Need Help Printing Red

[Black Star]

I've owned 2 Mimaki printers. Right now I am running a JV33-130. I've always struggled trying to print a true red color. I didn't think it was possible. I ordered some Oracal 5600 material in and I downloaded the color profile through their site.

I printed a test print and somehow it is printing a true red on the reflective using this profile. I do have other issues with the profile. If I am printing a navy blue, I have to reconfigure that color otherwise it prints with so much ink that it turns out so dark that it looks black. Same with every color but I am getting a true red with this profile.

I've tried multiple profiles on so many different kinds of materials and have never been able to get a true red. Am I missing something? It's great that I can print red on reflective(for mostly fire departments). I wish I could print a true red on banners and regular vinyl. Any suggestions?

 

[ColorCrest]

Any suggestions?

Go to the link and download the file. It's a stress test of your printer's color gamut if you turn off all color management.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ka35g3gtyd10823/iRGJexS5hA/Twenty-Eight Balls.tif.zip

Hopefully, you will see the red color you're expecting from your machine.

It's a starting point. Report back with your findings and photos of the print.

 

[Pauly]

If you print this, you’ll see how your colours will show up. If there’s sections that look muddy or just doesn’t appear to match the original photo, your icc profile is bad.

 

[jeffdpia]

Make and print a Granger chart to see what the profile is doing to the output.
https://luminous-landscape.com/how-to-create-color-test-charts/

 

[asignstop]

Use the icc profile for Oracal 203. 12 pass for standard print, 24 pass for deeper color. Also, I'm not sure what software you're using but in Flexi we use the red from the Oracal 651 color swatch. That's the closest to cut vinyl red that we've found works on our Mimaki CJV30. with red, 12 pass prints like cut vinyl red, and 24 pass prints like transparent (deeper) red.

 

[Solventinkjet]

I've always had success with the 3M profiles that Mimaki has on their site for that machine.

 

[ColorCrest]

If you print this, you’ll see how your colours will show up. If there’s sections that look muddy or just doesn’t appear to match the original photo, your icc profile is bad.

This exercise does not address the OP's issue. Troubleshooting begins further upstream.

 

[ColorCrest]

Make and print a Granger chart to see what the profile is doing to the output.
https://luminous-landscape.com/how-to-create-color-test-charts/

This exercise does not address the OP's issue. Troubleshooting begins further upstream.

 

[ColorCrest]

Use the icc profile for Oracal 203. 12 pass for standard print, 24 pass for deeper color.

While you believe you're getting satisfactory results, you're misusing the profile. The 12 pass and the 24 pass should match in color. Not be darker or lighter than the other.

 

[ColorCrest]

I've always had success with the 3M profiles that Mimaki has on their site for that machine

Good advice for another good place to start.

 

[Ahmed Samy Nagada]

The one and only true solution is to have a custom profile made

 

[jfiscus]

What colors are you choosing for your "incorrect" reds? Are you using Pantone swatches or CMYK builds?

 

[ColorCrest]

The one and only true solution is to have a custom profile made

Sorry, not at all necessarily so.

If the trouble is erroneous workflow methods or settings, then a custom profile would not be the solution.
If the machine inherently will not reach the desired red color, then a custom profile would not be the solution.

Again, troubleshooting begins further upstream to first eliminate some important variables. Print the stress test with all color profiles off (just as one does when printing ICC setup swatches), see if the desired red exists. If the color does exist, then the workflow and settings require attention. If the color does not exist, machine settings require attention before any ICC profiles are addressed.

 

[Black Star]

Thank you for all of this information. I've been working 10-12 hours a day in the heat so I haven't had a chance to try any of this out. I should get a chance in the next few days and I will report back!

 

[Black Star]

I did 2 of the test prints and have attached pictures. I did take the pictures without the lights on because the glare blocked a lot of the image. I am using Wasatch 7.0. I changed the image configuration to None. I changed it to printer profile Dual CMYK 1440x1440. I am printing with a Mimaki JV33-130. There was no heat on.

I do see the color red that I am looking for. On the Test 1 picture, the left part is with the Imaging Configuration set to None and then the right part is with the current profile I am using now. There is a big difference in color between the 2. I currently use a 3M configuration I found as Solventinkjet also recommends.

jfiscus I've tried to use Pantone, CMYK & RGB builds to try and achieve a true red. I know the printer can produce the correct red but I've never been able to find a configuration that works until I tried the Oralite 5600 configuration from Oracal. The issue with this is kind of like when I changed the Image Configuration to none. The printer prints some real nice colors but it throws so much ink down that lettering does not come out clean so I have to back each of the CMYK out through Wasatch. I click on the "Replace Spot Color" on each color and adjust it until it prints without leaving so much ink.

 

[ColorCrest]

I changed the image configuration to None.

This appears to be true per the test print of the balls.
The print reveals your printer is not at all calibrated for the setup you're attempting. See the attached image as a guide for your comparison. Look through your Wasatch manuals for calibration procedures.

More later when I find the time.