This article concerns users of the Epson SureColor F94X0H and F10000H.

Some Epson printers are provided with CMYK + Fluorescent Pink / Fluorescent Yellow ink sets. To be able to print the Fluorescent Pink and Yellow, you must use the Spot Color Module following the steps mentioned in this article.

Print Modes

Before using fluorescent inks, you must get familiar with the printing modes already available to use with your printer.

1. Process Modes.
   To print fluorescent Pink and Yellow, the models indicated at the beginning of this article replace the traditional color model (CMYK) with fluorescent colors (Pink or Yellow). If your printer is provided with 6 ink sets (colors), you can find the following process modes available to you:
   
   
   CFpFyK CMFyK Epson Precision Dot CFpFyK/CMFyK

   Fluorescent Pink replaces Magenta, and Fluorescent Yellow replaces Yellow. They are used in addition to Cyan and Black. 

   Replaces Yellow with Fluorescent Yellow while keeping Cyan, Magenta, and Black.

   This mode is recommended for Epson printers using CMYK Fp Fy configuration, ensuring optimal dot placement and print quality for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Fluorescent Pink, and fluorescent yellow. Ink replacement is also applied in this case.

     Good to know

   The described printing modes can be categorized as process inks but fundamentally function as CMYK. However, instead of using "Magenta", they substitute it with the ink code "Fluo Pink" (Fp). This adjustment is made to align more closely with the characteristics of Epson Precision Dot technology (EPD).

2. Spot Color Modes.
   When using, for example, the Epson SureColor F9400H, you can create fluorescent Pink and Yellow as additional spot colors in the Spot Color Module. Instead of applying ink replacement (Process Colors), you will have CMYK + FP/FY:
   
   
   CMYK Fp Fy CMYKFpFy Epson Precision Dot CMYK Fp Fy

   The fluorescent inks are used in conjunction with cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

   Fluorescent Pink or Yellow acts as a supplement for process colors.

   This mode uses the CMYK Fp Fy configuration combined with (EPD). 

     Good to know

   CMYK-like (Process) modes modify the traditional CMYK color model by substituting traditional process inks with fluorescent inks. In contrast, spot-color modes incorporate fluorescent inks as additional spot colors alongside CMYK.
   The choice between these modes depends on the desired color vibrancy, print quality, and compatibility with specific printing equipment and media.

Other recommended parameters

The print mode you should choose depends on the combination of material type, print speed, resolution, and quality. Fabric materials, for example, are accessible in faster modes while Rigid materials are accessible in slower but higher qualities.

The following combinations will help you access all the color modes mentioned above.

1. Fabric:
   • 720x720 4 pass
   • 720x720 6 pass
   • 720x720 6 pass
   • 720x720 8 pass

    

2. Rigid:
   • 720x1440 12 pass
   • 720x1440 12 pass High Quality

Example for the SC-F9470H (all recommendations)

Printing with fluorescent ink

With these printers, you will have to use the Spot Color Module to print your Fluo inks (rather than the Page Setup, as with some other printers).

But, before, you have to prepare your file and then map a spot color to a custom CMYK value.

File Preparation

Gradients

If your file includes a gradient background in fluorescent pink, you will need to ensure that the gradient smoothly transitions from one shade of pink to another without introducing unintended color shifts.

Avoiding bleeding

If the print files appear strange or the bleed area lacks sufficient ink coverage, it means that the printer settings or file preparation methods do not account for proper bleed allowances and ink distribution.

Printing in CalderaRIP

1. Make sure that your spot channels and files are well-prepared before using CalderaRIP
2. Open the Spot Color Module and Upload your file
3. Use the Eyedropper to select your desired Fluo ink spots in the image:
   
   

     Info

   Note that the Preview serves to give you an idea of what you are manipulating, so the result you can get with the Eyedropper is therefore approximate. If you enter the value of each color by hand, instead of using the Eyedropper, you are more likely to get the expected result.

4. Go to the Details tab:
   

    

5. To create a fluorescent pink color, you must set its value to 100% while keeping the other CMYK values as 0%:
   

    

6. Next to the values, click on the Save button:

    

7. Save your Fluo Pink in Dynamic Colors 

    

8. The same can be applied to generate Fluo Yellow: