Ok so first tests
First important point - ICC colour profile.
This is the mapping between the image colour and the ink being used in the printer.
A little bit of a pain but A-Sub (people that make the ink and paper) have an ICM profile that's basically the ICC profile for Microsoft. It's possible to convert that to an apple ICC profile by:
* change the filename from a .icm to a .icc suffix
* Install the profile in /Library/ColorSync/Profiles
* change the permissions (chmod or file properties) so it can be RW
* repair the profile because the MD5 hash in it is bad (Microsoft but not apple). Todo that use ColourSync profile repair after verifying all the profiles.
* In colour sync go into the devices tab and find the Epson LT-2820, then select the custom profile you have just repaired (use the down arrow and not the 'open' button). This sets the standard->Epson with A-Sub ink.
Then just print out as normal - the printer is now "hard coded" to use that colour mapping with that ink. You can change it back at any time but the default/standard colour profile comes out very red. The new ICC profile comes out perfectly. Just don't attempt to print with yet another colour profile from the app (such as assigning a colour profile in Preview for example) or you will get a the wrong profile and thus the wrong colours out of the printer.
Second - set the printer to Quiet Print (ie slow speed printing) in the printer LCD settings. It will now stay like this.
Thirdly - select the right print paper type
The prints came out good but sub-ink on standard paper comes out faint/pale but the right colours - even with "Best". Once you change the paper to "Matte" in the printer LCD print settings and then use "Photopaper Matte" then the image that results if both more vivid and better definition. Set the quality to "Best".
You can even see this printing difference (selecting the right paper type) with the standard paper.
So outcome - this is using a photo test image - and I'll explain the differences as she's explained to me.
This is her test cotton t-shirt.. testing (a) heat levels, (b) heat duration, and (c) backing/non-backing etc. She used the little Cricut iron thing with the thermal ironing pad rather than using the big Cricut press thing.
Top left - with the backing support sheet material from A-sub, the lines through it are the edge of the support and not the ink jet clogging. So the woman is part on the backing sheet and part not .. so easily broken by stretch of the cotton. The backing material sticks to the back of the t-shirt but not like a patch more like it melts into the material. It makes it a little stiffer than the cotton without.
Top right without the backing support - not a good transfer.
Bottom left - again with the support material.
The colours that come out are vibrant too if the back sheet is used - we were worried about that but it seems to come out great.
Next up is the washing machine test.
