Colormunki Advice

[UK Printed Mugs]

Does anyone have experience generating an ICC profile using the Colormunki? I "presume" that one would print the colour grid onto regular white paper in order to bring out the proper colour printed as opposed to the muted colour that sublimation paper gives. Olly

[Justin]

I have a Munki. You need to generate the chart and print it onto something before taking the readings. I usually print onto a subli tee but would like to test other blanks etc.

[UK Printed Mugs]

Oh I see. Could you not take a reading off the paper as then would it not be applicable across the board? We mostly do mugs, keyrings and coasters so not big enough to print chart on. I did try to do paper last week (not knowing you scan substrate) but every pass of the colours made the monki go red and would not accept. Any tips? Ps: Only one chart is printed for Paul's service I believe so he can't be pressing onto various substrates can he?

[JMugs]

Hi
I use a colormunki and as Justin says you print onto a substrate. A general profile can be created by printing onto white aluminium, then scan this, repeat for the two profiles it gives you. The colour profile can then be refined by printing profiles for specific images. If you wish you can create a more accurate profile by doing two extra, one all grey scales (ie B+W picture with lots of variations to it) and one image with reds and greens ( think of poppies in a green field).
This will give you a general purpose profile (this is what Paul will create).
However I don't do that.....
I do a profile specific to each substrate. In your case tiles will work for mugs, place mats for coasters, and white aluminium for key rings.

It all depends how accurate your colour profile needs to be.

The great thing with the Munki is that you can refine the profile for each individual image as you go. Hence if charging a lot of money for a print for a pedantic photographer you are sorted.

Janners

[UK Printed Mugs]

Janners, what a super answer. Thank you. I have some metal, one spare place mat and will try and get a ceramic tile. Just need to get into the studio earlier than I was already planning! Olly

[ArferMo]

I use data colour and print on to each of my substrates then scan the results its a good use for duf mugs also.

[JMugs]

Olly..
You will need 2 place mats etc, as the first set of colours are printed, you press these, scan the result. It will then generate a second set of colours, press these and scan. Then it can generate the profile. My playing around with it has tended to show that the most "universal" profile has been from white polyester t-shirts, as Lord Sir Squire (Man at the top) Justin alluded to, others use white aluminium.

With profiling I found it quite addictive and utterly fascinating, have fun.


ArferMo follows the same process as I do, and I believe Pisquee does the same thing.

Janners

[UK Printed Mugs]

I really appreciate all your advice. I think we may have some white material (thanks to freebie give-away from BMS recently) so will set alarm clock to "stupidly early" and try and profile before next print run. Would be interested ArferMo to know how you print the large chart onto a mug and scan if you have umm, half a mo

[ArferMo]

print on to A4 sheet and cut in to 3 and print 3 mugs.

[UK Printed Mugs]

Ok. I presumed the munki would need totally flat surface that's all but it seems not so thank you.