Affects Version: 8.2 and upwards
This is the method of calibration recommended if you work with images and want to use fluorescent inks automatically. If you want to decide the exact amount of ink, please check on How to calibrate with fluorescent inks (as spot).
All the process is the same as usual calibrations. There are some changes you should know about, but in fact, everything is automated in this version, nS9 or Delta.
Profiling
1. As always we have to check if the fabric we are using has optical brighteners (OBA). On some spectrophotometers, like x-rite i1Pro2, when calibrating with fluorescent inks integrated with gamut, UV-cut filter, and Zebra ruler are automatically deactivated, but we will have to keep this in mind when generating the profile.
The new x-rite i1Pro3 does not need to deactivate these options to measure properly.
2. We set the inkset with the fluorescent inks selected as Fluor Yellow and Fluor Magenta. Other inks like Fluor Cyan (turquoise) can also be integrated.
2. We follow the calibration normally and we set up the ink limit, linearise the inks, and set up Black generation.
3. We select and print some targets to generate the profile. If the Zebra rule is deactivated, it is advisable to print the non-zebra version. (x-rite i1Pro2)
It is quite frequent to have to lower the ink limit due to the use of fluor yellow. Once we have printed the target, we can examine it to check if there are bleeding problems on colors with yellow fluor (lime green, light orange, etc.). If there is bleeding, we can go back and lower the ink limit or cut the Fluor ink until we have one without these problems.
4. If the fabric we have printed the profile on has optical brighteners agents (OBA) we will have to select the RGB profile with fluor inks (OBA) preset. If it does not, we can proceed with the default RGB profile with fluor inks.
5. After creating the profile, you can see we automatically select Saturation as the preferred rendering intent. Keep it like this to maximize the usage of fluorescent inks.
Configuration of neoStampa8 and neoStampa9
Before we start working with this calibration, we have to open the Printer scheme manager on this scheme and make sure the PDF/PostScript options are set for the Output printer profile (RGB/CMYK).
Next, we will show some examples of the use of fluorescent inks with this inkset.
Configuration of neoStampa Delta
No special configuration is needed to calibrate with neoStampa Delta, just take into account that you need to load the HF version of the Inedit Device Color Library.
Usage of fluorescent inks ICC
Let us see some examples of how to play with images in Photoshop, and why we use saturation intent.
First I convert to the fluor profile already done. If we check the gamut, we can see the areas where fluors will be involved:
Same for yellow and magenta, the maximum usage of the fluor will be in the areas I show in the images. The color needs to be one completely in the upper part and along the light area of yellow and magenta. If we go out of this area, more other inks will be mixed. As is known, the more we mix ink with a fluor, the most we lose the fluorescent effect. So as we move off this area, we will have less fluorescence.
Now two examples of the same color, using conversion perceptual (1) as always and saturation (2):
1.
2.
The same color when converting Perceptual goes off a little bit from the upper side. This means it will be mixed with other colors. When using Saturation intent, we force colors to oversaturate, then they are also forced to go to the margins of the gamut. That is why, without doing any other modification, only sending to print to neoStampa, usage of fluors will be increased.
Another option is to do it by yourself in Photoshop. Open the image, convert it to Perceptual if you want, or Saturation as we recommend, and then play with tools in Photoshop to get the colors desired. The good about this is you will see how fluors colors look on the screen, and also you know where they are in the color palette, so you can play until finding the perfect color.
Related articles:
How to calibrate with fluorescent inks (as Spot inks)