Color profiles for different substrate prints

[myront]

Just occurred to me, the designer, that when printing to wrap mater and window perf that the colors are different. Then it hit me our print tech uses different print profiles for each. My question is would it be "wrong" to go ahead and use the same profile on both if color matching is an issue?

Say you have a wide solid blue diagonal stripe going across the side of a car that partly covers a portion of the back window. That portion then gets replaced with perf. Now because of the different print profiles the blue is significantly different. I realize it would be slightly different given the dark tint of the window and all but...

 

[ColorCrest]

My question is would it be "wrong" to go ahead and use the same profile on both if color matching is an issue?

It's not wrong if the two materials can tolerate the same ink loads and if the white points are similar as they ofter are. It fact, it would be ideal to use the same profile, all things considered. A profile can be duplicated but the name can be changed specifically for a targeted material and some mfrs have offered just that.

 

[FrankW]

Using the same profile on different media could lead to color differences too. The nearest match should be if calibrating and profiling both medias individually just in time.

But you have another problem: when printing on windows perf, because of removing a lot of ink printed into the holes on the liner when applying, it is very difficult to match colors to solid vinyl.