Colour: RGB or CMYK, sRGB or Adobe RGB, by process

RGB or CMYK for printing? sRGB or RGB on most platforms, CMYK first at two DTF shops, RGB inside two screen RIPs: what sources state, and who converts.

RGB or CMYK for printing: who converts, and where

Every print path ends in ink: cyan, magenta, yellow and black, often with white or an extra channel added (glossary: CMYK). The argument in the sources is only about who converts from the file you upload, and when. Whoever converts first decides the gamut, and the file carries no record of that decision (DTG guide).

Most platforms take RGB and convert in production: Printful asks for sRGB IEC61966-2.1, Printify says its system works in RGB and converts a CMYK upload. A PNG cannot store CMYK at all, as Fourthwall points out, so a shop that asks for CMYK is also asking for a different file format. Two DTF shops want CMYK first (Transfer Kingdom, Transfer Superstars). Screen-print separation software works in RGB (UltraSeps), and spot colours are named swatches that each RIP finds by its own rule. Embroidery has no profile, only a thread palette. An HTV cut file carries a line colour, not a fill colour. This guide only repeats rows the eight process guides already carry, each with the link it has there.

What the sources state

Each row gives the stated colour mode or profile, who converts, and what the source says happens to the rest. “Not stated” is a valid cell.

RGB and profile: DTG

Source guide: DTG.

Printful (platform): sRGB IEC61966-2.1, no Adobe RGB or ProPhoto; early CMYK “can unnecessarily reduce the available color information”. Proof space PSO Coated v3. Rendering intent not stated — Printful: RGB or CMYK
Printify (platform): works in RGB; a CMYK upload is converted “and the colors might shift significantly.” — Printify: Colour profile
Gelato (platform): sRGB, and design “within the CMYK color gamut”. — Gelato: DTG design files
Fourthwall (platform): “Use sRGB for every product.” “Don’t convert your artwork to CMYK yourself: printers convert to CMYK during production, and PNG files can’t store CMYK.” — Fourthwall: Artwork best practices
Redbubble (platform, process not stated): design in CMYK, upload RGB. — Redbubble: Dimensions & Format
Epson (maker/RIP): RGB and sRGB recommended; no CMYK in PNG or BMP. — Epson: Garment Creator guide
Kornit (maker, 2019 capture): the software “can redefine the file color”; no file colour requirement found. — Kornit: FAQ, 2019
Brother (maker/RIP): not stated. — Brother: Graphics Lab manual

RGB, CMYK and profile: DTF

Source guide: DTF. Most DTF sources want RGB, with sRGB named where a profile is named; two shops want CMYK.

Printful (platform): sRGB IEC61966-2.1 “will achieve the best possible accuracy” — Printful: Preparing a DTF print file
Printify (platform): “sRGB color profile” in its checklist — Printify: DTF file types for printing
Epson (maker): “select sRGB colors when creating data to be printed” — Epson: SureColor F1070 User’s Guide
DTF Transfers Now (platform): send RGB; converting to CMYK first “tends to dull the brightest colors” — DTF Transfers Now: Artwork upload requirements
Transfer Superstars (platform): convert to CMYK with FOGRA39 before submitting — Transfer Superstars: DTF file requirements
Transfer Kingdom (platform): CMYK required; RGB is auto-converted and “Color differences may occur” — Transfer Kingdom: Art file requirements
Gelato (platform): not stated — Gelato: Optimizing print results for apparel
Mimaki (maker): not stated — Mimaki: TxF150-75 brochure
Roland (maker): not stated — Roland DG: BN-20D datasheet

RGB, CMYK and embedded profile: sublimation

Source guide: Dye sublimation. For an upload, sRGB IEC61966-2.1 is the safe default, as Printful says for uploads (the first row below; Sawgrass’s macOS row below asks for Adobe RGB, so this is a platform rule); maker and RIP pages describe the operator’s own print path.

