How can I print what my monitor shows?

[Justjo]

I have noticed that when I print my photos, i am getting a different picture to the colours i am seeing on my monitor. Was talking to someone recently who advised there was something that can be used to calibrate the monitor? I am pretty basic when it comes to computers and am really only interested from a hobby perspective, however, it can be disappointing when your pictures don't look the same as on your computer. Any thoughts?

FYI
D90 Nikon
Computer with Phillips monitor - nothing flash but works ok
Photoshop Elements
Canon i865 printer
Kodak glossy photo plus paper

cheers
jo

[kiwi]

Yes, you need to calibrate the colours on your monitor, but could also be complicated by issues like viewing your photos on your monitor in sRGB and a lab using aRGB and things like that also

But google spyder2, should cost you $100 or so, does an OK job if you just use the one monitor for proofing, there are lots of other more expensive calibrators out there also

[ving]

the easy way is to print a picture and calibrate your monitor to that picture... works in thoery but its not ideal. at least that way you should be able to get what you see....

darrens answer is of course better.

[kiwi]

just to elaborate, you are using your own printer - you need to make sure you use the right printer and paper profile when printing

[bigdazzler]

To fully understand this stuff takes a bit of reading and study. This is getting into the realms of serious enthusiast stuff. Do you know the difference between sRGB and Adobe RGB ?? Or even heard the term colourspace or colour profiles ?? I dont mean to sound demeaning or patronising but its a little bit beyond the basics of digital photography. I suggest you do a bit of reading.

[Justjo]

just to elaborate, you are using your own printer - you need to make sure you use the right printer and paper profile when printing

Yes, I am setting up the printing using the right printer and paper profile

Edit my first thread - Canon Glossy Photo Plus - not Kodak

[Justjo]

To fully understand this stuff takes a bit of reading and study. This is getting into the realms of serious enthusiast stuff. Do you know the difference between sRGB and Adobe RGB ?? Or even heard the term colourspace or colour profiles ?? I dont mean to sound demeaning or patronising but its a little bit beyond the basics of digital photography. I suggest you do a bit of reading.

I have heard of sRGB and Adobe RGB. Can you direct me to any reading materials - keeping in mind I am not looking for university training, simply wanting to know what others are doing. thanks

[Wayne]

I'll rent you my Spyder3 Studio if you like...

Take a look at the datacolor website, it will show you what things you need to do to calibrate correctly, and explain what these terms mean.

Basically, even if using a printer profile that was made for the paper and printer you have, results will still be different to what is seen on the screen, how different, is the issue. I have profiled my paper, ink and printer using the Spyder3 studio, and while it is better than it was before the custom profile, it is still not brilliant. The printer being an all in one may be part of the issue, and a dedicated photo printer may be better with a custom profile.

Just make sure that your screen is using a colourspace that it can actually display and, you printer is also using a profile for the gamut it can print. Often printing in sRGB will produce more saturated and less flat images than what printing in aRGB will unless, you have assigned aRGB to the image, the monitor (assuming it can display the wider gamut) and the print profile was made with test swatches using your printer, ink and paper printed in aRGB (assuming the printer can print the aRGB gamut or thereabouts)

Confused yet?

It takes a bit of reading....

[Calxoddity]

Jo,
Tell us more about the print mismatch - are they too dark, too light, or is there a colour shift? If so, what is the nature of that colour shift?

What settings are you using to print?

Regards,
Calx

[bigdazzler]

I have heard of sRGB and Adobe RGB. Can you direct me to any reading materials - keeping in mind I am not looking for university training, simply wanting to know what others are doing. thanks

You didnt make it really clear in your OP is all. It was worded like you didnt really know what what/why it was happening. One wouldnt assume youd know about colourspace from the OP.

[Justjo]

Jo,
Tell us more about the print mismatch - are they too dark, too light, or is there a colour shift? If so, what is the nature of that colour shift?

What settings are you using to print?

Regards,
Calx

I would say the printing is probably a bit darker and not as sharp - could that be an issue with the printer - it is pretty cheap after all. Sorry, i don't actually know what 'colourshift' means, but overall i would say that my screen shows it as more brilliant whereas the print is a bit darker/less brilliant. The particular shot i am focussing on is a shot at dusk, so my iso is up quite high and the shutter was open quite a while but on the monitor it nearly looks like it is shimmering whereas when i print it, it looks to have quite a bit of noise and has lost its shimmer. In printing, i am setting the paper choice to match Canon Photo plus glossy as well as asking it to print high quality. This may just be my inexperience - my husband loves the printed picture and comments on it all the time.... Just thought i could find out what i could do to make some improvements. I guess i wanted to avoid editing a photo and not being too sure how the print would work out.

[kiwi]

can you post the photo here as you see it ?

[Kym]

The simple version....

1. Calibrate your monitor
See: http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?p=232445#post232445 for more info

2. Only use the sRGB colour space (esp. as a hobbyist)

3. Do a test print with various print places until you find one that is close to your calibrated monitor

[Justjo]

can you post the photo here as you see it ?

I will tonight - i am at work and my photo is at home.

[Justjo]

The simple version....

1. Calibrate your monitor
See: http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?p=232445#post232445 for more info

2. Only use the sRGB colour space (esp. as a hobbyist)

3. Do a test print with various print places until you find one that is close to your calibrated monitor

Kym - can you explain 3. - various print places? do you mean not use my own printer?

