Matching printer output to monitor

[Europa_714]

Hello all,

Please point me in the right direction to find out more info on setting the printer output to match what the monitor displays. Maybe there is an existing thread or website that can help me understand how to get the printer output close to the displayed image.

I am not printing any critical prints yet, I will be picking up an Epson 2200 soon, but for now just using a nothing-special Lexmark Z42.. but I still would like to do some prints for home.

I have my PS7 set to use the same color adjustment as the monitor, and find that the colors do not match, too much of a blue cast, and reds/browns are off too. I tried other color settings for print, like the standard 1.8 setting, and the Fuji S2 color setting, and I got color artifacting and posterization.

Also I was experimenting with the resolution (PPI) and figured that if allot was good, more would be great, so tried same file at 300, then reset to 600, and got a grainier worse result with the higher ppi (printer options always set to highest quality).

For this printer, I do not need any dead-on calibration, (the prints are temporary anyway with the ink quality use) but I would like to get it reasonably close. Please advise.

Thank You,
Paul

[Tom Nolle]

Did you profile the printer? Usually, if you want all your colors to match from camera through monitor to print, you have to profile each of the steps. Fuji provides a profile for the EX converter's creation of the TIFF files, for example. If you load your image with that profile set, it should provide accurate color match from the TIFF to the camera. If your monitor is then profiled correctly, those colors should appear on the monitor as they did in life. If the printer is profiled correctly, the image should then print with the same colors...all in theory, of course! Your printer manufacturer should provide a profile, and if there's a weak link in the process it's usually the monitor.

Tom

[Europa_714]

I was using the monitor's profile. I tried the profile setting through Adobe, created an ICC profile and it looks better, plus I got rid of that peskie pop-up asking me if I realy want to use the defalt ICC every time I started photoshop. I figured that the profile from the monitor (new SyncMaster 955df) would be the most accurate, but appently not so. Thanks for the suggestion, it works..

[apb]

Hi Paul - I would suggest you pop over to the color management forum , and check out some of the advice there.

In order to get good color from your printer, you need accurate color management. To get accurate color management, you need to understand what it is you are doing with the profiles. Then you can implement your profile choices, without treating it like it's a mysterious recipe that needs to be followed to the letter. : -)

I would recommend Barry Haynes' excellent book "Photoshop Artistry". Great 'class in a book', as well as a great reference book. He has also posted 3 articles he wrote on the subject of color managing desktop printers.

Http://www.barryhaynes.com

Also, check the tutorials & articles over at the Luminous Landscape (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/) - lot's of great stuff on desktop printing.

Also realize that many of the cheaper inkjets may not be that easy to profile, esp. depending on the inks and papers you use.

I have been using the epson 2200 and getting great results.

good luck

andy

[ballroom_boy]

This is also another great website to check;

http://www.computer-darkroom.com/home.htm