a what you see is what you get environment.
Then, somewhere in your RIP are some settings called 'Rendering Intents'. Find them and set the one for 'Bitmaps' to 'Perceptual'. Set everything else to 'No color correction', a Good Thing but doesn't affect bitmaps.
Next, in the RIP, choose the best dither method, usually the first one on the list.
Finally, always try to print at 4 times the resolution of the input. I.e. if you're printing at 720dpi then send your bitmaps at 150ppi. More is not necessarily better here and printing at 4 times the input resolution is optimum.
The first 2 points are critical. The last two are examples of doing all that you can do to create a what you see is what you get environment.
ColorCrest
All around shop helper.
Because your color expert has created ICC profiles for you, the first, easiest, yet make the most effective step is to install a copy of the ICC profiles to your workstation so your design software may use them in order for you to preview (soft proof) design colors in the document. The feature is found in most popular design software.
Last edited:
Kbrecken
New Member
I see the age old question is alive and kicking,
my advice is to sign up for a online Colour Management course and learn the basics,
X-Rite has some excellent resources to get you started, check it out,
www.xrite.com
my advice is to sign up for a online Colour Management course and learn the basics,
X-Rite has some excellent resources to get you started, check it out,
X-Rite Color Management, Measurement, Solutions, and Software
X-Rite is the leader in color management, measurement, and control. X-Rite offers spectrophotometers, densitometers, colorimeters, and software. Learn more.
www.xrite.com