Our inkjet printer has recently had a new set of inks installed but it seems the manufacturer of the inks (i won’t say who!) seems to have done a different mix than the previous set of inks and the new ones are printing quite alot differently!
We had an output ICC profile for the old inks but how do i get the new inks to match the old?
Would I need to make a new ICC profile using the new inks then when printing use the old output profile as my new input and the the new one as my output?
I wouldn’t recommend using the profile you have as an input profile unless you converted your images and content to use that profile. What you need to do is create a new profile using some tools like eyeone table or iSis. I use eyeone table. And you need a software rip to drive your plotter. If your profiling a press, I suggest profile maker from xrite.
I have been told by ink distributors that re-profiling may be necessary to deal with this problem. That seems like a pain, and I’d love to hear a work-around… If the new inks are printing differently, though, I don’t think you’ll get great results until you profile the inks you’re actually using. Start over creating a new output profile and don’t use the old profile at all.
I have used Onyx for ICC profiling and as a RIP software for my inkjet equipment and have since switched to ErgoSoft. ErgoSoft’s color tools are better, the software is MUCH easier to use and profile with (I can get good profiles in less than a few hours), and their customer service and tech support is amazing. Just a suggestion.
well this will be the 3rd time the inks have changed on this machine. the last profile we’d made was a conversion from a previous set of inks (not a new profile).
how would making a new profile guarantee a match to the old inks?
i didn’t do the last profile myself so i don’t know how accurate the calibration was. if i were to make a new profile from scratch it may well be better than the previous one?
i think i will make a new one and see how it fairs against the old prints. if no good then i’ll try using the old output file as my new input and let you know the result.
How frustrating to have your inks change so often…
If I was sure it was the inks changing and nothing else, I would re-profile. Ultimately, you are trying to match specific colors on the final outputs, right? If this is the case, don’t worry about matching the old inks as much as matching the colors correctly.
Set a color standard and work toward always matching that color standard with whatever ink you get (become VERY familiar with creating good ICC profiles). That should help you be more consistent over time.
You said you are working with Xrite ProfileMaker, right? Talk to Xrite and see what they recommend as well.
I need to match to specific colours (e.g. Pantones etc) but also to previous prints (as we have many orders that require accident repair panels say for a truck side that we have previously produced). That’s where my main problem lies.
If you still have an image made with your old inks, you can have something to compare to when you make a new profile using your new inks. If the new profile does not match your old print, you can use the same “test” image to edit the profile in ProfileMaker’s editor. This editor can be used to do just about anything you want with the profile. The real problem is knowing what colors to move where.
We don’t often recommend doing a lot of profile editing, but I can’t think of another option for you.
Traci is right: Start with a good, new profile and see what that does for you.
If your RIP software has image/color editing tools you can use on a single output of an individual job, you might be able to match previously printed jobs even if they were printed with a different output profile.
This, of course, depends on the image and where the color is shifting. In-RIP color tuners seem ideal for your problem, though.
One last thought: If your RIP has a “Target Printer” simulator you might be able to upload the profile used on a previous output to “simulate” close results on the new output with a new profile (as long as the old profile is in the gamut of the new one).
