Why Your Epson ET-15000 Sublimation Colors Don't Match the Monitor (Teal Turns Blue, Gold Turns Green) - Fixes Before Buying a Custom ICC

Question: I bought a used Epson ET-15000 for sublimation and can't get the printed colors to match what I see on my monitor. Teal always prints blue and gold prints a greenish-gold. I've tried tons of settings, and the only thing that gets close is using the Textile profile from my Epson SC F-170 while turning off color management for the ET-15000. The printer came with Printers Jack ink-could the ink be the issue, and would a custom ICC profile solve this?

Answer: 

Now, let's break your situation down in the most practical, cost-effective way-because buying or commissioning an ICC profile too early often wastes money if the real issue is heat/press behavior or workflow color management.

1) The "Teal turns blue / Gold turns green" pattern often points to sublimation transfer behavior, not just ICC

What you're describing is extremely common when yellow isn't transferring correctly (or is getting damaged). In sublimation, yellow is "sneaky":

• If yellow under-transfers (not fully sublimated), colors that need yellow will skew cooler:

  • Teal (cyan + yellow) can shift toward blue (too cyan, not enough yellow)

  • Gold (yellow + magenta/black influence) can shift toward greenish or "dirty" tones depending on the imbalance

• If yellow overcooks (de-sublimates / gasses off), you can also lose yellow contribution and get weird shifts.

So before investing in an ICC workflow, you want to confirm you're not chasing a heat/time/pressure problem.

Quick "cheap test" before anything else

Do a controlled test with a known strong yellow:

• If you can, order a small bottle of yellow sublimation ink from a different brand and run a comparison (even if you keep the rest of your current set).

• Or, if you don't want to swap ink yet: run a test print that contains pure yellow blocks + teal gradients + gold gradients and change only press settings (not printer settings) to see if the same file shifts.

If the print changes a lot with press conditions, you're not dealing with an ICC-first problem.

2) Dial in press settings first (yellow can scorch; black needs more energy)

Here are practical ranges that match real-world sublimation behavior. Your goal is to get balanced CMYK transfer without sacrificing yellow or undercooking black.

Sublimation temperature ranges (CMYK tendencies)

• Cyan (C): 385-400°F (195-205°C) - usually transfers easily

• Magenta (M): 390-405°F (200-207°C) - slightly higher helps vibrancy

• Yellow (Y): 380-395°F (193-202°C) - transfers fastest; can scorch/shift if too hot/too long

• Black (K): 400-415°F (205-213°C) - needs the most energy; low heat makes blacks weak/brown

Common production "balanced" settings (what most shops land on)

• 395-405°F (202-207°C)

• 45-70 seconds

• Pressure: Medium-firm

Real-world rules (these matter)

• Black often dictates the upper temperature limit (too low = weak blacks)

• Yellow is usually the first color to get damaged (too hot/too long = yellow shift, loss, or haze)

• Higher heat can help blacks but increases risk of:

  • yellow shifting

  • bleeding

  • loss of fine detail

• Lower heat preserves detail but can cause:

  • weak blacks

  • muddy magenta

  • dull output

What I'd do in your case: run a small grid test at the same print settings while changing only:

• 385°F / 60 sec

• 395°F / 60 sec

• 405°F / 55-60 sec
  ...and keep pressure consistent. If yellow-heavy colors swing noticeably, that's your clue.

3) Don't let color management double-apply (this alone can ruin teal/gold)

Because you mentioned "50 different settings," I want to flag a very common trap: color management getting applied twice (or being mismatched between app/driver/paper settings).

A safe baseline test approach:

• In your design program, choose either:

  • Application manages color (and you pick a specific ICC), or

  • Printer manages color (and you avoid ICC transforms in the app)

• But do not let both manage color.

You mentioned the closest result happens when you turn off color management for the ET-15000 while using a Textile profile from the F-170. That's an interesting "near miss," but it also suggests your current setup may be compensating accidentally rather than being truly calibrated.

4) If you suspect the ink: solve it like a hobbyist (without a $2,000 tool)

Printers Jack ink could be part of the issue-different ink sets can vary in hue and density. But here's the key:

If your transfer process isn't stable, a custom ICC is like measuring a moving target.

Option 1 (most cost-effective): troubleshoot yellow transfer first

This is the best starting point before ICC work:

• Test temperature/time/pressure

• Consider swapping only yellow from another sublimation brand to compare

• Confirm you're not overbaking (yellow can gas off or shift)

This step alone often fixes teal and gold issues.

Option 2 (hardware route that improves color range): move to a 6-color sublimation printer

If you want better smoothness and wider gamut, a 6-color platform can help. For example:

• Epson XP-15000 (6-color) as a sublimation base

And if you go that route, consider specialty inks like red and gray to dial tones in. On our site you can search "sublimation gray" on BCH Technologies (https://bchtechnologies.com) and you'll see options.

You can either:

• buy a full matching ink set, or

• keep much of what you have and selectively tune (depending on your workflow and tolerance for testing)

Option 3 (custom ICC): do this only after Option 1 is confirmed

A custom ICC can be excellent-but only once:

• your press settings are stable,

• your paper is consistent,

• your substrate is consistent,

• and your workflow color management is consistent.

To build ICC profiles yourself, many people look at tools like an X-Rite i1Publish-class solution, which can run into the thousands depending on the setup. Another path is finding someone who already owns the equipment and has the time to profile your exact ink/paper/printer combination-but that can be hard to coordinate.

So yes-a custom ICC might help-but don't go there until you know yellow transfer isn't the real culprit.

Addressing printer issues can get complicated fast because so much of it is hands-on and depends on physical factors (temperature accuracy, pressure, paper, substrate coating, humidity, and even small workflow differences). Because of that, we're not able to provide remote troubleshooting, suggestions, or support for printer repairs. We do offer an in-person evaluation and repair service through our local diagnostic facility: Printer Repair Service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Due to high demand, everything is handled first-come, first-served, and it may take a few weeks before we're able to take a drop-off. Our services are structured to repair either the whole printer or specific parts, with clear instructions on how to proceed. That said, we understand our rates aren't the most economical, so we strongly recommend self-help through online research. A great place to start is YouTube-especially our channel homepage: BCH Technologies on YouTube (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Use the search icon next to "About" on the right side of the menu bar to find specific topics. I receive dozens of messages daily asking which video covers what, and after nine years of uploads, it's tough to remember every single one-YouTube search is the fastest route. Plus, YouTube may also recommend helpful videos from other creators that match your exact issue.

Thanks again for reaching out and for supporting what we do. I really hope the yellow-transfer test and the press-setting grid help you get the ET-15000 producing the colors you expect without sinking money into the wrong solution.