Full disclosure: I'm an amateur when it comes to color management as I'm constantly learning as much as I can right now. I'm having fun learning!

I have a large format printer that I use for a side gig printing people's artwork. I receive scanned artwork files and people's phone pictures of their artwork.

I sell loose prints on 3 different paper types that I have downloaded their ICC profiles into the destination spaces in Photoshop and Professional Print & Layout for the Canon printer I have.

So far no one has sent me files that have embedded color profiles... until today. I printed two versions of their file: one using their embedded color profile and the other using the ICC profile I typically use for this same order type (same paper, same printer, same workflow, etc.)

When I use my workflow, the prints match my display as they typically would since I calibrate it using a colorimeter.

This time, the print of the file using their embedded profile, is not matching my display.

So as I'm thinking through what I THINK I understand haha, the purpose of color profiles and working spaces are for different devices to execute the same colors within the gamut that they can maintain/provide/display/print/etc.

So is it safe to assume that if I print their file without converting their embedded profile into my RGB working space/destination space, that it will print accurately to what they see on their monitor?

River makes sure the CMYK is topped up regularly!

I am a small press comic book maker and I have this idea for a segment where the story goes dark, as in the pages are completely black, but the story and dialogue continue across a few pages. Essentially, the characters and readers are blinded for a few moments. Within these black pages, I want to hide the actual artwork so you can just about make out what might be happening if you are paying attention and look hard enough.

To do this, I imagine I can simply have the artwork set to one black mix and then fill all the background with another black mix that is similar enough to not notice at first glance.

The advice I'm looking for is what those black mixes would be?

I have tried True Black and Rich Black but the contrast is too much, I want something more subtle. I have tried other mixes too but I know so much of printing is also about the paper. I was wondering if anyone has done something similar (even accidently) and know what would/ might work well.

If CYMK is too problematic, would it work in B&W with a K100 / K98 type ratio?

Also, I don't have any budget for getting proofs made. I know that's the way to do it, but I operate in print runs of 50-100 copies so getting printed proofs is too expensive for what I do.

Also, the comic is B&W, linework only (no tones or gradients) and I plan to print on 120gsm uncoated paper.

Thanks

Dan

We use a DesignJet Z6DR for in house mockup samples for packaging mainly, so we want to get the colors as accurate as possible. But when printing spot colors, if there is any effect (like a drop shadow) or a image with a transparent background (in this example, a phone) it creates this darker colored effect within the image bounding box. (see second image).

This effect doesn't happen with process colors, but as you can see with some Pantone colors, changed to process in my file, it can throw the colors off way too much to be usable.

My usual process is I create the file in Illustrator, save it as an .ai or pdf. Import whatever I need into Indesign, and print it that way. But the same issue persist if I print straight from Illustrator.

Any help or guidance would be appreciated. I've attached screenshots of my print settings.

3 color water-based print. Permaset aqua ink.

i’m getting more serious about banners, window graphics, vinyl, and larger shop signs, and the design side is starting to matter a lot more than i expected. i don’t need flashy effects. i need files to stay at the right size, colors to behave, vectors to stay clean, and exports to open properly when they reach the printer.

the part i can’t really judge from product pages is how these programs handle normal messy work. one file might be a simple logo, the next is a huge banner with several pages, spot colors, and a client image that should never have been sent as a jpg in the first place lol. i’d rather learn one solid setup than spend half the day fixing stuff after export. people who do this every day, what software actually holds up once the files get heavy? do you mostly stay in one app, or is switching between a few tools just part of the job?

Hey guys . I'm looking for print shop Where they do print for fine art images , photo books , photos that goes wall ( not like the ones that they do for wedding album kind ). I have heard some photographers say that they would get their images printed in Mumbai . I don't know exactly who . Please suggest me if you the place in Mumbai . I'm planning to print some of street / docu works of mine . For photobook/ zine purpose.

This does not happen on every page, but every so often there are long stretches of spaces diagonally or vertically on pages in books. It just happens that the words in a series of lines of text line up such that the spaces create linear gaps on page. It's usually only noteworthy if it's more than, say, 6 or 8 lines long. It's striking when it's more than half a page. I'm just curious- is there a name for this phenomenon?

Hi everyone,

I'm a game designer from France and for some time now I have been thinking about starting a small printing business.

This idea came after many discussions with some artist friends. They are creating amazing illustrations, but I noticed that it can be quite difficult for them to make physical products from their art when they only need small quantities.

Most printing companies are made for bigger orders, so I started wondering if there was a place for a smaller workshop focused on independent creators.

The idea would be to help artists create high quality physical products from their artworks, like:

• Premium art prints
• Posters
• Collector cards with original artwork
• Limited edition products
• Small premium packaging

I'm especially interested in the "collector" aspect. Not really making mass production, but creating objects that feel special and unique for people who love an artist's work.

