[ImageDesignS]

If I am using the full 8 colors of ink for my Epson 4000 printer, do I need to program an ICC into my computer?

Is an ICC only used when just CMYK inks are used and must be mixed to get secondary and tertiary colors?

I ask because my ink provider gave me this info and want to check to be sure.

Thanks for your help.
Ginny

 

[owleyes]

Hi,

ICC profiles are for color accuracy, regardless of how many color you use. It's not necessary if you're satisfied with the colors you are getting, but you'll always get more accuracy with a custom profile. The canned profiles that epson provides are sometimes adequate.

- Steve

 

[SublimatorToo]

Slow down a minute there Poopsie.

There's a lot more to it than just running ink through your printer.

First off, my sympathies for being stuck with an obsolete, high maintenance printer. I know I had a 4000 and a 4800.

Anyway, the profile is designed to give know results using your specific machine, ink, transfer paper and substrate.

It is specific to the exact combination that you use.

So if you don't care about fidelity, just print away. But if you are interested in being great and not just acceptable, you need profiles.

Even simple ones will adjust the amount of ink laid down for various combinations of transfer paper and substrate. It's not possible to get great work without having the flexibility to adjust things for variables.

 

[ImageDesignS]

This is why I asked. It sounded wrong that I wouldn't need a profile.
I wasn't going to just run ink through my printer.

And my name is Ginny.

 

[seacookie]

This is why I asked. It sounded wrong that I wouldn't need a profile.
I wasn't going to just run ink through my printer.

And my name is Ginny.

Hey Ginny. If you don't care how your printed colors look(how accurate colors are when printed), then you don't need special icc profile. You just run at default. But for example in graphic industry they do care about colors and they spend bunch of money for monitors which can show accurate colors and they wanna have the same results when they print as they see on monitor.

So for that purpose, they use calibrators for monitors and printers which they give them icc profiles. Those icc profiles give them option to see on monitor how the color will look when printed.

Here is an example of that device:
Datacolor SpyderPRINT

So the big question here is how accurate the colors need to be in your case. And the next one would be, can monitor support those colors(accuracy). Monitor needs to be recalibrated quite often.

Usually people make picture with squares with colors and shades of greys and do few test prints to see how it looks when printed with default icc for their t-shirts. It is cheap and effective.

But it all depends what you wanna from your machine (pc+printer).

 

[ImageDesignS]

Thank for that info.
I'm not printing art, more graphics and such. I do need the printer to not make grey into green, but I'm not printing wedding photos.

I appreciate your explanation,

 

[seacookie]

Thank for that info.
I'm not printing art, more graphics and such. I do need the printer to not make grey into green, but I'm not printing wedding photos.

I appreciate your explanation,

your welcome

 

[Amw]

https://www.xrite.com/categories/calibration-profiling/i1publish-pro-2

Is the professional way to get great results every time and across many printers.

The larger selection of colors the more accurate the profile will be.

You can also pay company's to come in and profile everything for you.
Just keep in mind you want to re profile everything a few times a year for the most accurate color.

 

[selanac]

I think the two examples given are a bit expensive for us screen printers. I believe they're printing company tools. I.E. your supplier should have those tools to give you the icc profile. Also, I believe others have given the steps to create your own. I'd contact other suppliers and ask them for the icc profile. Try searching YouTube also.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[selanac]

I also found this on youtube. First you have to calibrate your computer screen. You'll have to search for this. Than use this video to calibrate your printer (or search for a similar video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRkm8mU9h3o

Years ago, I bought a book to teach me Photoshop 7 I think. It has a chapter to show you how to calibrate your computer screen. The author than updated the book (another book) for a newer version of photoshop.

 

[seacookie]

I think the two examples given are a bit expensive for us screen printers. I believe they're printing company tools. I.E. your supplier should have those tools to give you the icc profile. Also, I believe others have given the steps to create your own. I'd contact other suppliers and ask them for the icc profile. Try searching YouTube also.

Hope this is helpful.

I agree that my example is probably rather expensive.Didn't even check the price for it. And I just linked it so OP knows what is possible. But if we are already talking about price...

Calibrator for monitor for 30 bucks:
Spyder2Express ColorVision Datacolor Monitor Calibrator Mac OSX Windows-P

And I needed to calibrate my monitor once per week(when I was using calibrator), cause in one week colors were off already when calibrated. Not to mention, that you need few profiles, cause there's a difference in our perception of color if light in room is changing(room with monitor). example: day, evening

So if we are talking about price, no need to spend 1000s of dollars you can get cheaper stuff. But I didn't mention calibrator as a buying option for OP.

 

[selanac]

There's many tutorials online to do it yourself with out spending any money. You need to Calibrate your monitor and printer. Two separate steps.