# Printing Images for Sublimation (Artainium) from PDF



## aboyne (Mar 29, 2008)

I have over 7000 images that I need to be able to print on-demand. I am trying to be a genius and figure a way around Photoshop or Corel after initial prep.

My idea is to print directly from an 'ICC included PDF' or from a regular PDF to a 'ICC Included Printer'.

Right now I load the normal color PDF image into Photoshop and print using the Artainium Printer Profile as normal. I would like to INSTALL the profile either on the printer so anything that hits the printer will be properly printed for sublimation,

OR

Do a one time print to PDF using the Artainium profile and 'Photoshop manages colors' to create a ArtainiumReady PDF file which I can just send to the printer.

Do any of the more experienced folks here have any ideas on that?

Thanks,

Aboyne


----------



## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

aboyne said:


> I have over 7000 images that I need to be able to print on-demand. I am trying to be a genius and figure a way around Photoshop or Corel after initial prep.
> 
> My idea is to print directly from an 'ICC included PDF' or from a regular PDF to a 'ICC Included Printer'.
> 
> ...


You are confusing an image ICC profile with a printer ICC profile, both have to be managed seperately and are for different purposes.


----------



## aboyne (Mar 29, 2008)

mgparrish said:


> You are confusing an image ICC profile with a printer ICC profile, both have to be managed seperately and are for different purposes.


thanks for replying, but clearly that is part of why I am asking the question.

I am under the impression that the ICC profile for Artainium inks is a printer ICC profile. So if I *print to a PDF* using with the following settings:
Color Handling: Photoshop Manages Colors
Printer Profile: ArTainium_UV+WF1100_RGB_v1

in theory it should create a PDF that has been made "ArTainium Ready" to be printed on a WF1100 with ArTainium Inks. So can I just print that resulting PDF right from acrobat to my WF1100?


----------



## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

aboyne said:


> thanks for replying, but clearly that is part of why I am asking the question.
> 
> I am under the impression that the ICC profile for Artainium inks is a printer ICC profile. So if I *print to a PDF* using with the following settings:
> Color Handling: Photoshop Manages Colors
> ...


You could test easy enough. 

If your concept is correct then do as you describe, then re-import your pdf in Photoshop or open in Acrobat and actually print that file without having Photoshop managing colors (if in Photoshop) and let the printer manage colors instead. 

If it comes out OK then your theory is correct ... honestly never tried anything like that, but no doubt you could test it. Won't hurt to try.


----------



## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

Sounds doable, but I wonder if you even need to save as a PDF. Saving the print file to disk should, theoretically, save everything about the job, as it's basically the data image you send to the printer. Saving a PRN file is the easy part; Unless you use a parallel port, you'll need a spooling utility to send it from disk to a USB or Ethernet port. Not sure what's out these days, but these utilities basically read a PRN file and send it to a printer connected to the port you specify. PrintFile is one I've played with years ago. Not sure if it can be automated. 

If you need full automation -- i.e. kicked out from a Web order or HTML page -- you might consider tasking a programmer to write a little .NET application for you. I'm assuming you're using Windows, but if you use the Mac sounds like a job for AppleScript.


----------



## aboyne (Mar 29, 2008)

GordonM said:


> Sounds doable, but I wonder if you even need to save as a PDF. Saving the print file to disk should, theoretically, save everything about the job, as it's basically the data image you send to the printer. Saving a PRN file is the easy part; Unless you use a parallel port, you'll need a spooling utility to send it from disk to a USB or Ethernet port. Not sure what's out these days, but these utilities basically read a PRN file and send it to a printer connected to the port you specify. PrintFile is one I've played with years ago. Not sure if it can be automated.
> 
> If you need full automation -- i.e. kicked out from a Web order or HTML page -- you might consider tasking a programmer to write a little .NET application for you. I'm assuming you're using Windows, but if you use the Mac sounds like a job for AppleScript.



Thanks for such a constructive answer. I have been playing around with .prn files a little, but no answer yet. I am assuming being able to toss an already 'prepped' file into a que would be a great resource for sublimation that use the same images frequently.

I will look into PrintFile ... thanks for the tip.


----------



## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

aboyne said:


> Thanks for such a constructive answer. I have been playing around with .prn files a little, but no answer yet. I am assuming being able to toss an already 'prepped' file into a que would be a great resource for sublimation that use the same images frequently.
> 
> I will look into PrintFile ... thanks for the tip.