Printful (platform): upload in “sRGB IEC61966-2.1”; avoid Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB, which “can cause unexpected color shifts” — Printful: RGB or CMYK
Printify (platform): the system works in RGB and converts CMYK uploads, so “the colors might shift significantly”; “Create your design in RGB color mode” — Printify: Colour profile
Redbubble (platform): design in CMYK, “convert the finished work into the RGB color profile before uploading” — Redbubble: Dimensions & Format; “We highly recommend designing in CMYK” — Redbubble: Printing digital designs
Fourthwall (platform): “Color mode. sRGB.” “The printing software converts to CMYK automatically, so don’t convert it yourself.” — Fourthwall: Mug design
Cloudprinter (platform): “Choose CMYK or RGB colour model” — Cloudprinter: Mug
Sawgrass (maker/RIP), Windows: working space and file profile “sRGB IEC61966-2.1”; print dialog “Printer Manages Colors” — Sawgrass: Photoshop, Windows
Sawgrass (maker/RIP), macOS: “Working Space RGB: Adobe RGB (1998)”; print dialog “Printer Manages Colors” — Sawgrass: Photoshop, macOS
Sawgrass (maker/RIP): use RGB; some CMYK colours fail “as the Sawgrass Print Utility profiles are in RGB” — Sawgrass: Wrong colours
Epson (maker): with driver colour management off, “An ICC profile is required”; media types include “DS Transfer General Purpose/Textile” and “DS Transfer General Purpose/Rigid” — Epson: F570 guide (PDF)
Mimaki (maker/RIP): profiles are per printer, ink and paper, e.g. “Generic Transfer Paper_nr” for TS100, TS55, TS300P with Sublimation610 and 410 inks — Mimaki: Device profile
Wasatch (RIP): “it’s hard to make color profiles that will work for every situation”, naming press temperature, fabric and press time — Wasatch: Dye sublimation

RGB, ICC and output intent: wall decor

Source guide: Wall decor. For a POD upload, export sRGB; Adobe RGB belongs to labs that ask for it.

Printful (platform): sRGB IEC61966-2.1; the system converts colours — Printful help
ArtStation (platform): no Adobe RGB, no CMYK; prints may look dull in Adobe RGB — ArtStation specs
Gelato (platform, PDF route): sRGB recommended for posters — Gelato PDF rules
Gelato (platform, PDF route): PDF/X-4, output intent GRACoL 2006 — Gelato PDF rules
Gelato (platform, PDF route): rich black 60 60 60 100, total 280 — Gelato PDF rules
Prodigi (platform): RGB; do not embed Prodigi’s profiles, “they’re for proofing only” — Prodigi wall art
Redbubble (platform): design in CMYK, convert to RGB before upload — Redbubble specs
Hahnemühle (maker): RGB profiles for driver and application, not RIPs; AdobeRGB named as an example monitor view; ink and colour limits not stated on the ICC page — Hahnemühle ICC
SAIC (lab): Adobe RGB 1998 — SAIC latex
Printify (platform): ink and colour limits not stated — Printify help
Moab, Canson (maker): not stated on a readable page; Moab’s ICC sub-pages failed to load, Canson’s ICC page rendered navigation only — Moab, Canson ICC

Screen printing: RGB working files and separations

Source guide: Screen printing. Which mode the file needs depends on the separation software.

Freehand Separation Studio NXT (RIP): “engineered to separate and print using RGB colors, not CMYK”, because RGB gives a wider gamut — Freehand: why NXT has no CMYK
Freehand AccuRIP Emerald (RIP): in Photoshop the Separations option appears only in CMYK, Multichannel or Duotone mode; an RGB file shows no Separations option — Freehand: Separations not available
UltraSeps (RIP): “ALWAYS work in RGB mode”; for a CMYK separation, prepare the art in RGB and let UltraSeps convert — UltraSeps: user guide v3 (PDF)
UltraSeps (RIP): the “UltraSeps Custom Color.csf” file must be loaded; without it the channels do not render correctly because dot gain is not compensated — UltraSeps: user guide v3 (PDF)
UltraSeps (RIP): before outputting from Photoshop CS1 to CS4, delete the RGB channels or composite cluster above the separation channels; from Illustrator or CorelDraw the RGB channels must stay — UltraSeps: print PSD separation, CS1-CS4 (PDF)
RushOrderTees (platform; colour-selection help for all products): “Create your images using CMYK if possible; otherwise, they will need to be converted.” A customer-facing request, the opposite of the RGB-first advice from separation vendors, at a different stage of the workflow — RushOrderTees: colour selection

