Color Management at ICL IMAGING

ICL Imaging's Color Management is one of the top reasons clients do business with us.

Color Management:

ICL Imaging PMS Color Matching

The Pantone Color Matching System is our standard color reference. To ensure that we produce your image correctly, use and reference the Pantone Color Matching System #’s when specifying colors.

ICL Imaging recommends the North American Prepress 2 color setting that consists of an Adobe RGB (1998) icc color profile for all RGB images and the U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 icc color profile for all CMYK elements.

Images should be converted to these icc color profiles and saved with embedded profiles.

Make sure that the color type is set to Spot Color and not Process Color.

NOTE:  In order for you to achieve predictable color from your monitor to print, it is very important to have it properly calibrated.

It is also very important to establish the identical color settings for all applications used in the workflow.

Exact color matching of products can only be achieved by supplying samples of them to us.  We routinely match to clothing, shoes, hand-bags and art work provided.

Our standard viewing for all reflective color is our 5000K view booth.  For back-lit transparencies we use an industry standard light box with a cool white fluorescent light source.

All of our proofs are printed on the actual material using the output device that will produce your final graphics.

Color effects beyond our control are the actual lighting conditions found in the final viewing environment.  If you know what that light source is, let us know and we will do our best to factor it in to our color correcting.

In extreme cases we have actually gone on site with a ring around of color tests and made corrections in that environment.  This can be costly however and is used only in certain situations.

NOTE:  Different output printing devices and materials, such as vinyl, paper and fabric can produce the same image differently.  Our experienced staff will work with you to pick the right combination of print media and machine to meet your large format printing expectations.

Finally, we always welcome clients who would like to visit ICL Imaging and review color directly with our color technician.  Please contact us for an appointment before hand.

ICL Imaging - 51 Mellen St - Framingham, MA - 01702 - 508 872 3280

WALL MURALS

By ICL Imaging

It comes down to 2 choices - Wallpaper or Adhesive Vinyl, 

But Which One?  

~ 5 Things to Consider when Producing a Wall Mural ~

1. Removability

How long do you plan on having the wall covering up? Short Term, less than a year or two - or longer term, up to 5 years or more.

Wallpaper can be removed fairly easily if the walls have been properly primed prior to the installation.  After the wallpaper is removed the walls can be lightly washed with soap and water to easily clean any residual adhesive remaining.

Adhesive Vinyl: depending on the type, permanent or removable, depends on how easily it will remove.  Over the long-term, permanent adhesive vinyl will perform better than wallpaper but will be harder to remove.  For short-term applications, a removable vinyl adhesive is the choice.

FABJET II from Quality Media and Laminating is an adhesive backed fabric that is ultra removable, excellent opacity and has water fast coating suitable for cleaning.

2. Wall Surface

The surface texture of a wall can make or break the success of an installation for both adhesive vinyl and wallpaper.  Rough textures do not hold the adhesives well and will show through both materials.

Glossy painted walls are difficult to adhere to. Adhesive Vinyls won't adhere very well to matte wall surfaces.  

Eggshell paint is a terrible surface to bond to except for the FABJET II!

3. Finished Look of Wall Mural

Adhesive Vinyl material requires overlapping seams due to the natural shrinkage of the material that will occur early on after installation. These small seams, depending on your image, can be noticeable. A vinyl adhesive material for long term will need an overlam applied to it.  Surface choices can be matte, lustre or gloss.

Wallpaper material can be overlapped, then double cut creating very tight seams with no overlap. Wallpaper materials come in a variety of surface textures however colors can appear a little flatter / less saturated than on adhesive vinyl.  Wallpaper can allow for changes to be made after the installation because of the removability.  In most cases pieces of the mural can be changed with the replacement pieces added without notice, i.e.; dates, names, additions to time lines, etc.

