# Cobra ink profiles



## MickeyT's (Jan 3, 2010)

Any body out there using Cobra Hi-Temp inks with a Mac and Illustrator?

I'm having trouble with the colors after pressed mostly, but I'm also
getting banding on the paper before pressing.

I loaded the profiles like the video said and can access them in print mode of Illustrator, but it's not coming out right. The Blues are Turquois and the Reds are more Pink. I'm using TexPrint paper and pressing at 385 for 45 seconds on Vapor shirts.

I've tried two different profiles, both using "polyester cloth" and "Cs6ink". Those are the only two that appeared to match what I'm trying to do. There was no profile that mentioned "Sublimation paper" that I could see.

I did a nozzle check, head cleaning and nozzle check before I started. Everything looked good. I'm trying to match an order I did early for a customer using Sawgrass inks.

This is a brand new Epson 1430 printer and new CIS Hi-Temp from Cobra.

Must be a setting somewhere I missed, but not sure.

Thanks,
Mickey


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

MickeyT's said:


> Any body out there using Cobra Hi-Temp inks with a Mac and Illustrator?
> 
> I'm having trouble with the colors after pressed mostly, but I'm also
> getting banding on the paper before pressing.
> ...


What are you doing in the printer driver? Did you set that up?

If you are expecting accurate photos and bitmaps using Illustrator with a non-postscript printer then you need Photoshop for those. Illustrator without a RIP or native Postscript printer you can't get there really.

Vector spot colors should come out OK but in some cases you might need to "swatch"

Your banding has nothing to do with the profile BTW, likely your CIS is not primed.


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## pisquee (Jan 8, 2012)

If you're getting banding then I wouldn't expect accurate colours, as banding points to some inks not flowing from one or all of your inks.
You need to get this sorted before anything else.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

MickeyT's said:


> Any body out there using Cobra Hi-Temp inks with a Mac and Illustrator?
> 
> I'm having trouble with the colors after pressed mostly, but I'm also
> getting banding on the paper before pressing.
> ...


Use the 6 color purge file in this zip package. A color missing or banding will skew some colors, since most colosr are composite and made from combinations of other colors.

http://www.inksupply.com/zip/purge.zip

Since you have MAC you need a zip utility, or I can email you the separate tif file.

Free StuffIt Expander ® open sit, zip, rar files and more


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## lolabuns (Jun 13, 2012)

Hi,

I have the almost the same setup (1430 with Cobra CISS, Mac, Photoshop) and am having the same problem. I don't have banding issues, but the colors are off like you said. Blues come out greenish and purple comes out a little blueish.

I only do 3d phone cases right now (want to do mugs later), so I don't own a heat press, only a 3d vacuum. I've tried the profiles for fabric and aluminum and get the same results. I use Dye Trans paper. I'm pretty sure I set up everything correctly. I did the artwork in RGB. Is it because I'm using profiles for a different material? I feel like the colors should still be in the same ballpark though. The blue is the most off.

Posting pictures... artwork on screen vs printed. Cases are glossy. (Prints aren't actually grainy, that's just the cell phone pic quality)


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

lolabuns said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have the almost the same setup (1430 with Cobra CISS, Mac, Photoshop) and am having the same problem. I don't have banding issues, but the colors are off like you said. Blues come out greenish and purple comes out a little blueish.
> 
> ...


If you can post screen shots of both the PS color setup and the Epson driver setup I can look and see if those are correct.

Also, best not to use random art or photos for judging photo accuracy, you should print this test file and press to some scrape material, or get some poly material from Walmart and the transfer the test photo to it. 

http://www.gballard.net/dl/PDI_TargetFolderONLY.sit

or 

http://www.gballard.net/dl/PDI_TargetFolderONLY.zip

Whichever archive your MAC can use.

Note that profiles do a decent job on photos overall, but never exact everywhere, exact spot color reproduction may not be always possible without some tweaking, however let's look at your setup first and the test file, then go from there.


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## lolabuns (Jun 13, 2012)

I don't have a heat press. Should I try it on a phone case or 2? I have a lot of blanks, so I don't mind testing on them. Or is there another way to transfer the image to fabric without a press?

Here's the screenshots. In the print settings, I chose plain paper and fine print quality. I know in the profile, it says to use photo quality, but that option is grayed out, so I can't pick it.