Screen printing: Pantone and spot colours

Source guide: Screen printing. Pantone matching is a named request, and at the two shops that state it, a paid extra.

Custom Ink (platform): enter Pantone colours via “Edit Colors” or the Upload panel’s “Need a Pantone Color Match?” prompt; each Pantone match is a paid extra — Custom Ink: match your ink colours
Teespring / Spring (platform; Wayback capture of 2022-05-19, live page blocked, not current policy): name any required PMS colours, or the closest PMS colours are chosen during vectorization — Teespring: Design Support, Wayback capture 2022-05-19
RushOrderTees (platform): Pantone Color Matching is an additional paid service — RushOrderTees: colour selection
Freehand AccuRIP Emerald (RIP): swatches from colour libraries, or process colours converted to spot, give a 100% solid swatch instead of a mix of process values — Freehand: spot colours in AccuRIP Emerald
Freehand Separation Studio NXT (RIP): symbols such as ! $ @ / in swatch names can cause errors opening the PDF; keep spot colour names to letters and numbers — Freehand: naming colour swatches

Embroidery: thread palette instead of a profile

Source guide: Embroidery. Of the rows below, only Printful’s generic t-shirt blog names a colour profile, sRGB. For embroidery the colour step is thread mapping.

Printful (platform; blog, generic t-shirt answer): sRGB IEC61966-2.1, actual print size, minimum 150 DPI, “higher for oversized designs and detailed artwork”; Printful’s embroidery help article says 300 DPI — Printful: T-shirt design placement guide, Printful: Can I use my own digitized file for embroidery?
Printful (platform): unlimited colour embroidery uses Coloreel technology and can stitch “any color within the CMYK gamut” — Printful: How should I prepare my design for embroidery?
Printify (platform): thread colours are assigned automatically to the closest palette colour; for control, use text embroidery or design with only the 15 thread hex values — Printify: Which colors can I use in my embroidery design?
Custom Ink (decorator and retailer; page undated): thread colours are more limited than ink, and a Pantone match gets the closest stock thread — Custom Ink: Optimizing Your Embroidery Files for Best Results

UV flatbed and UV-DTF: CMYK or RGB, embedded profiles and spot channels

Source guide: UV flatbed and UV-DTF. ONYX says design in CMYK or convert to it, Loostra converts uploads to CMYK itself, and Printful and Printify, for all their products, ask for RGB.

