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Moderated by: chrisbet,

printing

Author	Post

Posted by Kathy Baker: Tue Dec 10th, 2013 04:20

1^st Post

I have forgotten much information and would like some guidance. I want to match my printed image to the image on my screen. Could someone recommend a good sight that gives easy to follow instructions on how to do this.
I am using the ink sucking Epson r800.
thanks

Posted by Eric: Tue Dec 10th, 2013 04:55

2^nd Post

Kathy Baker wrote:
I have forgotten much information and would like some guidance. I want to match my printed image to the image on my screen. Could someone recommend a good sight that gives easy to follow instructions on how to do this.
I am using the ink sucking Epson r800.
thanks

I am sure someone will remember a good site...it's ages since I referred to any.

But can I just make a point.

You say 'match you printed image to the screen' which is not strictly speaking the correct starting point. (maybe just your wording)

The file is correct colour. (assuming camera settings are correct)

So, for example, simply putting the SD card straight into the printer (without looking at it in software on a screen) SHOULD get the correct representation of the scene. If it doesn't ....the printer calibration is wrong.

Of course we all want to 'see' the image before printing and we use a 'window' in the form of a screen and some software to view it.

Trouble is....software and screens interpret colour differently. So what you SEE may be wrong! (ie not what is actually in the file!)

If your screen isn't calibrated correctly it may display a colour distorted, wrong exposed image that you feel compelled to change. The net result is you change what was a correct colour and/or exposure ...so it looks ok on your wrong coloured screen....but it then prints wrong!

So the starting point is always to calibrate your monitor first.
Once this is done your 'window' is as clean as it can be.

Then, using your preferred software, you can print off an image and see if it matches your screen. ( be aware that using different software will change the image appearance even on a calibrated screen. So it's important to use the same software when colour correcting and printing)

If it doesn't match, you need to create or get (I believe commercial companies offer this service) a corrective profile for your printer.

Every time you print you need to use this profile.

Sorry if that's restating the obvious but it's so easy to chase your tail recalibrating printers and get the wrong result....from screen and software related reasons.

____________________
Eric

Posted by jk: Tue Dec 10th, 2013 12:36

3^rd Post

The bets way to go about this is not cheap or simple.

I am sure that Graham Whistler could probably point us to a RPS way of doing things.

Here goes anyway. If you want to get you printer to print what you see on screen first of all you need to make sure your monitor is correctly calibrated.

To do this you need a Pantone Spyder or ColorMunki.
This sets up your monitor so that it is outputing the correct colour from your computer video card. If you change computers you need to recalibrate. In fact in theory you should calibrate every month if you have a LED/TFT screen and weekly if you have an older CRT.

OK so your screen is calibrated so now you need to make the printer output match as closely as possible what you see on screen. In reality this will never be absolutely the same as one is transmitted light (from the screen) and the other reflected light (from the print) but once again this requires you to calibrate or profile the printer.
The printer profile is specific to the printer, the batch of paper and the batch of ink you are using!!

See this is not easy or trivial.

More info on this can be found on the Luminous Landscape site.
Also Cambridge in Colour http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/

Be careful this is potentially a very expensive and time consuming road to travel to print perfection. I have done it back in 2007 before I moved to Mac full time but kept my printing environment so that all printing was done via a Windows machine. I havent done much printing of photos since 2011 when that Windows machine became less useful to me. It is easier to take the 'colour correct image' to a printer and get them to print it for you.

If it is a good print shop they will be able to get it as you want it. If it is a high street/mall printer then good luck explaining what is required, I hope you are a patient person.

____________________
Still learning after all these years!
https://nikondslr.uk/gallery_view.php?user=2&folderid=none

Posted by Eric: Tue Dec 10th, 2013 14:38

4^th Post

jk wrote:
The bets way to go about this is not cheap or simple.

I am sure that Graham Whistler could probably point us to a RPS way of doing things.

Here goes anyway. If you want to get you printer to print what you see on screen first of all you need to make sure your monitor is correctly calibrated.

To do this you need a Pantone Spyder or ColorMunki.
This sets up your monitor so that it is outputing the correct colour from your computer video card. If you change computers you need to recalibrate. In fact in theory you should calibrate every month if you have a LED/TFT screen and weekly if you have an older CRT.

OK so your screen is calibrated so now you need to make the printer output match as closely as possible what you see on screen. In reality this will never be absolutely the same as one is transmitted light (from the screen) and the other reflected light (from the print) but once again this requires you to calibrate or profile the printer.
The printer profile is specific to the printer, the batch of paper and the batch of ink you are using!!

See this is not easy or trivial.

More info on this can be found on the Luminous Landscape site.
Also Cambridge in Colour http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/

Be careful this is potentially a very expensive and time consuming road to travel to print perfection. I have done it back in 2007 before I moved to Mac full time but kept my printing environment so that all printing was done via a Windows machine. I havent done much printing of photos since 2011 when that Windows machine became less useful to me. It is easier to take the 'colour correct image' to a printer and get them to print it for you.

If it is a good print shop they will be able to get it as you want it. If it is a high street/mall printer then good luck explaining what is required, I hope you are a patient person.
In the old days when I scanned images I also had to create a scanning profile.

So once the monitor and printer are done, you print a test chart (adobe do a digital file you can download) then scan it back into the computer. Then it's a case of comparing the onscreen scanned image...and adjusting it back to the original onscreen file colour etc.

You save this correction profile and use it every time you scan.

____________________
Eric

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