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pchinique
Known Participant
February 11, 2010
Question

How to get BRIGHT Colors for print?

  • February 11, 2010
  • 4 replies
  • 98996 views

I'm working on a large format design. I'm using CMYK color space. I printed a proof on glossy paper and the colors are not bright at all. This is a design for children and I need the colors to show really bright and shiny. How do I accomplish that?

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    4 replies

    R
    Rosemarymorton
    Participant
    May 26, 2020

    My hp Photosmart 5520 printer has new cartridges.  I've aligned and cleaned the printer heads several times.  Scanned the results as per instructions and they come out well on all colours.  But when I print a picture the yellow isn't coming out and evetythin* looks blueish green. Any tips?  

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 26, 2020

    "My hp Photosmart 5520 printer has new cartridges."

     

    This thread is a decade old. So first of all: please create a new thread.

     

    Please tell us your system and version.

    Which color mode is your file?

    How did you set up the yellow?

    Which color management options are set up in Illustrator?

    How is color handled when priniting?

     

    And please show a close up photo of the print.

    E
    erico99195194
    Inspiring
    March 22, 2018

    No CMYK digital printer can hit the colors you want. Its not the glossy paper or matte paper, CMYK is not able to print bright vibrant colors. Some digital printers now have green, orange and violet in addition to CMYK to help print really vibrant colors but unless the printer has those available to him(her) or her(him) its just not going to happen. Trying to coordinate that with a China printer is going to be difficult at best.

    John was right on, monitor and print can not be matched - with some colors, usually the really bright vibrant colors like the ones you want. Some printers, not the printer guy(girl) but the mechanical printer and inks in that printer can print some pretty vibrant colors but most do a poor job of hitting a really bright rich yellows or neon green or ultra violet. That's just the nature of the CMYK system, ink pigments, etc.

    JETalmage
    JETalmage
    Inspiring
    February 12, 2010
    How to get BRIGHT Colors for print?

    Put BRIGHT colors in the press.

    In a later post, you mention that this is for printing on fabric. Are you sure the printing method that is going to be used is regular CMYK process?

    CMYK separation may be entirely inappropriate for what you are doing. You may need to be using spot colors. You need to obtain specific information from the printing vendor about how this is going to be printed.

    JET

    P
    pchiniqueAuthor
    Known Participant
    February 12, 2010

    Thanks so much for your answers. All I know is that they use a big roll of fabric. I think is Inkjet print but I really don't know. 

    I only used spot colors for logos though. 

    JETalmage
    JETalmage
    Inspiring
    February 12, 2010
    I think is Inkjet print but I really don't know.

    You need to know. If you design something for print, you have to know something about how it will be printed.

    "Printed on fabric from a big roll" doesn't define the printing process. Bedclothes and curtains are printed on fabric from a big roll. But that's a whole different world away from ordinary CMYK offset printing. Large format low-quantity inkjet printing can be done on fabric from a big roll. Some such devices use inks that fairly replicate ordinary CMYK offset printing. Others use specialized inks (dyes, really) or additional colors (six color is not uncommon) to achieve more brilliance, and those devices often prefer RGB input.

    You need to talk to the printing vendor about his preferred input. He may tell you to work in RGB, and may even have a color management provile for you to use.

    JET

    A
    Anonymous
    February 12, 2010

    It's not going to be easy to recommend anything without knowing what printer and what RIP ( if any ) you are using.  It is possible to get bright colors, but choosing glossy paper in the print dialog may not be enough.  There are techniques you can try that involve RGB ( believe it or not ), but even then the color depends on the print drivers, the number of print cartridges, and the type of printer itself.

    I personally rely on a RIP and, in combination with a color management system and a calibrated RIP, get very nice and consistent color accuracy.  Even with that, colors on the monitor will never be matched in print because of the dynamics involved with reflective ( ink on paper ) vs. transmissive ( video RGB color viewed on the monitor ) color.  If your monitor is set to 9300° white point, then color will appear very bright on the monitor, but will never be achievable in print.

      W
      Wade_Zimmerman1
      Inspiring
      February 12, 2010

      John almost hit on the problem, he is a commercial printer I believe.

      If you notice John they say they used a glossy paper which means they are more than likely printing to an Inkjet.

      In which case the user has to be aware of somethings like printing CMYK to an inkjet is not the right way as inkjets do a conversion to cmyk themselves. and require an rgb file color space so they can do the conversion which is not a true conversion in the production process sense.

      Also inkjets have more than four colors so they are converting the rgb to 6 or more colors.

      Then of course there is the fact that when converting a rgb fil eto cmyk or using the cmyk color space you are using a limited gammar and you are not going to get the vibrant colors you now see from such inkjet printing.

      So if you try to use CMYK to an inkjet it is going to have a limited spectrum as would ripping the file to cmyk output. In order to get close to what you probably have to make this a rgb file let the inkjet drivers do the conversion and if printing to a postscript RIP allow the RIP to do the conversion as well.

      Sending a CMYK file to either wil start you off with a limited Gamma as it is.

      Edited

      What you are trying to do is to use a kinkos or your own tabletop printer as a proofer you would do better with a match print from a more sophisticated service bureau for such a match print.

      W
      Wade_Zimmerman1
      Inspiring
      February 12, 2010

      So I used Illustrator and in my color settings working spaces I'm using:

      RGB: sRGB IEC61966-2.1CMYK: US. Web Coated (swop) v2

      And then as document color mode CMYK, should I change this to RGB then?

      Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your advice.


      Try this make a copy of your cmyk file,then open that copy and change the color mode to RGB.

      Make certain your rgb color settings are Adobe RGB 1998 then go to Edit>Assign Color Profile and change what ever the current profile is to Adobe RGB 1998.

      In your printer dirvers see if they also have the option to choose Adobe RGB 1998 if so select it,if nnt used something like vivd or enhanced if offered or

      In the Illustrator print dialog use let Illustrator manage color in the output section. That is probably a bttr choice then letting the rint manage the color settings.

      Now remember what you get on the proof will not exactly match 100% of what a cmyk printer will give but Illustrator usually does a good job of letting you know what you will or should get by going this route.

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