Installing profiles on multiple printers?

[SeanBender]

Hello Signs101! It's nice to not be a lurker anymore. You have been very valuable in learning some of the old equipment and software and techniques for the industry. I appreciate the help.

So, I am still new to color profiling. We are currently just using the default profiles and I'm trying to improve the shop and my knowledge on how all this stuff works, (RIP, color correction, profiles, etc). Printing out a bunch of samples to try and match isn't cutting it anymore.

We are using a Mimaki JV33-160 with RasterLink 5 and Illustrator is our primary art program. I downloaded some profiles from mimakis site and for our printer there was only a handful of profiles. I load them up and start the RIP and look at the profiles and they are only available on one of my two printers. I don't remember seeing an option to install them on a certain printer over the other. I tried looking it up but it seems like RasterLink is not favored and anything RasterLink is the new version.

So any help with this would be appreciated.

 

[White Haus]

If you're serious about getting your printers/profiles/process set up efficiently I would consider switching to Onyx and getting a spectrophotometer so you can create your own profiles. (We use an i1).

Our UCVJ came with Rasterlink and I spent about an hour in it before kicking it to the curb and deciding to run all our equipment through Onyx.

It's probably not what you want to hear, and maybe someone with more Rasterlink experience can chime in, but I found it extremely limiting and didn't even get into profiles or color management.

 

[SeanBender]

If you're serious about getting your printers/profiles/process set up efficiently I would consider switching to Onyx and getting a spectrophotometer so you can create your own profiles. (We use an i1).

Our UCVJ came with Rasterlink and I spent about an hour in it before kicking it to the curb and deciding to run all our equipment through Onyx.

It's probably not what you want to hear, and maybe someone with more Rasterlink experience can chime in, but I found it extremely limiting and didn't even get into profiles or color management.

Yes, that's about the answer I figured.

In my research I have been seeing Oynx coming up a bunch. I was looking into Spectros (i1) and they are expensive. I was looking at a Spyder, but it's not ideal for CMYK. So I was trying to do what I could with what I have, but the more and more I look it seems like the whole system needs a complete overhaul. Just figuring out what is best and what we need and what works with our printers is daunting. I don't want to recommend something that I can't get work because I missed some weird thing that's not compatible.

 

[Solventinkjet]

For Rasterlink, make sure your profiles match the machine model and ink set perfectly. Even if the size if different it won't work which is dumb I agree.

 

[SeanBender]

For Rasterlink, make sure your profiles match the machine model and ink set perfectly. Even if the size if different it won't work which is dumb I agree.

I did download the profile for the right model and ink type. What do you mean by size? Size of printer? They are the same model.

 

[Solventinkjet]

I did download the profile for the right model and ink type. What do you mean by size? Size of printer? They are the same model.

The size of the machine will be the number after the model. So yours is probably either a 130 or 160. I agree though that if you want the most control over profiles, use a full featured RIP like Onyx or Flexi.

 

[SeanBender]

The size of the machine will be the number after the model. So yours is probably either a 130 or 160. I agree though that if you want the most control over profiles, use a full featured RIP like Onyx or Flexi.

They are both JV33-160. But yes I believe I need to do bit the bullet and figure out the system overhaul.

 

[unmateria]

Hi! I agree. Best investment you can do is buying and i1 even used (one of mines has like 15 years)... 15 years without color problems for about 1000€...

 

[edcooleyar]

If your doing a lot of media and multiple printers, spend the money and get an IO or Barbieri that can automate the profile creation. Every printer and every media pairing needs it’s own profile.

Using the same software to create all the profiles gives you a similar color response across your shop. We use onyx to profile with the Xrite IO and can create a complete profile in a little over an hour. Onyx gives you the choice to save all the profile settings in a profile preset which helps keep all those profile settings sync’d up.

 

[Pauly]

As mentioned.
Look into onyx. and look at getting an i1pro3
It wont be cheap though!

 

[unmateria]

Argyll and an old i1 from ebay works fantastic and very cheap

 

[netsol]

we use flexi subscription ~$50/mo
advantage is you can add just about any device, printer, plotter, gerber edge (thermal printer, hybrid print cut device to your setup

 

[netsol]

all the xrites are native supported. we have several i1's

 

[SeanBender]

So it looks like from the responses here that they confirm what I was figuring. That Ipro 3 with Oynx is something to look at. Question, there are different versions of the ipro3, so how do I know which one is best, and what's so great about the 3 that an old 2 wouldn't suffice? Also does Oynx had a monthly sub or is it just a one time license?

Flexi I thought was a graphic software not a rip or is it both?

 

[balstestrat]

So it looks like from the responses here that they confirm what I was figuring. That Ipro 3 with Oynx is something to look at. Question, there are different versions of the ipro3, so how do I know which one is best, and what's so great about the 3 that an old 2 wouldn't suffice? Also does Oynx had a monthly sub or is it just a one time license?

Flexi I thought was a graphic software not a rip or is it both?

Onyx has both perpetual license and subscription.
Flexi has both, editor/cutter only or RIP as well. Also has both perpetual license and subscription.