 

4.  Wall Variations 

Windows and doorframes can cause installation problems if the correct material is not used.  If you want to cover your walls, door and window casings with a wall graphic, wallpaper is probably not going to work for you.  Adhesive Vinyl will conform better to the corners and angles of the casings and will adhere better with its' more aggressive adhesive.

5. Installation

The Wall: before the installation takes place the walls should be spackled and sanded wherever necessary and then wiped clean. 

Before hanging, determine if the wall should be primed with a white primer to lessen any possible color bleed-through. Priming promotes adhesion and less damaging removal.

Wallpaper: Shieldz brand primer products, Clear – for solid painted walls and White – for new walls, need 2 days for drying before applying a mural.

Do not use latex paint as the wallpaper paste can soften the latex making the paper become part of the wall.

Adhesive Vinyl; It's best to use a latex semi-gloss paint and allow to dry and cure for at least 2 weeks to eliminate the out gassing that will create bubbles under the wall mural material.  You can also use Kilz brand primers. They have shown excellent results and reduce staining and bleed-through problems.  Allow at least 5 full days of drying for Kilz.

So what material should I use?  ICL Imaging's experienced account representatives will be able to answer that question for you.   Email us at info@icl-imaging.com, and we'll be glad to review your wall-covering project and offer you the best solution to your wall mural challenge.

For more information about ICL Imaging, its' products and services, please contact us at

Tel: 508 872 3280

Email: info@icl-imaging.com

or check us out at

icl-imaging.com

Contributing writer was Larry Johnson at AJ Robbins

www.ajrobbinscorp.com

ICL LARGE FORMAT PRINTING SALES AWARDS


ICL Imaging, Framingham MA is please to announce the 2012 members of the "Large Format Printing Millionaire Sales Club."    Congratulations to Chad Joiner, Mark Thompson and Becky Gardner for their outstanding sales performance selling Large Format Printing for the year 2012.

About ICL Imaging

ICL Imaging is a full-service large format printer. Since 1956, we’ve been helping companies like yours promote their products and services with digitally printed Visual Marketing Solutions, like Trade Show Graphics, Fabric Banners and Vehicle Wraps. We have the widest selection of inventory and the largest selection of printing options in New England and print everything from Vinyl Banners, Floor Graphics and Event Banners. We offer seamless printing up to 16 feet wide. Our large format printing capacity and myriad output devices, allow us to print your Retail Graphic jobs quickly and efficiently while being mindful of your budget. ICL Imaging's wide array of large format printing services includes Museum Graphics, Wall Murals and Custom Wallpaper that meet your expectations for quality, value, and on-time delivery - and we guarantee your satisfaction.

JV5-320 - Size Does Matter

What’s New at ICL Imaging

Big, Fast. The all new JV5-320. Size does matter!

Mimaki JV5-320, Delivering the highest quality Fabric Graphics with bright vivid colors.

What is it?

The JV5 is a 10 ft Dye-Sublimation Transfer Printer. It is suitable for printing High Quality Fabric Graphics for Trade Shows and Event Backdrops, Retail Graphics and Museum Displays.

What does this mean for you?

• Faster Fabric Graphics through High Speed Printing
• Photo Realistic image quality with 540 x1080 dpi variable dots
• Exquisite color reproduction with 16 bit rendering

If you would like to receive a free sample just email me at;

bsmith@icl-imaging.com

For more information on Fabric Graphics go to;

http://www.icl-imaging.com/products/fabric-graphics/

ICL Imaging, a nationally recognized leader in the field of large format printing, has been achieving outstanding creative results in printing large format graphics for more than 50 years.

Working with the latest printing and finishing technologies that are constantly evolving to meet contemporary design requirements, ICL’s highly experienced staff delivers outstanding results on time and on budget.

ICL Imaging has the widest selection of print media and mounting materials in New England and combined with our large format printing experience – you can count on ICL’s print solutions for your graphic challenges.

ICL Imaging - 51 Mellen St - Framingham, MA - 01702 - 508 872 3280