# ICC profiles. How important are these?



## TMM (Nov 2, 2009)

Hi quick question regarding ICC profiles for the Rotech Sublimation inks.
i have been doing a few items with the sublimation inks but the colors seem to be a little bright and the black color seems to be comming out brown on the finnished products, so my question is how important are the ICC profiles for the Rotech Sublimation inks?
Should i install them or not?
Will this help cure the bright colors and the black to brown issues?
And where is the best place to install them?
I currently run 2 programs CS3 and Coral Draw x4.
The Printer im using is the Epson D88


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

ICC profiles are not necessary unless (as you have found) you want to print the right colours. They should be worth a try if nothing else?


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## baddjun1 (Aug 5, 2009)

ICC profiles are necessary to reproduce the color of the original inks that come with a printer.


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## JaeAmera (Dec 25, 2006)

Canned ICC profiles are only important if you want relatively consistent color results. If want the color results to be closer to "what you see is what you get" you need to profile your entire workflow.

If you desire "Fortune Cookie" results (every lift of the heat press is a surprise)........you don't need a profile 

Jae


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## baddjun1 (Aug 5, 2009)

If your printer is going to only be used for sublimation inks, here's how you install the icc profile. First, it is recommended that you delete all the print profiles that came with the printer (right-click the printer and select Properties, then click on Color Management) you will see a list of color profiles. Delete these (you can always re-install them via the disk that came with the printer). Install the ICC profile. When you print, color management should be done in the application program and turned off in the printer dialog box.


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## TMM (Nov 2, 2009)

baddjun1 said:


> If your printer is going to only be used for sublimation inks, here's how you install the icc profile. First, it is recommended that you delete all the print profiles that came with the printer (right-click the printer and select Properties, then click on Color Management) you will see a list of color profiles. Delete these (you can always re-install them via the disk that came with the printer). Install the ICC profile. When you print, color management should be done in the application program and turned off in the printer dialog box.


Thanks for the great advice, however me being a little thick . 
I have lost of at this point.( When you print, color management should be done in the application program and turned off in the printer dialog box)
Can you explain this part a litte more please.


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## baddjun1 (Aug 5, 2009)

When you print in, for example Photoshop, you click the Printer Profile drop down arrow and select the newly installed profile then in your Page Setup box, select your printer. Click on ICC profile and Off (No Color Management). When you print, click on the Preferences button to make sure that the ICC profile and Off (No Color Management) buttons are still selected before you print.


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## CUSTOM UK (Jun 28, 2008)

Some sublimation inks require a colour correction profile, whereas others do not. If you have a smaller format printer, you normally have little choice, other than using the offerings from Sawgrass. You can normally get hold of a printer profile to suit those inks, from your stockist.

Surprisingly enough, even with using exactly the same profiles and program settings, I have actually found that Coreldraw X3 outputs colours more accurately than X4 does for some obscure reason.


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

CUSTOM UK said:


> Surprisingly enough, even with using exactly the same profiles and program settings, I have actually found that Coreldraw X3 outputs colours more accurately than X4 does for some obscure reason.


Your working profile is at least as important as your printer profile, maybe you have X3 & X4 set up differently?


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## TMM (Nov 2, 2009)

baddjun1 said:


> When you print in, for example Photoshop, you click the Printer Profile drop down arrow and select the newly installed profile then in your Page Setup box, select your printer. Click on ICC profile and Off (No Color Management). When you print, click on the Preferences button to make sure that the ICC profile and Off (No Color Management) buttons are still selected before you print.


Ah! Rite im with you now 
Thanks again baddjun1 and everyone else who replyed with advice and help
I will let you know what happens later when i do as suggested and print something off


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## CUSTOM UK (Jun 28, 2008)

PositiveDave said:


> Your working profile is at least as important as your printer profile, maybe you have X3 & X4 set up differently?


That was my first thought, but all the settings have been checked and double checked and X3 still outputs colours more accurately than X4. Mainly in the mid range blues. Illustrator CS3 also outputs the mid range blues more accurately than X4 does too. The only reason I still use X4, is that designs saved in X4 for use in earlier versions, won't actually open with anything other than X4. Someone else I know that uses X4 has also found that out too.


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## TMM (Nov 2, 2009)

I added the Rotech icc profile as suggested above.
But the result of my mug did not come out too good 
As you can see the colors are not good at all.
The program i used was photoshop cs3
I set the color management to Rotch before i printed.
Can anyone please suggest where i went wrong by this photo.


