Question 1

Why did my red print orange?

Accepted Answer

Bright screen reds sit right at the edge of what sublimation ink can mix, and most profiles pull them toward orange-red. The fix: choose a slightly cooler, deeper red (a touch more magenta). Check it here first, or tap a print-safe alternative and design with that.

Question 2

Why can't sublimation print neon colors?

Accepted Answer

Neon/fluorescent pigments literally emit extra light; CMYK sublimation ink can only absorb and reflect it. Neons are outside the ink's gamut, so they print as ordinary, muted versions of themselves. No profile, paper or press setting can fix physics; design with saturated non-neon hues instead.

Question 3

What is Delta E (ΔE)?

Accepted Answer

A standard measure of the difference between two colors. This tool uses CIEDE2000, the version tuned to how people actually see: ΔE under 2 is invisible to most people, 2–5 is a slight shift, 5–10 is clearly noticeable, and 10 or more is a different color. It is computed between your design color and its predicted print.

Question 4

Where do these predictions come from?

Accepted Answer

From each ink brand's real ICC profile, the color-calibration file the vendor publishes, applied as a professional soft-proof transform to thousands of reference colors. It's the same technique prepress shops use to preview print jobs, packaged into an instant lookup.

Question 5

Why does the prediction change between ink brands?

Accepted Answer

Because inks genuinely differ. Different dye formulations reproduce different gamuts, and vendor profiles vary in quality too. That's exactly why the app asks which ink you use. If your brand isn't listed, the shift patterns (violet worst, neons impossible, cyans drift) hold across sublimation inks generally.

Question 6

My print still doesn't match the prediction, why?

Accepted Answer

The profile predicts the ink's behavior, but real results also depend on press time and temperature, paper quality, and the substrate. Under-pressing dulls everything, and off-white or textured blanks mute colors further. Nail the press settings with the Heat Press Finder, and make sure the ICC profile is actually installed in your printing workflow.

Question 7

What colors are safest for sublimation?

Accepted Answer

Black, white, grays and most mid-tones print reliably; teal, kelly green, royal blue, corals, pastels and yellows do well. The risky families are violet, magenta & purple (worst), neon and lime greens (can't be reproduced), aqua/cyan (prints paler) and navy (prints a little lighter). Bold, high-contrast palettes reproduce best.

Will my colors print right?

How it works

Pick your ink

Pick any color

See the print, and the fix

This isn't a guess, it's a soft-proof

Color shift FAQ

Your next print is going to come out right.