any views on 4 or 6 ink systems

[Paul]

If it helps to put this into perspective for anyone, I've just done a gamut comparison using the Windows Color applet to compare the difference between the stock Sawgrass profile for a six-colour printer (the Epson 1400) and a custom profile done by DSF profile-guru Paul for my four-colour printer (the Brother MFC-295CN).

[Limara]

lol now i am really confused some one mentioned paper used would paper make a difference? so a printer set with a icc profile will act different on a different paper? and am I right thinking this would be individual printer not model of printer so the profile would only be for that printer.

At the min I am thinking I may be better just forgetting the mugs and buying a cutter instead silly me thought all i had to do was decide between 4 or 6 colours.
I really need a cutter anyway just thought the mugs would be the easier starting point! at least I can use a cutter straight away and I really cant afford to throw money at something else that may not be any good!

[Limara]

Limara. I dont think you can check it you self but send me your icc profile an i will show yo what your ser up is able to get.

Paul

thanks for the offer, I am waiting for my regular pc to be fixed would that be pc or printer specific? I could instal the new printer on this pc and get the profile for that but I doubt the older printer will install Old stuff is a nightmare to get running on this.

[Russ]

lol now i am really confused some one mentioned paper used would paper make a difference? so a printer set with a icc profile will act different on a different paper? and am I right thinking this would be individual printer not model of printer so the profile would only be for that printer.

From a photography background, I know that various combinations of printer, ink and paper will produce slightly different results. If I decide to try some different paper for my photo prints, I print a sample, send it to the paper manufacturer and they send me another icc profile to use.

[bms]

From a photography background, I know that various combinations of printer, ink and paper will produce slightly different results. If I decide to try some different paper for my photo prints, I print a sample, send it to the paper manufacturer and they send me another icc profile to use.

I think the emphasis here needs to be placed on the 'slightly'. Limara shouldn't think that this discussion would render some prints completely unusable just because the paper was changed. There are optimum combinations, but this doesn't mean that only an optimum combination will produce excellent quality printed mugs. If you get good quality paper, inks, mugs etc then you'll get good quality photographic reproduction.

[JSR]

From a photography background, I know that various combinations of printer, ink and paper will produce slightly different results. If I decide to try some different paper for my photo prints, I print a sample, send it to the paper manufacturer and they send me another icc profile to use.

When photo printing to paper, the paper is the final substrate. Papers from different manufacturers will produce different results, different types of paper (matt or glossy) will provide different results. An ICC profile for each one is a necessity.

With dye-sub, the final substrate is the t-shirt, or the mug, or the coaster, or the placemat. The paper acts solely as the transfer medium for the ink. A high release paper will release more ink quicker than a low-release paper, and a high quality paper will hold the ink better for sharper results than a cheap paper. Generally, however, the paper doesn't affect the colours of the ink as much as the final substrate. For instance, a low release paper can deliver the same amount of ink as a low release paper simply by increasing the time and/or temp of the heat pressing stage.

While you may benefit from a different profile for different substrates (a different one for coasters than for mugs or t-shirts), you generally don't need a different profile when using a different transfer paper.

Most people seem to find that "close enough is good enough", and they just use a single stock profile from Sawgrass. I'd rather make my own depending on the job. Trial and error is the best teacher for each individual.