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Printing tips

Because of the wide variety of printing and ink systems currently in use, some testing and experimentation will always be needed to ascertain which printer software and color management settings will achieve the best overall print quality or desired effect.

Here are some general guidelines to get you started.

Select the appropriate paper tray for where you are feeding in your substrate.

Select the paper size based on the size of your carrier sheet.

Try to match the substrate you are using with something similar in the paper selections provided.

For example a paint skin coated with a clear Digital Ground is a glossy surface, while Coarse Molding Paste pushed through cheesecloth is more like Plain Paper.

Selecting “Best Photo” or the equivalent option will allow the printer to print with a greater level of detail.

Check the Internet for additional printer profiles that can be downloaded for more options that may not have been standard when your printer was installed.

For advanced printing techniques color management can be adjusted in great detail by working with existing color profiles or by creating custom profiles. See your printer documentation for more information.

To give you an idea of the type of options to adjust, in our testing with an Epson R2400, we found the following settings per substrate provided the image representation we desired.

Canvas
Premium presentation paper matte
Best photo
Increase density 30%
Decrease saturation 7%

Gel Skin
Plain paper
Best photo
Increase density 10%
Saturation at default
Increase drying time 3

Paint Skin
Presentation paper matte
Best photo
Increase density 15%
Saturation at default
Increase drying time 3

Coarse Molding Paste in Cheese Cloth
Presentation paper matte
Best photo
Increase density 15%
Saturation at default

Metal Foil
Presentation paper matte
Photo enhanced
Increase density 20%
Increase drying time 3

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