ONYX (RIP): process inks are cyan, magenta, yellow and black; “Files designed for print should ideally be designed in CMYK, or converted from RGB to CMYK” — ONYX: Designing with white specialty ink
Mimaki RasterLink7 (maker | RIP): a PDF saved with an embedded profile gets no colour replacement even if it is switched on, and the job shows a warning; to use CMYK or gradation colour replacement, save the PDF without an embedded profile — Mimaki: RasterLink7 reference guide, Color Replacement - Functions
Loostra (platform, UV-DTF on hard goods): uploads are converted to CMYK automatically; if colour accuracy matters, prepare the artwork in CMYK, because brightness, contrast and saturation can shift in the conversion — Loostra: How to prepare a file for UV DTF printing
Printful (platform; all products, process not stated): create and upload final print files in sRGB IEC61966-2.1; converting to CMYK first can reduce colour information — Printful: Should I use RGB or CMYK for Printful print files?
Printify (platform; all products, not UV-specific): the system works in RGB and converts an uploaded CMYK file, so colours may shift; design in RGB — Printify: Which color profile should I use for my files?
Roland VersaWorks 7 (maker | RIP): for genuine white, gloss, primer, metallic silver or structural ink, the spot colour has to be specified with the print data so VersaWorks recognises it — Roland DG: VersaWorks 7 master guide
Roland VersaWorks 7 (maker | RIP): swatch names White: RDG_WHITE, Gloss: RDG_Gloss, Primer: RDG_PRIMER, Metallic silver: RDG_MetallicSilver, Structural: RDG_STRUCTURAL; the VersaWorks 6 spot-colour page and Roland’s blog write the gloss swatch RDG_GLOSS — Roland DG: VersaWorks 7 master guide, Roland DG: VersaWorks 6 help, Special Color (job settings)
Epson SureColor V-Series / Grimco (maker | RIP): the white or varnish area must be a spot colour (its colour does not change the print), it must be named “White” or “Varnish” with capital first letters and correct spelling, and the design must sit on top of the coloured portion; the layer name does not matter — Epson/Grimco: V-Series best practices
ONYX (RIP): in PDF or EPS, ONYX assigns a spot colour to a spot ink channel by name; name them Spot1, Spot2 and so on, otherwise extra steps are needed in the RIP — ONYX: Designing with white specialty ink
CalderaRIP (RIP): after preparing the file in an image editor, choose “Use a Spot Color” as the separation method; the page calls it the most powerful yet complex method, with an extra separation holding the white data for objects assigned to the chosen spot colour, typically “White” — Caldera: How to print spot inks with CalderaRIP
CalderaRIP (RIP): Generate from CMYK data fills the white channel for every pixel where the CMYK data is not zero, before screening; a shape filled with 1% yellow gets the same white as one filled with 100% black — Caldera: How to print spot inks with CalderaRIP
Mimaki RasterLink7 (maker | RIP): spot colour names must be single-byte alphanumeric characters; otherwise the image cannot be imported, the name may display garbled, or the job may print without colour replacement — Mimaki: RasterLink7 reference guide, Color Replacement - Functions

HTV and vinyl cutting: line colour, not fill

Source guide: HTV and vinyl cutting. For a cut file the colour that carries meaning is the line colour.

Roland DG GR2-640 (maker): set the line colour to any colour other than green (R:0 G:255 B:0); “Green will be recognized as a perforated cut line.” Fill areas are ignored even if specified — Roland DG: 1. Create the cutting data (Adobe Illustrator 2022)
Roland DGA (maker; 2010, digital print/cut on wide-format printers): work in RGB, not CMYK; RGB files are up to 25% smaller; no LAB or Indexed Color — Roland DGA: The Perfect Setup

What converts where, as the guides read it

The rows above, put by who does the conversion. These are summaries of rows already listed, not new ones.

The platform converts RGB to CMYK in production: Printful, Printify, Fourthwall (DTG and mugs), Loostra (UV-DTF, uploads converted automatically).
The seller converts to CMYK first: Transfer Superstars (FOGRA39), Transfer Kingdom (required, RGB auto-converted), ONYX (UV, “ideally”), RushOrderTees (screen printing, “if possible”).
The seller designs in CMYK and uploads RGB: Redbubble (DTG, sublimation and wall rows).
The operator’s RIP converts from an RGB working file: UltraSeps, Freehand Separation Studio NXT, Sawgrass (its print utility profiles are RGB).
A named profile travels in the file or is stripped from it: sRGB IEC61966-2.1 embedded at Printful; no Prodigi proofing profile embedded at Prodigi; no embedded profile in a PDF for Mimaki colour replacement at Mimaki; PDF/X-4 with output intent GRACoL 2006 at Gelato, PDF/X-4 at Cloudprinter.
No colour conversion at all: a cut file takes line colour, not fill (Roland DG); embroidery maps to the nearest thread (Printify).

