# dtg ink colors



## stone hawk (Aug 14, 2008)

I have a dtg printer and when I send a graphic to the printer from Corel 3 the colors are not the same as appears on my lap top. Help!!!


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## martinwoods (Jul 20, 2006)

stone hawk said:


> I have a dtg printer and when I send a graphic to the printer from Corel 3 the colors are not the same as appears on my lap top. Help!!!


So you printed the shirt? sometimes it doesn't look the same on the computer even though it is. What kind of dtg do you have, that may make a difference also


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## HelpRunMyShop (May 28, 2008)

It might be your graphics card or monitor! Check your settings play with it until you can get the right colors maybe?


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## stone hawk (Aug 14, 2008)

I have a kiosk. The color of the graphic is never the same as what is printed on the shirt. It always seems to be less brillant. I also am pre treating the shirts.


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## JeridHill (Feb 8, 2006)

stone hawk said:


> I have a dtg printer and when I send a graphic to the printer from Corel 3 the colors are not the same as appears on my lap top. Help!!!


I have seen these kinds of issues with people using CorelDraw. I believe it's the way Corel handles color. I'm not sure how to go around it, but you might be able to play around with the color profiles in Corel and test it that way.

I know I tried printing an image that had red in it and I believe the image was created in Corel. I could not get the image to come out right. When I copied and pasted the image into a preset Photoshop document, the colors were night and day.

I also have a friend who told me a couple of years ago that he could never get the prints to come out right when printing out of Corel, so he uses Corel for seps and Photoshop for DTG.


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## sunnydayz (Jun 22, 2007)

I use corel draw to print from all the time with my dtg. Are you using rip pro or printpro rip software? In your advanced print settings what profiles are you using . I use NTCS and swop simulated and this works great for me. Also you have to remember that when viewing your graphic on the monitor, it is in RGB and when Printing, you are printing CMYK so they will not look exactly the same. The best thing to do is print out a color chart on a t-shirt, and then pick the colors off the shirt that you want on your design. This way you are getting a complete accurate representation of what the color is going to look like on the shirt after it is printed.

Hope this heps


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## stone hawk (Aug 14, 2008)

I am using Rip Pro4. Also how do I print out a color chart? I am new to this whole thing! Thanks


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## vinyl signs (Dec 26, 2007)

Look into color management for Corel check here


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## Emeraldimages (Mar 28, 2008)

i know for my mac in the store they sell a program to adjust the colors from the screen to the printer and it works well but i guess i'm the only mac person here another tip is when you design use web only colors i know that works with me on graphic arts jobs i also use adobe in there i will have a icon if the color is not right 
i hope this makes since lol


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

I had very little experience with the way your ICC profiles were named and if you have internal names for the profiles like I have for MultiRIP profiles. However, I recently figured out a way where you can tell which profile to use on any iProof based RIP - which is where RIP Pro comes from. I am now getting the best looking colors out of Corel by hard writing the profile directly into the color management screen. I now can get close to the same colors as I can get out of Photoshop. This is of course done with the profiles in my two RIPs using the inks profiled for those specific inks. However, if you are willing to try the different profiles you have as an option... then you can determine what will work best for you. Here is a video that explains how you can determine which profile is being used based on your settings in the RIP and how to hard code the profile into Corel's color management: http://www.multirip.com/HardCode_Corel/HardCode_Corel.htm.

Here is a link to a page that contains color charts and palettes / swatches - CMYK & RGB Color Charts - MultiRIP Sublimation, Transfers, Photograph and Direct-to-Garment Printing RIP Softwares. There is even a video on how to install the color palette into Corel.

If you follow these instructions, your colors should get better. Hope this helps.


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## adawg2252 (Dec 12, 2007)

Key issues to consider when creating artwork and using DTG:

Monitor Calibration: the colors may not look the same on screen based on color calibration features of your monitor.

Color Settings (CMYK vs. RGB): your monitor can ONLY display colors in RGB. The DTG machines print in CMYK. So colors are being displayed using only RGB (wider gamut over CMYK). Make sure you convert RGB files to CMYK before printing, as this may help with color "control." Also depending on monitor calibration the RGB vs. CMYK could be different as well.

Color Profiles: Corel Draw uses it's own color profiles that your DTG may not understand, or have to convert when it prints. See if your DTG supplier has specific Color Profiles made for Corel. 

Simplest thing you can do. Is make a giant color swatch file. Go into Corel, make a grid of .5 x .5 squares. pick a ton of reds, blues, greens, oranges..all the colors. Put the color numbers underneath it. (34:54:09). Print it on a shirt. Then you'll know exactly how a color will look on screen and how it will print. 

Obviously this method may take time (creating the file) and you can only fit so much on one shirt. But if you make two files to fill the max size of your printer and do a front and back, you've got a lot of color options for a customer to look at, as well as determine what colors will look like printed, before you waste a shirt printing a customers file.

Hope you figure out whats going on. good luck!


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## adawg2252 (Dec 12, 2007)

Emeraldimages said:


> a icon if the color is not right
> i hope this makes since lol


Also a Mac user. The icon is to tell you that you're using an RGB color that can't be reproduced (easily) with CMYK. It's generally a color that is beyond the color gamut of CMYK, so it just won't show up the same when you print it. The program will automatically select the closest color in the "color reigon" to print.


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## taglessthreads (Sep 16, 2006)

I have a DTG HM1 Kiosk. Try converting RGB to CMYK- because DTG printers print CMYK. Also- remember that computer screens have back lights so the color on your screen will always appear more vibrant than the finished product. You can also try and play around with your settings (color variations). Troubleshoot it and see what happens ! 

Good luck ! 

Alissa


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## stone hawk (Aug 14, 2008)

Thanks everyone for all the help. I will try out it all out and let you know if anything works.


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