>> The
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Building blocks of color management amounting to . . .
New Levels of Brilliance
BY NOAH FORNI
About the author: Noah
Forni is the co-founder of
AK Apparel LLC, a company that provides sublimation solutions to both direct
and wholesale markets.
Previously, he was a business consultant with Ernst &
Young LLP and held executive management roles at
Nationwide Insurance Company, where he specialized in acquisitions and business integration.
The holy grail. The impossible dream. Simply not going to happen. Phrases like these are often thrown about
in discussion of managing colors in digital
sublimation. And to be fair, their use has
been well earned by an industry that promoted sublimation to every imager, regardless of size, need or use. The truth is that
accurate digital sublimation is obtainable,
provided those attempting it know what
variables to manage and are willing to commit the time and practice necessary to become proficient.
The first aspect to be clear about is what
actually impacts color and consistency. In
no particular order, the factors to be managed include: printer, ink, paper, press,
substrate, RIP (raster image processing)
software, profile, print file, conditions and
time. A large list to manage, for sure… but
it’s not impossible.
Equipping for color
Significant improvements have been made
in the last two or three years when it comes
to printers. The most noteworthy change
is that printers are now being made for
sublimation as opposed to retrofitted from
a vinyl or UV base. When in the market
for a new printer, consider functions such
as auto cleaning, bulk ink systems, take-up
reels, service contracts and ease of maintenance. As for print speed, get accurate
projections for the dpi levels at which you
will (or expect to) produce. Once a printer
is purchased, the focus turns to managing
the ink flowing through it.
The best practice here—routine
cleanings and maintenance of the ink-delivery system before problems arise.
Print heads and dampers are especially
critical to allowing a consistent and repeatable flow of ink through the printer. A very small blockage anywhere
in the ink-delivery system will create
significant shifts in color spectrum and
destroy repeatability.
Without debate, ink has been given
more attention than any of the other
components within sublimation systems, and with good historical reason.
Ink was very expensive, inconsistent,
clogged up the printers and, in general, underperformed compared to
expectations. Fortunately, today’s inks
are significantly better than those
produced just two years ago. In general, the ink available today is more
consistent, has a wider spectrum and
flows through printers with much
more ease than its ancestors. In fact,
improvements may have been great
Accurate digital sublimation is obtainable, provided those attempting it know what variables to manage and are
willing to commit the time and practice necessary to become proficient. (Images courtesy Condé Systems Inc.)
80 • PRINTWEAR • JULY 2010
