Learn advanced methods for building accurate calibrations and profiles for dye-sublimation.
Cement your understanding by working with printers, heat presses, profiling software, advanced color tools, and your RIP during the three days.
Topic 1: Color Theory and Printing
The RGB color on your computer terminal has no inherent CMYK equivalent on the dye-sub printer. An accurate dye-sub print relies on rendering intent, printer calibration, input ICC profiles, profile connection space, and output ICC profiles all working together to translate the colors from the input file to the final printed and sublimated product. In this class you will learn practical color theory and actually apply it using profiling and RIP software, dye-sub printers, and heat presses.
Topic 2: Color Properties of Dye-Sub Ink
The printed and transferred color of dye-sub ink is determined primarily by the colors that are absorbed and secondarily by the light that is scattered. The inks used in the sublimation industry may differ dramatically in hue and saturation from commonly used ink sets in other print industries. We will show you how to account for it when you calibrate your dye-sub printer so that you maximize your color gamut and accuracy.
Topic 3: Scaffolding Your Dye Sub Color Print Environments
A good print environment is built like a scaffold with each level dependent on the one below. In this course, you will learn and employ techniques for:
• Building CMYK channel limits to maximize the color gamut of your profile.
• Setting overall ink limits to maximize shadow depth and color.
• Optimizing calibrations by using Advanced Settings and Press Curves in the RIP.
• Using ColorThink to help guide you through the profiling process.
• Validating the accuracy of your color scaffold.
• Building CMYK channel limits to maximize the color gamut of your profile.
• Setting overall ink limits to maximize shadow depth and color.
• Optimizing calibrations by using Advanced Settings and Press Curves in the RIP.
• Using ColorThink to help guide you through the profiling process.
• Validating the accuracy of your color scaffold.
Topic 4: Press Curves, G7, and SCTV
Dye-Sub ink and media do not meet the criteria for G7 certification. But you can apply G7 and Spot Color Tone Value (SCTV) curves to optimize your calibration and resulting ICC Profile. The G7 and SCTV approach can be used as the basis for establishing an accurate and repeatable standard for printer calibration. A repeatable standard is critical for recalibration and for matching colors from printer-to-printer.
Topic 5: How to Set the Profiling Options
Learn how to tune your output using the options in your RIP and profiing software. Finding the correct settings can be tricky, especially because there is no true dye-sub black. Understand how using the wrong settings for a dye sublimation profile can compromise the dynamic range, creating less than desirable shadow depth and the potential for introducing a color cast into your neutral gray balance. Learn to recognize if the black ink settings are too high, possibly causing a reduction in gamut or problems with the transfer paper.
Topic 6: Advanced Smoothing Techniques
We will show you how to evaluate the tone value and spider curves in your profiles. Advanced techniques for correcting and smoothing data will be presented.
Topic 7: iccMax
iccMAX is the new ISO standard for color profiles. Learn how the new ICC Max standard will increase color accuracy and handle named colors.
Topic 8: Fabric Considerations
The quality of dye-sub color ultimately depends on the properties of the fabric, including fineness of the fibers, construction of the fabric, heat setting, and coating. The back-scattering effect of light from the surface of the fabrics due to fiber size and weave pattern also plays an important role in the visual color. Learn how to evaluate fabric and understand the options available to you.
Topic 9: Verification of the Profile Using ColorThink
We will show you how to use ColorThink to evaluate the quality of your profiles.
Topic 10: Evaluating Dye-Sub Transfer Paper
Transfer paper has a huge impact on your output. We will give you an overview of the how coatings, surface characteristic, and weight of the the paper contribute to heat transfer efficiency and color.
Topic 11: Heat Press Optimization
How to determine the proper time, temperature and pressure settings for optimizing your workflow.
Platinum Sponsors
Fisher Textiles hosts the 3 Days of Hands-On Training at their facility in Charlotte NC.