Making Accurate Photoshop Prints....

[RJ Swift]

Hey,

I know, I know, I posted this in the another topic started by someone else, but, I wanted to make sure someone saw it. On my new computer, I've been having trouble getting my printed images to look like they do on the screen. Is there anything I can do about it without having to print 'tests' and using up ink?? Thanks for your time.

RJ (Posterman) [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[RJ Swift]

Hey,

I know, I know, I posted this in the another topic started by someone else, but, I wanted to make sure someone saw it. On my new computer, I've been having trouble getting my printed images to look like they do on the screen. Is there anything I can do about it without having to print 'tests' and using up ink?? Thanks for your time.

RJ (Posterman) [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[megatoon]

Are you changing the color mode to CMYK palette?

:edit: fixed typos for viewer clarification.

[This message was edited by Mark (theKeeper) on March 25, 2002 at 14:57.]

[RJ Swift]

Hey,

No, I'm not doing anything except using RGB. No color changes or changing this and that or anything. It's just no printing the way it looks on the screen.

RJ

[dv8_fx]

Yo RJ. Where you've been? I thought it was postmaster. Now its Posterman? What's your printer?

Its all in your gamma setting. Nothing I can do for your past works, though. You've set the colours, brightness and such allready, you have to readjust or redo. But future ones.......

It depends what your work is for. For service providers, I suggest getting a color scale from them and adjusting your monitor gamma to match the colors and save the gamma as a monitor profile. Before sending your work to them, switch on that gamma to see how it will look in the service providers colors so you can adjust if necessary. If you have several service providers, you may need several gamma profiles for each.

You might ask, Can I use the service provider's profile for my monitor? You can't coz you have to print in-house from your printer.

In-house printing requires another gamma set. I would consider it your monitor's working profile. I may be wrong, but to me, a new printer will never follow the monitor, you have to adjust to your printer first. If your PS comes with the gamma controls, open the gamma sample file in PS( its the girl with the fruit hat, I think ). Print that out in high resolution and adjust your gamma with the controls in the control panel setting to match the printed colors. In fact, the word is attempting to match. If you have more than 1 printer, you have different settings.

To get the right adjustment is trial and error and a lot of gamma profiles ( its better than ink ) When you get it right, delete the unnessary ones.

Another thing, the standard CRT monitor as you already know uses the red, green,and blue colour gun, and as such cannot properly display CMYK no matter what gamma settings you are using.

Every ones eyes see colour differently. set your gamma in the morning, then set it again a few hours later, you will see that change for yourself.

You also have to adjust the gamma every six months or so coz the monitor changes over time.