RIPs and ICC Profiles
Several third party RIPs (Raster Image Processors) are available with profiles supporting Kodak media for Kodak printers. Additionally, drop-in settings for similar media types can be used with the Media Settings in the above chart. For optimal results with a custom profile and more information visit Kodak’s website at: www.kodak.com/go/wfiprofiles
Special Printer Notes
Several media types, especially stiffer media such as Kodak Premium Photographic Glossy Paper / 270g or Kodak Artists’ Semigloss Canvas / 20mil, should be advanced past the platen so that they fall over the edge before being printed. This will allow the media to lie flat in the printing area and avoid head-strikes. With printers equipped with dryers, such as the Encad 800 series printers, it is best to advance the media through the gap between the printer and the dryer so that the media doesn’t get caught on the dryer itself. This may cause the media to lift up and create a head-strike.
In lower humidity environments, head- strikes may occur on media that curls in these conditions. In this case, a weight can be clipped to the leading edge of the media to keep it flat. A bar or wood dowel (not too heavy) placed in the take-up loop may also help keep the media flat. Remember that image quality is largely a function of proper printer maintenance, balanced with speed of printing. Following the instructions for head registration and calibration will allow you to properly determine the best combination of speed and quality for your application. As a rule, slower print speeds and higher passes mean higher quality. Different media types will also have higher acceptable quality at higher print speeds. Adequate testing of each media type will ensure the best possible results.
The Kodak 1200i printer represents the latest in print head technology and drying systems. Kodak has provided the means to fine tune the image quality, speed and drying for every media and application.
The printer heater settings suggested in the compatibility chart above are designed to provide adequate drying for media to be able to wind onto the take-up spool with no issues. They were determined using images judged to represent typical customer work in average working conditions. Should
your image content be skewed toward high density images, or should your working environment have high temperature and/or humidity, you may need to adjust the settings to ensure proper drying. Conversely, lower density images or lower temperature/ humidity conditions may allow you to reduce the heater and fan settings.
With some media types, the use of the heater, while it may provide faster drying, may cause the media to cockle or warp, which may cause head-strikes. If you notice excessive deformities on your media, try
reducing or turning off the heat | while taking |
care that drying is still adequate. This will |
take some testing for the specific | media you |
are using and the environmental conditions of your production area.
The print mode recommendations are aimed to provide a balance between image quality and print speed for most applications. Print modes can be adjusted to provide either faster printing or better image quality. Testing the print mode settings for your specific application is recommended to provide you the best results.
Printing Recommendations
Kodak wide-format premium photographic papers may exhibit some signs of warping or “cockle” when the heater (available on the Encad NovaJet 800, 1000i and Kodak 1200i printers) is used in lower humidity. To avoid transport issues or head-strikes in these conditions, turn the heat to a lower setting or off and only use the fans.
Kodak wide-format backlit films will provide the quality needed in demanding backlit applications when printed at slower speeds and higher passes due to the way they are viewed. Image quality defects inherent with production speed printing are exaggerated when backlit, so as a rule higher quality print modes are advisable.
Kodak wide-format coated papers may tend to cockle with heavier ink laydowns. These media are intended for low-ink coverage graphics and line drawings only, so avoid images and high densities when using them. Kodak Self-Adhesive Coated Matte Print Paper has a lower tendency to cockle due to its release liner, so you may want to use it when you can’t avoid higher ink limits. When using Kodak printers equipped with dryers, such as the Kodak 1200i, use the dryer setting “on—without rewind.” This will allow coated papers to remain advanced far
enough after a print to avoid head strikes on subsequent prints which may occur due to paper cockle.
Kodak wide-format production media, including Poly Poster Plus and Removable Vinyl (all surfaces) offer the advantage of sharing the same inkjet receiving layer, which means that they all share the same color characteristics and only 1 profile is necessary. (Production backlit films require unique profiles due to the demands of backlit applications.)
Kodak wide-format vinyls and banners are often used for short-term banners and signs where expectations of image quality, in terms of resolution and image structure, can be lowered in favor of quick turnaround and bold colors. Faster print speeds, lower passes, and 300 dpi printing can all be appropriate for these applications. Color saturation can be maximized by not using an ICC profile and only using the proper ink limits and linearization/calibration, which could reduce potential color gamut to get a particular color rendition. Several RIPs allow you to turn off ICC profile for entire jobs, or just for vector (graphics and linework) colors, providing maximum color saturation. This is especially useful when using pigment based inks to ensure that text and graphics have the desired saturation.
Kodak wide-format PVC media products contain no cadmium or lead commonly used as stabilizers in PVC materials.
Kodak wide-format canvas media will produce excellent quality at faster speeds as compared to the smooth glossy surface of Kodak premium photographic glossy papers because of the nature of their surfaces. This is perhaps contradictory to expectations of fine art applications, which require optimum image quality, but will prove to be true for most images and will save you production time. Be sure to follow the instructions provided with your printer, for proper media loading and maintenance of your printer. Following these guidelines will allow you to have trouble-free printing throughout all of your print production.
