Before we begin, please consider that the following instructions assume your monitor has already been calibrated, and your output devices, including printers, have been profiled, along with the specific papers and inks you use.
If these steps haven’t been completed, you won’t be able to accurately verify your work using our colour profiles.
Instead, we recommend comparing physical samples with our sample print files to gauge the differences between them before making any necessary adjustments.
It’s important to note that our colour profiles serve as destination profiles, containing information about our output devices. They should be used in conjunction with your own colour profiles.
Colour profiling is a complex topic, however we hope with this guide to simplify the process as much as possible.
Remember, many factors will impact the final outcome, as stated above. Your screen manufacturer, brightness settings, calibration, and even environment impact how you view colour on your screen compared to someone else.
This guide is purely an overview of what we believe is the best solution to matching colours as accurately as possible.
First, open the image file in an application like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop for editing.
In this example, we’ll be using Photoshop 2023.
Download the ICC profile for your selected paper stock.
You can find downloadable ICC profiles at the bottom of each page for all our paper stocks.
While editing, ensure that you’re using a colour space based on the RGB colour model.
Install the ICC profile to your computer.
For Mac: copy files into the /Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder or the /Users/[username]/Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder, depending on your configuration.
You may need to restart Photoshop depending what version you’re using.
From the menu, select View >. Proof Setup > Custom
Select the ICC profile you’ve downloaded.
We’ll be using the Enhanced Archival Matte 230gsm, downloaded from the product page.
You can choose whether to simulate the paper colour and simulate black inks.
Simulate the paper colour : Some papers have special coating (gloss, matte, satin etc) or colours (bright white, off-white etc), you can get an idea of how your artwork will look on the paper. The Enhanced Archival Matte paper we’re using here, has a matte coating, so you will see a softening of the colours, more accurately reflecting how they will look once printed.
Simulate blank inks: It’s impossible for a physical print to have the same contrast in black colours, computer screens have a wider colour gamut allowing the monitor to display a much darker/deeper black. This setting shows you a soft proof of how your black may appear when printed.
Click “OK” to confirm your setting.
You can easily toggle between the original file and the soft proof, making any adjustments where required.
View > Proof Colours (or CMD + Y / CTRL+Y)
Side by side, you can see slight differences in how your artwork will appear once printed, between the original (right) and the soft proof (left)
It’s important to refrain from embedding our colour profiles into your image, as they are meant solely for print proofing.
Although most of our processing systems are designed to disregard designs that come with colour profiles, we recommend excluding them in case your design undergoes alterations during production.
Once you’re satisfied with your design’s appearance, you can proceed to create your order. Search for and select the product you want to customise, upload your edited image, complete your order details, and then submit it for fulfilment.
We continually calibrate our, monitors, printers, and software to ensure that the colours in your prints precisely match the previews generated by our platform.