Where the sources disagree

Upload RGB, or convert to CMYK first

DTF Transfers Now says send RGB, because “converting to CMYK first tends to dull the brightest colors” (DTF Transfers Now); Printful and Epson name sRGB (Printful, Epson). Transfer Superstars says convert to CMYK with FOGRA39 before submitting (Transfer Superstars). Transfer Kingdom requires CMYK but auto-converts RGB, so in practice it accepts both (Transfer Kingdom).

The DTF claim to send RGB because converting first dulls the brightest colours is rated partly true (verdict 115): each shop’s rule holds for its own workflow, and neither is a general authority. The DTG claim that files should be CMYK to prevent colour shifts is rated false (verdict 112): Fourthwall’s current page says save in sRGB and do not convert, and Printful’s help centre recommends sRGB IEC61966-2.1.

On the floor: the same file prints differently in the two camps. Ask before converting, and keep an sRGB master (DTG guide).

Design in CMYK (Redbubble) or design in RGB and only preview CMYK (Printify)

Redbubble says “design your work in the CMYK color profile” and convert to RGB before upload (Redbubble). Printify says “Create your design in RGB color mode”, previews in CMYK, then “Undo the color mode changes” (Printify).

A design built in CMYK has already lost the colours outside CMYK before the RIP sees it (Printful), and Sawgrass’s own profiles are RGB (Sawgrass). A seller listing on both platforms gets two opposite instructions for one master (sublimation guide).

Is sRGB or Adobe RGB better for printing?

Printful says to avoid Adobe RGB uploads (Printful); ArtStation says prints may look dull (ArtStation). SAIC wants Adobe RGB 1998 (SAIC). Sawgrass’s macOS Photoshop guide says “Working Space RGB: Adobe RGB (1998)” (Sawgrass macOS), yet the same page calls its preset “Sawgrass_sRGB”; the Windows twin says sRGB IEC61966-2.1 throughout (Sawgrass Windows).

Only Printful says what its system reads (sRGB IEC61966-2.1); no page says what happens to an embedded Adobe RGB tag (wall guide). For a POD upload, sRGB is what Printful, ArtStation and Gelato ask for. The macOS Sawgrass page reads like an editing error; a Mac operator who follows it tags files Adobe RGB, the kind Printful says causes shifts (sublimation guide).

Separation software: RGB first, or CMYK

UltraSeps says “ALWAYS work in RGB mode” and let UltraSeps do any CMYK conversion (UltraSeps); Separation Studio NXT separates in RGB, not CMYK (Freehand). AccuRIP Emerald offers Separations only for CMYK, Multichannel or Duotone files (Freehand). RushOrderTees asks customers to create images in CMYK if possible (RushOrderTees). The RushOrderTees line is a customer-facing request at a different stage from the separator’s working file, so it is not a direct clash with UltraSeps; the real split is between RGB-first separation software and AccuRIP’s host separations (screen guide).

Embedded profile: keep it, or strip it

Printful asks for sRGB IEC61966-2.1 in the file (Printful) and Prodigi says not to embed its profiles (Prodigi). For UV, Mimaki says a PDF with an embedded profile gets no colour replacement (Mimaki). These are different profiles at different stages, a working-space tag for a platform and a proofing or embedded profile in front of a RIP; no page read reconciles them for a seller who uploads to both (glossary: ICC profile).

Spot names are per RIP

Roland names the spot swatches RDG_WHITE and RDG_Gloss (Roland VersaWorks 7). Epson Edge Print wants “White” or “Varnish” with capital first letters and correct spelling (Epson/Grimco). ONYX assigns by name and asks for Spot1, Spot2 and so on; other names need extra steps in the RIP (ONYX). On the floor: a file named for one RIP has to be renamed for another (UV guide). In screen printing, symbols in a swatch name can break the PDF in Separation Studio NXT (Freehand).

