print color not matching PMS swatch

[eurekasigns]

Is there one profile , over another that I can get a true match to a PMS color? I am printing 424c and it is looking more like a warm gray 10. My mother board went south in my original server. I bought a new one, upgraded to latest versaworks and downloaded profiles for the materials I use...matching is a nightmare. machine is an sp540v.

 

[J Hill Designs]

only relatively sure fire way is to create your own profiles.

 

[Bigdawg]

What is the material?

And is this for an outdoor or indoor sign... if it is for outdoors, take that print and walk outside in the sun with it... your color will probably change yet again.

Have you printed out a swatch test and see where you stand with other colors?

 

[P Wagner]

There are many possible things that could be going on here with attempting to match PMS colors on your printer. It is probably not a gamut clipping issue, as the color in question is a neutral. In summary, here is what needs to happen for the Pantone Library in the latest version of Versaworks to be used:

1. Your postscript print file (EPS or PDF) must contain the spot Pantone color.
2. The Versaworks RIP must be configured to look for spot colors in the 'Queue x Configuration'. Edit Menu > Queue A/B Settings > File Format Tab > enable the' Convert Spot Color checkbox.
3. When processing the file, be sure to choose the correct media in the Job Settings dialog. Also, while in this dialog, go to the File Format Tab to check to see if the Spot Color (Pantone) is being picked up in the Spot Colors area (it should be listed).
4. The accuracy of the conversion is based on the ICC profile that is being used.

If this does not produce acceptable results, the other option is to use the Roland Color System instead of Pantone-based colors. This can be done in many design applications, including Illustrator, CorelDraw, and Flexi. This uses a direct conversion to CMYK and can be more repeatable than the Pantone conversion, but is highly dependent on the media.

 

[eurekasigns]

ij35c matte and arlon wrap. use: inside.

 

[Bigdawg]

I have a VP540 and grays are always a challenge. I am assuming you are using VersaWorks... we've had to custom profile a lot in order to get the closest PMS matches and there are still days that it doesn't print the same way it did last week. Without a custom profiling system it will be hard to get everything to match up like you want. The other option (if you know color theory well) is to tweak the profile you are using by hand (make sure you are working on a copy!). Sorry I don't have any better advice

 

[eurekasigns]

I tried convert spot color suggestion, after opening file into Queue A wouldn't let me change. Tried it directly from Edit menu... allowed me to choose, but there was no "Ok" to apply the change.

Modifying profiles? I'd be like Stevie Wonder driving a car.
The versaworks I was using had profiles in it that worked. Not the new.... same old story. LOL