Help with colour settings/colour profiles - Photoshop

@Colin25116823aeuk 

As serendipity would have it, I stumbled over this, which you might find helpful... Or not, I didn't read it in depth:

https://dtfstationglobal.com/dtf-color-correction-your-guide-to-perfect-color-reproduction/

I sublimate onto aluminum panels using an Epson SC-F170. 

 

By @Colin25116823aeuk

The printer profile needs to match your printer, inks (are you using Epson or 3rd party ink) and media (Epson or 3rd party media). Although correct settings for the ink and sublimation transfer material is very important, the output profile also needs to be measured on the final aluminium material, with the same application time, pressure and heat settings as you use in production. Note that a special spectrophotometer is required for measuring reflective metallic materials, unless the aluminium substrate has a white base colour applied.

First of all, no file should ever be untagged. That throws everything to the wind and anything can happen. Always make sure the file has an embedded profile. It's not important which one it is, as long as it's the one the file was originally created in and that it's there.

Second, don't print from CMYK files. An inkjet printer is an RGB device that excpects RGB data. Inkjet printers today usually have more than 4 inks anyway, so CMYK makes no sense.

Third, you need to have the correct printer profile. That profile is media specific! It will be named with the paper manufacturer + paper quality. If the paper is from the printer manufacturer, the profiles will be installed along the printer driver. For third-party papers, you must download from their site.

Fourth, set media type in the printer driver. This controls total ink. If Photoshop manages color, turn off any color management in the printer driver. You don't want double profiling. Note that most lower end consumer printers don't support this. In that case you need to use Printer manages color.