ICC Profiles (Color Correction) for Epson Sublimation Printers
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To obtain consistently accurate colors from any dye sublimation
ink, some form of color correction must be used. There are many
different approaches taken by ink suppliers to obtain decent
colors. However, for optimum results, we use the internationally
recognized ICC color profiles method.
 Without
getting overly technical, an ICC profile is basically a custom
designed file that you load onto your computer system. This
file takes into account the characteristics of the specific
ink, paper, printer and program being used. Every time you print
from Corel or Photoshop, your printer knows to use this file
and therefore prints accurate colors.
This is because your program would think it is printing with
regular Epson inks. The ICC profile gives it new instructions.
If you don't use our profile, then you must make your own, or
the sublimation inks won't print true colors.
The graphics programs used with our "SI-PI" ICC Profile.
The award winning "SI-PI" (See It - Print It) ICC
color correction profiles you can obtain virtually "what
you see is what you get" printing. The profile works only
with Corel Draw v9.0 and up, PhotoShop 5 and up, Novelty Pro
7 and up, Novelty 7 and up, Mural 7 and up and any program that
is able to set both the working space to "Adobe RGB (1998)"
(or "Internal RGB Frasier (1998)") and the print space
to the ArTainium ICC.
Important Notes - CorelDraw 8 and down, Photoshop
LE, Elements, 2.0 version 4 and down, or any version that comes
with a printer, may not work correctly. Your colors may come
out wrong! (these programs do not allow you to set the working
space) Other graphics programs cannot be used, unless you export
your image into a supported program for printing.
We know not everyone has or knows how to use these programs,
but they are necessary. Unfortunately, a profile cannot be offered
for every graphics program and many cannot read ICC profiles
anyway.
 Which
printers, inks and profiles work together. Profiles
for ArTainium Sublimation inks are offered for Epson 900(4-color
printer), 900(6-color printer), 925, 980, C40, C60, C80, C82,
C84, 800/850/1520, 1280, 3000 and 4000 printers.
The ICC profiles allow you to print predictable colors, without
color replacement. By using one of the printer/graphics possibilities
listed above, even a novice can expect to easily get excellent
(and saleable) printed images on their products.
Having realistic expectations. With the profile,
the sublimated image will look very close to what is on your
screen most of the time. If your eyes can count the hairs on
a fly's leg across the room, see a half percent difference in
color shade and you demand absolute perfection, don't get into
sublimation. Stick to "National Geographic" type photography.
Why do we sound like we are "hedging" the previous
glowing words? The reason is, because we are honest, and want
to help you have fun (and profit), with realistic expectations.
ArTainium UV+ inks are terrific, and the profiles that go along
with it produce top-level color transfer reproductions. This
still does not make it (or any other process for that matter)
"touch-of-the-finger" perfect, every time. Many factors
interfere with the look of absolute perfection. Here are some
examples.
Human eyes are different and therefore see color different.
Our color consultant, for example, has a conniption fit over
color variances that 99% of us can't even see.
The type of material and shade of white, changes how your
eyes see and interpret color. The same print on white plastic,
fabric and ceramic will look different. The same holds true
for a slightly different shade of white, on the same material.
Believe it or not, humidity in your paper will also greatly
affect your transferred image. Guard against humidity, as best
you can. For example, never store your transfer paper on the
floor or leave it in the printer, after printing.
Sublimated images from scanned photographs are copies of
copies. By themselves, they seldom look exactly like the original.
The better quality scanners do a better job, and some skills
in Adobe PhotoShop are most helpful, in some needed spot color
corrections. Even pros have to do it occasionally.
It is even helpful to remember that you are reproducing prints
with relatively inexpensive equipment. It really does a great
job, but it is not a "zillion dollar"
This is very important to remember - There
is no ink or method that will let you print a good picture from
a bad one, without adjusting the picture. Just because you can't
see the flaws on your monitor, doesn't mean they are not there.
A printer cannot "see" what is on your monitor. It
prints using information your graphics program sends to it about
the image. Realistic expectations help us some also, by eliminating
a few complaints that start off like, "Something is wrong
with your inks. The print I just put on an ash gray T-shirt
doesn't look like the same one I put on a white shirt."
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