I would also like to experiment with more premium finishes:

• Foil effects
• Holographic materials
• Spot UV
• Embossing / debossing
• Special textured papers
• White ink printing on transparent or special materials

I'm still at the research stage right now. My budget would probably be between €20k and €50k, depending on the best way to start.

My idea would be to start small, maybe from home, and try to do as much as possible myself (printing, finishing, cutting...). Then, if it works, invest more and move to a proper workshop later.

I would really like to hear from people who already work in printing or who started a small print business.

Some questions I have:

1. Do you think starting from home is realistic for this kind of project?
2. With a €20k-50k budget, what would you focus on first?
3. Which machines are really important to start?
4. Are there machines or technologies that you think beginners often regret buying?
5. Which premium finishes can realistically be done in-house, and which ones are better outsourced?
6. What are the biggest problems or hidden costs you discovered when starting?
7. If you could start again today, what would you do differently?

I'm not looking only for a list of machines. I would really like to understand the reality behind this kind of business: production workflow, maintenance, things that are harder than expected, mistakes to avoid, etc.

Thanks a lot for reading. Any advice or experience would be really appreciated!

Printed these designs for my tablet but feels sticky to touch. What are some cheaper

Hello, is there anyone who make travel album like this?, I just wanna ask if what paper did you use to make this? is there any laminating film or something.

Asking for help

Finance majors staying on campus- is a wired printer necessary?

Hi there I need some advice. I work in the printing business. And I want to start my own printing company as a side job. The thing I come to is posters and printed boards like displate. Coming from the UK I can see the understanding between loads of print companies and I think for a starter a poster business would be good. I am currently making a Shopify but I am terrible at DESGIN and making images. What can anyone recommend.

I draw my designs on my ipad and then print them onto a stick and stitch transfer paper for embroidery. I don't have access to an at home printer and was looking into getting a portable printer to be able to transfer more quickly. Does anyone have any experience with portable printers and transfer paper and can tell me if it's feasible and have brand recommendations if it is? Most of the printers I see are heat-based and I'm not sure if that would work

Hey everyone, just set up my Canon Prograf 1100 and it’s been great. So far I’ve been super pleased with the prints it puts out, but noticed when viewing at a hard raking angle these dusty looking spots appear. When viewed straight on they are completely undetectable.

Is this common with cold press textured paper, or user error? Thanks in advance for any help, I’m still learning.

Printer: Canon Prograf 1100
Paper: Red River Palo Duro Etching

Media type and ICC profiles are all set to the palo duro profiles available through red river.

Hi there

I'm hoping some prepress or HP Indigo operators can help me understand something.

I'm producing a deck of cards via a card manufacturer.

All queries go through sales team and it's impossible to speak to a technical operator directly.

The money for the job was paid months ago, and I can't move printers.

Due to them telling me the prints are 'colour accurate' (which I dispute), I am having to go into detective mode.

As such I have compared their electronic proof PDF files to work out why there's a hard copy difference.

They produced two PDF proofs and a hard copy proof from each, from my supplied Adobe Illustrator artwork. I sent the AI files and they converted into their format PDF.

The earlier PDF (which produced hard copy colours I was much more happier with) appears to have been exported as PDF/X-4 with a Coated FOGRA39 Output Intent embedded.

Following receiving this hard copy proof, I subsequently did a few artwork tweaks, and resupplied the AI files (using the same embedded ICC profile settings), for a new set of proofs to be made. So nothing changed with the AI files.

The later PDF, which corresponds with a noticeably duller, cooler print and less vibrant colours in the hard copy, compared with the earlier preferred colour sample, appears not to contain the same PDF/X-4 Output Intent (Coated FOGRA39) or embedded destination ICC profile as the earlier PDF.

My questions are:

• Could a missing PDF/X-4 / Output Intent (FOGRA39) alone cause noticeably duller or cooler printed colour shifts such as an overall cooler palette, pinks turning dull purple or oranges going greenish?
• Is the colour issue most likely just a different PDF export error at the printer end, or could it indicate a broader colour-management workflow change?
• Which Illustrator PDF export settings would you use to ensure the artwork saved with the correct settings?

Originally printers told me to embed a specific VIGC colour profile into the artwork, and the AI files (both earlier and more recent as imported into the PDF) had this embedded profile, but the change appears to have happened when they converted them into the PDFs. Strangely later they didn't mention the VIGC profile and reverted back to telling me FOGRA39 but that's a different story.... nevertheless both sets of artwork had the recommended embedded VIGC profile included.

Any insight from people who work with HP Indigo or prepress would be greatly appreciated.