If this works out please update, interesting application if it works.


----------



## jemmyell (Jan 26, 2010)

Hi,

I do believe this will work, but I don't think it will be as good as simply automating the print process using the ICC profile.

What application will you use to print the prepped PDF file? The latest versions of both Photoshop and CorelDRAW CANNOT be set to 'color management off'. The concept simply does not exist. Adobe has a utility for printing swatches for color profiling for just this reason. BUT it wants a TIFF file.

By taking the ICC out of the picture you are also losing the ability to adapt to a new printer, new paper and maybe a new ink. I think just doing high quality edits of your art and saving them then using an automated print workflow will get you much more bang for your buck.

Just my humble opinion.

-James


----------



## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

jemmyell said:


> By taking the ICC out of the picture you are also losing the ability to adapt to a new printer, new paper and maybe a new ink.


This is an excellent point, and with 7,000 files to consider, a good one to think about.


----------



## MrRudeDog (Aug 24, 2010)

jemmyell said:


> The latest versions of both Photoshop and CorelDRAW CANNOT be set to 'color management off'.


On PS CS5 & CS6, in the print dialog page, you have the option of having either PS or the printer manage the colors. If you have an ICC profile, you let PS manage the colors and make sure the printer is set NOT to. I am in no way an expert, but that is the way my small format setup works.

-Ray


----------



## jemmyell (Jan 26, 2010)

Hi,

Yes, that is correct, BUT if the PDF that was generated already has the ICC transforms applied then you MUST NOT allow the printing application to apply them again. You also cannot let the printer do its own color management. So, since 'color management off' is no longer an option for Photoshop or CorelDRAW they could not be used to print these prepared PDF files.

-James


----------



## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

jemmyell said:


> Hi,
> 
> Yes, that is correct, BUT if the PDF that was generated already has the ICC transforms applied then you MUST NOT allow the printing application to apply them again. You also cannot let the printer do its own color management. So, since 'color management off' is no longer an option for Photoshop or CorelDRAW they could not be used to print these prepared PDF files.
> 
> -James


Interesting. I wonder now how to handle ICC target files now with those options gone?

I worked with a sublimaton vendor a few years back get his laser toner setup going and having to print target files for someone to make the profiles, I remember turning all color managment off to do that, this was before those options were taken away.

Since you do ICC profiles how do you handle that situation now?


----------



## jemmyell (Jan 26, 2010)

Hi Mike,

First a link to the Luminous Landscape:

Adobe® Color Printer Utility application

That article has a link to the Adobe printer utility which was created just for printing non color managed prints (mostly profiling targets).

The LL forums are the best resource for color management stuff, particularly the 'quirks' of the new i1Profiler. Both Argyll and i1Profiler have their own printing utilities. I have been using i1Profiler for my color work so I have been printing from within it.

Also there is a technique for printing called a 'null transform'. This is printing a file that has an embedded ICC profile using the SAME PROFILE, typically Adobe 1998, but sometime ProPhoto RGB. BUT this still can produce minor color shifts since the transforms are still done. I.E. Adobe 1998-to-LAB-to-Adobe 1998. Since floating point math processors are NOT perfect the resulting numbers are really close but not the same.

-James


----------



## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

jemmyell said:


> Hi Mike,
> 
> First a link to the Luminous Landscape:
> 
> ...


I kinda thought someone may have figured out the "color manage off" problem but didn't know what they did. Even though graphic apps may discard that feature the need for ICC profiles still goes on.

Those "floats", yes they cause can cause problems, learned that hard lesson in embedded processors a while back. Nice way to represent very large numbers without having so many bits of data, but always a trade off.

thx


----------



## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

mgparrish said:


> learned that hard lesson in embedded processors


Sounds like you and I are in the same biz... We should start a thread on what microcontroller is the best!


----------



## aboyne (Mar 29, 2008)

This thread has turned into a nice discussion at a level beyond my capabilities regarding ICC's. 
I have come up with a photoshop scripting solution (much more my comfort zone) that uses photoshop to import and print the files using the standard ArTainium printing setup with regard to color management.

my script still needs some work but seems to be headed in the right direction. I appreciate everyone input.
Thanks


----------