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## pisquee (Jan 8, 2012)

Image 4 - the color settings in the print driver - you need to make sure that any colour manipulation is turned off here - which I would guess would be in the unselected Epson Colour Controls menu


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## WalkingZombie (Mar 15, 2014)

MickeyT's said:


> Any body out there using Cobra Hi-Temp inks with a Mac and Illustrator?
> 
> I'm having trouble with the colors after pressed mostly, but I'm also
> getting banding on the paper before pressing.
> ...


Hi-temp inks are not the same as sublimation inks.

Hi-temp inks are for heat transfers and sublimation inks are for sublimating polyester or polymer coated items.

Maybe that is the issue? Or maybe I'm reading this wrong.....

And if you mixed the Hi-temp inks with the Sawgrass inks, that could mess up the color output as well.


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## pisquee (Jan 8, 2012)

some companies call their sublimation inks hi-temp inks to avoid too much attention from the ink police ... the inks are obviously sublimating as per the photos, so this is not the issue.


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## WalkingZombie (Mar 15, 2014)

pisquee said:


> some companies call their sublimation inks hi-temp inks to avoid too much attention from the ink police ... the inks are obviously sublimating as per the photos, so this is not the issue.


Okay... I'm just saying because I've used 'high-temp' inks for sublimating and the colors just didn't come out right like Sawgrass inks. They may be "sublimation inks in disguise" but the finished product didn't come out professional looking like when I used the Sawgrass ink. I have 3 Epson 1400's; Sublimation, high-temp for heat transfers and pigment for regular printing (basically a backup). Can't wait for their patent on the chemical process expires, so that companies can start selling and improving sublimation ink.


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## pisquee (Jan 8, 2012)

There are plenty of companies out there selling and improving their sublimation inks, there is even a list on Sawgrass' website of the companies they gave granted license to.
I would guess if you've used non-Sawgrass sublimation ink in the past, but weren't getting good colours that you had a colour management problem, or lack of correct ICC profile.
I raise your 3 domestic Epson 1400s with the 3 professional large format Epsons I have sat behind me, two of which are running industrial sublimation inks definitiely not from Sawgrass, with the third running pigment inks from the same company.


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## WalkingZombie (Mar 15, 2014)

pisquee said:


> There are plenty of companies out there selling and improving their sublimation inks, there is even a list on Sawgrass' website of the companies they gave granted license to.
> I would guess if you've used non-Sawgrass sublimation ink in the past, but weren't getting good colours that you had a colour management problem, or lack of correct ICC profile.
> I raise your 3 domestic Epson 1400s with the 3 professional large format Epsons I have sat behind me, two of which are running industrial sublimation inks definitiely not from Sawgrass, with the third running pigment inks from the same company.


Large format printers are not bound to using Sawgrass sublimation inks. Only small format printers are. The patent is for small format printing only until their patent runs out sometime in 2015 I believe. Lucky you.


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## pisquee (Jan 8, 2012)

And how many users of small printers do you think ignore what Sawgrass say about their patent and buy the more economically priced, and better quality inks?

(equally, how many people actually just believe what Sawgrass say about their patent, but don't actually bother reading it for themselves.)


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## WalkingZombie (Mar 15, 2014)

pisquee said:


> And how many users of small printers do you think ignore what Sawgrass say about their patent and buy the more economically priced, and better quality inks?
> 
> (equally, how many people actually just believe what Sawgrass say about their patent, but don't actually bother reading it for themselves.)


Oh I hear ya. My package literally just came in the mail from overseas today.  New CISS with 6-12oz sub inks, all for the price of one 90ml sawgrass ink bag. I can't survive on that $900 ink. :/


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

WalkingZombie said:


> Okay... I'm just saying because I've used 'high-temp' inks for sublimating and the colors just didn't come out right like Sawgrass inks. They may be "sublimation inks in disguise" but the finished product didn't come out professional looking like when I used the Sawgrass ink. I have 3 Epson 1400's; Sublimation, high-temp for heat transfers and pigment for regular printing (basically a backup). Can't wait for their patent on the chemical process expires, so that companies can start selling and improving sublimation ink.


No, these "hi temp" inks are sublimation inks. I have great colors and SG inks are not better. What appears you are calling "hi temp" are actually 3rd party pigment inks designed for regular ink jet transfers.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

pisquee said:


> Image 4 - the color settings in the print driver - you need to make sure that any colour manipulation is turned off here - which I would guess would be in the unselected Epson Colour Controls menu


Yes, I believe that is correct.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

lolabuns said:


> I don't have a heat press. Should I try it on a phone case or 2? I have a lot of blanks, so I don't mind testing on them. Or is there another way to transfer the image to fabric without a press?
> 
> Here's the screenshots. In the print settings, I chose plain paper and fine print quality. I know in the profile, it says to use photo quality, but that option is grayed out, so I can't pick it.