[Calxoddity]

Jo,
As a first and admittedly quick-and-dirty step, reduce the brightness of your monitor until it matches the apparent brightness of the print. Now how's it look?

Regards,
Calx

[mcdesign]

You really need to know if the Canon paper profiles use sRGB or Adobe RGB, Epson use Adobe RGB to convert their profiles, most prints come out darker than the monitor colour so lightening them in levels by 10% could help. This is a subject that I have spent a great deal of time on, I now have my monitor and ICC profiles for the papers I use calibrated.

When you go to print from Elements, in Colour Management/colour handling, use Photoshop Elements Manages colour, Printer profile should be the canned ICC profile that is for the paper you use, the image in the box to the left of this menu will change to a close proximity to what will print out, if it looks too dark/light here, you can go back and adjust your image, make sure that the rendering intent is Perceptual, (see menu below). Hope this helps.

[ricktas]

I'll rent you my Spyder3 Studio if you like...

.

Have a look at the T&C in the fine print that came with your Spyder. I was going to get a couple of Spyders for AP and rent them out to members, but the T&C states you cannot rent the device out (it may have changed since I checked). At the time I contacted Colorvision direct and it was made very clear that I should not buy some to rent out.

[wattsgallery]

Jo,
As a first and admittedly quick-and-dirty step, reduce the brightness of your monitor until it matches the apparent brightness of the print. Now how's it look?

Regards,
Calx

Hi Jo

The above is a really good first tip. LCD monitors can be extremely bright and you really notice it when you print or even move an image to another screen. I need to turn my screen brightness to 0 to even get close to print 'brightness' - this is before worrying about all the other issues. Note also that some screen calibrators wont address a brightness issue so if you are going to use one then make sure it does.

Good luck.
Josh

[wattsgallery]

Have a look at the T&C in the fine print that came with your Spyder. I was going to get a couple of Spyders for AP and rent them out to members, but the T&C states you cannot rent the device out (it may have changed since I checked). At the time I contacted Colorvision direct and it was made very clear that I should not buy some to rent out.

Thats a bummer Rick as it would have been a good idea. I will have to have a look at the t&cs myself and see if the door is left open for the sharing of the device rather than 'hiring' of it. If that were the case we could buy one/some with donations and then make it available to members. May or may not be possible and you may have already explored this but thought it worth a try.

Cheers
Josh

[ving]

Hi Jo

The above is a really good first tip. LCD monitors can be extremely bright and you really notice it when you print or even move an image to another screen. I need to turn my screen brightness to 0 to even get close to print 'brightness' - this is before worrying about all the other issues. Note also that some screen calibrators wont address a brightness issue so if you are going to use one then make sure it does.

Good luck.
Joshand people tend to crank the contrast right up on LCD monitors too...

[daggy]

Don't forget some printers use different ink for photos and general printing !

[JzB]

Have a look at the T&C in the fine print that came with your Spyder. I was going to get a couple of Spyders for AP and rent them out to members, but the T&C states you cannot rent the device out (it may have changed since I checked). At the time I contacted Colorvision direct and it was made very clear that I should not buy some to rent out.

Interesting... questions the legality of;

http://melbourne.gumtree.com.au/c-Business-Services-photography-video-Monitor-Calibration-Colour-issues-Get-us-to-solve-it-W0QQAdIdZ222803570

[I @ M]

Interesting... questions the legality of;

http://melbourne.gumtree.com.au/c-Business-Services-photography-video-Monitor-Calibration-Colour-issues-Get-us-to-solve-it-W0QQAdIdZ222803570

There are lots of posts on gumtree (owned by ebay if I am not mistaken (http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=22370209) ) that could be called legally questionable.
The very fact that that advertiser is trying to instil the belief that a calibrator ( brand and model not disclosed ) will cost you $1200.00 might be legally questionable on its own.
The other side of it where they offer to use THEIR legally licensed machine/s on a temporary basis on someone else's computer is far too complex a legal issue to be even speculated on by us mere mortal internet warriors.

[ricktas]

Interesting... questions the legality of;

http://melbourne.gumtree.com.au/c-Business-Services-photography-video-Monitor-Calibration-Colour-issues-Get-us-to-solve-it-W0QQAdIdZ222803570

I was going to buy some for AP and rent them out to members. I enquired with colorvision and was succinctly advised that renting out their gear breached the conditions of use in the fine print. So unless colorvision have changed their terms of use policy, the gumtree ad is illegal!

[TOM]

printing at home with an inkjet is one thing, but if you are after archival prints from your digital files, then at some stage you will likely get some wet prints from a pro lab. you will therefore need to get their colour profile from them, and use this in conjunction with your calibrated monitor.

[Benicio]

I've found the photo kiosks at major chain stores are very cost effective (ie .17c 4x6, .35c 5x7) and will produce far superior results to a standard home printer and they usually have an 'optimise for printing' filter you can do when you import your photo's into them that bump up the contrast and brightness to make the prints look closer to what you have in mind.

[FeedMeTrance]

i vouch for the sypder - really good way to ensure your monitor is calibrating correctly!

[jbainesy]

The simple version....

1. Calibrate your monitor
See: http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?p=232445#post232445 for more info

2. Only use the sRGB colour space (esp. as a hobbyist)

3. Do a test print with various print places until you find one that is close to your calibrated monitor

I couldn't view the link without making my first post - I'm REALLY leaning towards NOT printing at home after reading all these posts though! :-/ Thanks for the info everyone!