ICC profiles 101 for vivid sublimation colour

If your prints come out duller than what you saw on screen, the most likely culprit isn't your press — it's a missing or wrong ICC profile.

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What it does

An ICC profile tells your printer how to translate the colour values in your design into the specific ink mix that produces those colours on your specific paper, ink and substrate combination. Without one, you're using a generic profile and the colours will be wrong.

Where to get the right profile

• From your ink supplier (gold standard).
• From your printer manufacturer (Sawgrass, Epson F-series).
• From your paper brand.

If you're mixing third-party ink, paper and an off-brand printer, you'll need a custom profile.

Install it

1. Download the .icc or .icm file.
2. Mac: drop into ~/Library/ColorSync/Profiles.
3. Windows: right-click → Install Profile.
4. In Photoshop / Illustrator / Affinity, select the profile under Print → Color Management → Printer Profile.
5. Rendering intent: Perceptual for photos, Relative Colorimetric for graphics.
6. Disable any "printer manages colour" toggle.

Gut-check

Print a colour wheel test with and without the profile. The difference is usually obvious.