I got a late start this evening so I'll check the user guide for the Epson MAC and update tomorrow.


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## MickeyT's (Jan 3, 2010)

IT's FIXED !!!!!
What a great day in the neighborhood it is!

I did a Print Head Alignment and that fixed the banding problem.

I followed Mike's advise on the color settings and that fixed the color issue. My images are now coming out perfect and look exactly like the image on my monitor.
Here's what Mike said to do;
Printer Profile - Artisan 1430_Polyester Cloth
Color Matching - EPSON
Print Settings - Plain Paper / Fine (I did this one for detail)
Color Options - OFF
I was using Colorsync instead of EPSON because that's what I thought 
the video said to do in the Color Matching option.

Mike….you're the man!


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

lolabuns said:


> I don't have a heat press. Should I try it on a phone case or 2? I have a lot of blanks, so I don't mind testing on them. Or is there another way to transfer the image to fabric without a press?
> 
> Here's the screenshots. In the print settings, I chose plain paper and fine print quality. I know in the profile, it says to use photo quality, but that option is grayed out, so I can't pick it.


See the other post above. the concept is the same for MAC and PC. Let Adobe manage the colors and use the Cobra profile, then in the Epson driver make sure you have color options off.


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## lolabuns (Jun 13, 2012)

mgparrish said:


> See the other post above. the concept is the same for MAC and PC. Let Adobe manage the colors and use the Cobra profile, then in the Epson driver make sure you have color options off.


For some reason, I don't have that last option to turn it off. It's not there? Btw, using Photoshop CS5.1 and Mac 10.7.5


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## pisquee (Jan 8, 2012)

Advanced Settings?


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## lolabuns (Jun 13, 2012)

pisquee said:


> Advanced Settings?


Not there either


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## pisquee (Jan 8, 2012)

What's in mode?


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## lolabuns (Jun 13, 2012)

pisquee said:


> What's in mode?


Not there either.. hmm


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

lolabuns said:


> Not there either.. hmm


I suspect your printer driver is a generic one Apple provides and that was already in your OS. I checked Epson's website and _even for the most recent Epson printers_ the Epson supplied driver has the options identical to the one of the pic I posted.

Suggest you re-install the driver from your Epson CD or from their website.


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## lolabuns (Jun 13, 2012)

mgparrish said:


> I suspect your printer driver is a generic one Apple provides and that was already in your OS. I checked Epson's website and _even for the most recent Epson printers_ the Epson supplied driver has the options identical to the one of the pic I posted.
> 
> Suggest you re-install the driver from your Epson CD or from their website.


Just installed the latest driver from their website. It didn't do anything. That option still isn't there in Photoshop. BUT since the OP was printing out of Illustrator, I decided to try that and that option to turn it off is there. So I guess I can just print out of Illustrator from now on?

UPDATE: Just did a test print out of Illustrator with that option turned off and colors came out GREAT! Thanks!!


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

lolabuns said:


> Just installed the latest driver from their website. It didn't do anything. That option still isn't there in Photoshop. BUT since the OP was printing out of Illustrator, I decided to try that and that option to turn it off is there. So I guess I can just print out of Illustrator from now on?
> 
> UPDATE: Just did a test print out of Illustrator with that option turned off and colors came out GREAT! Thanks!!


Well good to hear, but I think you should be able to print from Photoshop.Perhaps your new driver was installed but didn't replace the previous driver or associate it with printer. 

Looking again at Epson user guides there is no screen like yours they are showing for even the most recent models, and I think your OS version is not the most current.

Suggest to email Epson support, being able to turn off ICC profiles has always been a supplied feature. But don't tell them you are sublimating, perhaps tell them you have ICC's for your art or photo paper and you need to turn off Epson color managment and let PS manage only.

Also, have you tried to set any printer options directly from the OS (System preferences?) outside of having any graphics programs open? Windows allow this. 

Also, see if anywhere in the driver with the settings open does it show the version installed?


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## mrshill (Sep 25, 2008)

Glad to hear this worked out for you. I have a wf 1100 that I will be getting back from cobra inks. I hope everything work well.


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