What fails on the floor

Dull or shifted colour after a CMYK or wide-gamut upload

Cause in the file: CMYK or non-sRGB data converted by the platform or RIP. Printify warns “the colors might shift significantly” (Printify); Printful says wider spaces “can cause unexpected color shifts” (Printful). Not always the file: Sawgrass says greenish blacks are “generally under cooked” (Sawgrass drinkware tips) and expired cartridges cause colour issues (Sawgrass). Source guide: Dye sublimation.

Colour shift blamed on the file’s colour mode

Printful: wide-gamut RGB “can cause unexpected color shifts” and early CMYK conversion leads to “less accurate results”. Fourthwall: “Don’t convert your artwork to CMYK yourself”, because printers convert in production; its page no longer says what an early conversion does to colour. Printful blames a conversion done before upload; Fourthwall only rules it out. Source guide: DTG.

Colours print darker than the screen

Monitors ship at full brightness, around 300 cd/m2 or more, so the edit looks brighter than the print (Photo Review). Vendor article, no print shown. Source guide: Wall decor.

Spot colour knocks out the design underneath

Symptom: the white or varnish area cuts a hole through the colour design under it. Cause in the file: the White or Varnish spot swatch is not set to Overprint Fill or Overprint Stroke in Illustrator (Epson/Grimco). Source guide: UV flatbed and UV-DTF.

White and metallic swapped

Symptom: white ink prints where metal is expected and the other way round. Cause in the file: a separations PDF whose spot names are not Spot1, Spot2; Illustrator lists spots alphabetically (Metal before White), so ONYX maps them to the wrong channels until Color Order is set to Custom (ONYX). Source guide: UV flatbed and UV-DTF.

Spot colour ignored or garbled in RasterLink7

Symptom: colour replacement does not run, the spot name shows as garbled characters, or the job will not import. Cause in the file: a PDF saved with an embedded profile, a spot name with multi-byte or non-alphanumeric characters, or a white vector object set to C=0 M=0 Y=0 K=0 or 0% density (Mimaki). Source guide: UV flatbed and UV-DTF.

Halftones print where solid was expected

Symptom: halftone dots on film where a solid fill was wanted. Cause in the file: elements not set up as 100% spot colours, or Illustrator’s print dialog left in Composite instead of host-based Separations (Freehand). Source guide: Screen printing.

What shops ask on the forums

“Why do the printed colours not match the screen, and what colour mode should I send?”

“I cannot get a true print that matches the art on the screen.” — Forum: Tricks for converting RGB to CMYK and getting true to colour output, March 2025, on the DTF board. Also asked in Forum: Acorip Software / Photoshop color settings, May 2025 and Forum: Safety Green, Printing the color Safety Green as close as possible., September 2026, where the asker wants Safety Green on black garments and will test a transfer.

What the sources say: sRGB at Printful, Printify and Epson, RGB at DTF Transfers Now, CMYK FOGRA39 at Transfer Superstars, CMYK required but auto-converted at Transfer Kingdom. The DTF guide records that none explains why the print still differs once the right mode is sent, or gives CMYK values for a colour.

“Why does my canvas print warmer or darker than the listing image, and what do I pre-correct?”

“I’m getting occasional complaints about colors printing warmer/more orange than the listing images.” — Reddit r/printondemand: Those of you selling framed canvas — how do you handle color mismatch between mockups and prints?, February 2026 (a Prodigi seller). Also: Reddit r/printondemand: What’s the best way to handle color consistency across different wall art POD products?, December 2025, and LuLa forum: Dynamic Range mapping, file to pirnt., February 2026.

What the sources say: the wall guide’s sources split between lowering monitor brightness to 80-120 cd/m2 (Photo Review, a vendor article) and raising canvas brightness 10-15% (Printify canvas); none gives pre-correction values for colour temperature or a lab measurement of canvas colour.

“How do I put white or varnish into the file so the RIP reads it as a channel?”

“I’m really not sure how to setup the white or clear spots on this so I can test them.” — Forum: Onyx and UCJV330 Config, November 2025. Also asked in Forum: KingJet 6090 UV flatbed – full varnish coverage uneven, January 2026.

