Quick question about Wii U covers

[IWHBYD]

I just printed a custom cover for Bayonetta for Wii U and I notice the top banner that says Wii U is much more blue than a retail Wii U cover which has a more blue/green color to it. I am using a nice semi gloss paper and printing on the "best" quality setting but my printer is a little on the old side and only has a black and a multi color ink cartridge. Are there any settings I can change to get a more perfect copy of retail covers or do I really need to upgrade my printer to get better results? I'm guessing I know the answer but I just want to make sure there isn't something I'm missing. Basically I'm just really wondering if a top quality printer will produce colors that will be identical to a retail cover or will even the best printers be off? I have been meaning to buy a new printer for some time, this will help me decide if I just get just another decent printer or a really good one.

Thanks

[segamer]

Printing is a difficult element of making covers. Different printer produce different results as do inks. Even retail covers can differ. Where I work, we have a copy center that makes books. We have to calibrate our printers once a month. I can only recommend making adjustments to the cover to get the best match.  If the cover is too dark, lighten the cover.

[bender3455]

Also, be sure to use high quality paper, and to be sure your printing is set to the type of paper you use.  You'd be amazed at the difference the right paper will make.  At first, you'd probably have thought paper is paper, but it really makes a difference!  When I went from standard paper to high quality Red River paper, my 32X covers for example, completely changed to a different tone of orange.

[TDIRunner]

Also, be sure to use high quality paper, and to be sure your printing is set to the type of paper you use.  You'd be amazed at the difference the right paper will make.  At first, you'd probably have thought paper is paper, but it really makes a difference!  When I went from standard paper to high quality Red River paper, my 32X covers for example, completely changed to a different tone of orange.

^^^Correct

Red River 50 lb. Premium Matte Double Sided 8.5x14



The new stuff is on the right (just in case you couldn't tell )


The difference in person is about a thousand times better than what the pictures are showing (and I think the pictures show a lot).

[TDIRunner]

And another example showing the difference between copy paper and high quality semi-gloss paper.

(Semi-gloss on the left and copy paper on the right)

[IWHBYD]

Thanks for the responses, I'm using Red River Semi Gloss paper and the paper looks fantastic, it's the best paper I've used. The cover on its own looks great, it just doesn't quite match up color wise with the first few Wii U games I grabbed to compare. Of course not all retail Wii U cover art matches up perfectly either there is some variance in the blue color at the top, the cover I printed just jumps out a little more.


http://i.imgur.com/qdrnvTe.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5y0qhv5.jpg

[Polygon]

A small increase to the cyan would fix that. If you're using Photoshop it's an easy enough adjustment from the selective colors. But it really is tricky to match colors from what you see on something, then to a monitor and then to being printed out. Have you tried comparing the factory covers to what you're seeing on the monitor side by side with what printed? You should be able to use that comparison to get the cyan pretty close.

[wiggy]

A small increase to the cyan would fix that. If you're using Photoshop it's an easy enough adjustment from the selective colors. But it really is tricky to match colors from what you see on something, then to a monitor and then to being printed out. Have you tried comparing the factory covers to what you're seeing on the monitor side by side with what printed? You should be able to use that comparison to get the cyan pretty close.

Actually, if it's too blue, he needs to add yellow.

[IWHBYD]

I decided to get a new printer, I went with a Pixma Pro 100 and the results are fantastic. The colors are perfect without trying to tweak the covers in GIMP or any printer settings.

[Arseen]

I decided to get a new printer, I went with a Pixma Pro 100 and the results are fantastic. The colors are perfect without trying to tweak the covers in GIMP or any printer settings.

Good to know what to get as next printer.

[TDIRunner]

I decided to get a new printer, I went with a Pixma Pro 100 and the results are fantastic. The colors are perfect without trying to tweak the covers in GIMP or any printer settings.

Glad it worked out.  If possible, it would be helpful if you could upload some pictures of your cover prints with your old printer next to your new printer for comparison.