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

horrible banding, probably got some blocked nozzles?


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## TMM (Nov 2, 2009)

PositiveDave said:


> horrible banding, probably got some blocked nozzles?


Hi Dave thanks for the fast reply.
I have just done a nozzle check and seems fine.
Any other ideas?


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## CUSTOM UK (Jun 28, 2008)

Not a brilliant picture to be able to see properly, but if your blacks have get a purple(ish) tinge to them as they *appear* to have, then it's almost certainly a colour management problem you have there.

I don't use Rotech or their profiles, so can't give you specific advice on those products. Hopefully someone that does will see this thread and 'chip in' with some workable solution for you.


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## mn shutterbug (Mar 19, 2009)

I have had banding issues in the past, even with the nozzle checks satisfactory. After a couple had cleanings anyway, the banding went away. I'm not a Rotech user, but the principal should still be relevant. 

As far as blacks printing more brown, that would be a time and temp issue, more than likely. It actually took me 2 gross of mugs before I figured that out. I would put my mug in the press and wait until the press got back to about 360 degrees before timing it. At one time, I was misninformed that sublimation doesn't start until the temp hits around 380. Not true. I was sublimating too long and because of that, the black would start desublimating. Now, no matter what temp the press has cooled down to since the I put the mug in, I start timing immediately. Now my blacks are actually black.


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

TMM said:


> Hi Dave thanks for the fast reply.
> I have just done a nozzle check and seems fine.
> Any other ideas?


Increase your resolution? What printer are you using?


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## INKSLINGER10 (Jul 8, 2009)

OK guys....I need a to get a ICC Color Profile Done. Im working on a new project where most of the artwork I get will come in photo shop. Im using a Epson 9600, Wasatch Rip, Manoukian Inks, Digitall Tacky sub paper. Im in Southern California, so if anyone has a resource, I would greatly appreciate it!


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## TMM (Nov 2, 2009)

PositiveDave said:


> Increase your resolution? What printer are you using?


Dave im using a Epson D88 printer.
Where can i find the resolution?


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

It's embedded in the driver, pick a media and you get a choice of resolutions - photo gloss paper will be very high, you often have a choice of speed vs quality. Try a few settings, can't you see any banding on the print?


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

INKSLINGER10 said:


> OK guys....I need a to get a ICC Color Profile Done. Im working on a new project where most of the artwork I get will come in photo shop. Im using a Epson 9600, Wasatch Rip, Manoukian Inks, Digitall Tacky sub paper. Im in Southern California, so if anyone has a resource, I would greatly appreciate it!


What are you printing on?
I could do one but I'm in the UK, there should be a host of guys locally.


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## TMM (Nov 2, 2009)

PositiveDave said:


> It's embedded in the driver, pick a media and you get a choice of resolutions - photo gloss paper will be very high, you often have a choice of speed vs quality. Try a few settings, can't you see any banding on the print?


Ah! im with you now 
Here is the settings i curently have, i 
Appreciate the help.
Screen shots 1 and 2 below.
Do these look rite ?
1.








2.


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## INKSLINGER10 (Jul 8, 2009)

polyester material


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## TMM (Nov 2, 2009)

Update.
I have eventually got some half decent results, however the main issue im having at the moment is the finnished print is comming out darker that it should be.
Has anyone got any ideas on why this could be happening?


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## TMM (Nov 2, 2009)

Update.
I have the printer profiles all set up, the print is comming out black onto the paper, the problem occurs when i takle the mug from the press the black is still comming out brown, really looking for some more advice on this please. 
Im still using the Epson D88 with the rotech inks and ciss system.
Heads are all clean as print outs are good.
mug press machine im using is the MP4105
The settings on the mug press are,
Temps i have tryed are 160 to 200 C 
Times i have tryed are 120 to 180 seconds
This brown for black has really got me baffled now.


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## uncletee (Feb 25, 2007)

try changing your paper settings on your printer, glossy photo, plain paper, etc sometimes there are simple fixes, you just have to experiment. good luck uncletee


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## baddjun1 (Aug 5, 2009)

TMM, Both the printer and the application can't control color management at the same time. Disable it in the print setup dialog box and use the icc profile provided by the ink supplier in the application print dialog box.


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## Paul Hirst (Dec 15, 2009)

Hi TMM

If you did not get sorted with the profiles if you go here HowToSublimate.com - Your Complete Guide to Digital Sublimation there are instructions on how to install profiles for your printer and for your software.

Profiles will help no end in getting you more accuate colours.


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