What the sources say: swatch names per RIP, RDG_WHITE and RDG_Gloss at Roland DG, “White” and “Varnish” at Epson/Grimco, Spot1 and Spot2 at ONYX, “Use a Spot Color” at Caldera. The UV guide records what none says: how to save a spot channel in Photoshop, and whether a varnish channel should be solid rather than a density map.

Preflight before you upload

Ask the shop whether it wants RGB or CMYK and who converts; most platforms in the DTG, sublimation and wall guides want an RGB upload, two DTF shops want CMYK — Printful, Transfer Kingdom, Transfer Superstars
Without a shop rule, embed sRGB IEC61966-2.1, not Adobe RGB or ProPhoto — Printful
Keep an sRGB master; whoever converts first decides the gamut and the file does not record it — Printful, Fourthwall
Do not send a CMYK copy as a PNG; a PNG cannot store CMYK — Fourthwall
If the shop asks for CMYK on DTF, ask which profile: FOGRA39 at one shop — Transfer Superstars
On a PDF route, check the standard the lab names: PDF/X-4 with output intent GRACoL 2006 at Gelato, PDF/X-4 at Cloudprinter — Gelato, Cloudprinter
Do not embed a lab’s proofing profile in the upload — Prodigi
For a Mimaki colour replacement job, save the PDF without an embedded profile — Mimaki
For screen separations, work in RGB 8-bit unless the shop runs AccuRIP host separations — UltraSeps, Freehand
Set solid elements as 100% spot colours in a screen-print file, and keep swatch names to letters and numbers — Freehand, Freehand
Name white and varnish swatches for the RIP that runs the job: RDG_WHITE or RDG_Gloss for Roland, White or Varnish for Epson, Spot1 and Spot2 for ONYX — Roland, Epson/Grimco, ONYX
Set white and varnish spot objects to overprint so they do not knock out the colour — Epson/Grimco
For a cut file, set the line colour to anything but green R:0 G:255 B:0 on a Roland GR2-640 — Roland DG
Before blaming the profile on a sublimation shift, run a nozzle check and a press test — Sawgrass, Sawgrass

Sources, checked on 2026-10-19 and 2026-10-21

Every source below is already listed in one of the eight process guides, where its read date stands: DTG, DTF, sublimation and wall decor on 2026-10-19; screen printing, embroidery, UV and HTV on 2026-10-21. The guide’s asOf is the older date.

Forum threads

T-Shirt Forums: Tricks for converting RGB to CMYK and getting true to colour output, opening post March 2025
T-Shirt Forums: Acorip Software / Photoshop color settings, opening post May 2025
T-Shirt Forums: Safety Green, Printing the color Safety Green as close as possible., opening post September 2026
Reddit r/printondemand: Those of you selling framed canvas, how do you handle color mismatch between mockups and prints?, opening post February 2026
Reddit r/printondemand: What’s the best way to handle color consistency across different wall art POD products?, opening post December 2025
LuLa forum: Dynamic Range mapping, file to pirnt., opening post February 2026
Signs101: Onyx and UCJV330 Config, opening post November 2025
Reddit r/UVprinting: KingJet 6090 UV flatbed, full varnish coverage uneven, opening post January 2026

Could not check

Impressions Magazine, DTG artwork (2016), impressionsmagazine.com/?p=16003: HTTP 403 on 2026-10-25, also to a full Chrome user agent, and no Wayback copy exists. Its row in the DTG list (trade press, advice to design in RGB) is removed; no count in this guide used it.
No rendering intent for sRGB to CMYK is stated in any row; the DTG guide records Printful’s proof space (PSO Coated v3) and no rendering intent. This guide adds no soft-proofing advice.
Embroidery, DTG makers (Brother, Kornit’s current site) and wall-art paper makers (Moab, Canson): cells read “not stated” or carry the process guide’s own caveat.

Colour: RGB or CMYK, sRGB or Adobe RGB, by process.