Printing using consumer photo printer

[drummercow]

Hi ... not sure if i should be posting here or in newbie forum, but decided to post here anyways.

My problem is this. I use Photoshop to edit my photos, and i adjust the curves, colour balance everything to what i think is good. BUT i press print and my Epson 810 gives me a nice big hot steaming piece of junk...

The reds are over pronounced, the monochrome prints come out with blue biase, etc etc.

Have heard about colour management from friends, but I have no idea whatsoever.. From what I understand, you have to get your monitor, photoshop & printer all speaking on the same frequency no?

Would appreciate advice/help from anyone as to how to rectify, or at least get the colours closer to the image i see on my screen. It's quite frustrating to spend an hour plus layering and everything until everything swee swee , then print out and get nothing like what i see on the screen.

FYI, am using a Philips LCD Screen, Photoshop 7.0 & an Epson Stylus Photo810... HELP!!

[headlesschook]

Originally Posted by drummercow Hi ... not sure if i should be posting here or in newbie forum, but decided to post here anyways. My problem is this. I use Photoshop to edit my photos, and i adjust the curves, colour balance everything to what i think is good. BUT i press print and my Epson 810 gives me a nice big hot steaming piece of junk... The reds are over pronounced, the monochrome prints come out with blue biase, etc etc. Have heard about colour management from friends, but I have no idea whatsoever.. From what I understand, you have to get your monitor, photoshop & printer all speaking on the same frequency no? Would appreciate advice/help from anyone as to how to rectify, or at least get the colours closer to the image i see on my screen. It's quite frustrating to spend an hour plus layering and everything until everything swee swee , then print out and get nothing like what i see on the screen. FYI, am using a Philips LCD Screen, Photoshop 7.0 & an Epson Stylus Photo810... HELP!!

1st. Make sure your screen is calibrated. best to match sRGB colour space if you can. Epson drivers are quite good and should be a close match to your screen if calibrated.
2nd. I assume u are using original epson ink and paper. If not, keep adjusting the printer controls until u get a match.
3rd. Do not attempt to print b&w on an inkjet. With most inkjets, there is only 1 black cartridge. that means the inkjet has to use the other colours to produce some sort of process "grey". That usually results in some colour cast.
Forcing the inkjet to print using only the black ink will result in a duotone b&w. very low quality. Unless you modify your inkjet to run 4 black cartridges (quadtone), b&w images will always be difficult.

[drummercow]

Originally Posted by headlesschook 1st. Make sure your screen is calibrated. best to match sRGB colour space if you can. Epson drivers are quite good and should be a close match to your screen if calibrated.

How? as in, is there like a sequence of actions i must take to "calibrate" the screen?

Originally Posted by headlesschook 2nd. I assume u are using original epson ink and paper. If not, keep adjusting the printer controls until u get a match.

Again, how do I do this?

Yep... thanks for your help in advance!! =)

[drummercow]

ok i found adobe gamma, and i followed the instructions, but there doesnt seem to be a difference..... haha...

help?

[headlesschook]

Originally Posted by drummercow How? as in, is there like a sequence of actions i must take to "calibrate" the screen? Again, how do I do this? Yep... thanks for your help in advance!! =)

Best way, see if anyone is willing to lend you a spyder for calibration. If not, set screen and video card settings to default. It's near impossible to "guess" what the correct settings are.

Then, you have a choice. Adjust printer to match your screen, or screen to match the printer. Either way, find an image with a good mix of colours, print it out, then compare with the screen. Adjust the screen to match, or adjust the printer colour controls and print again and again until u get it right.

All very tedious.

[drummercow]

will it cut the hassle if i just get a new monitor? cos ive been thinking of getting one also.. haha...

[clive]

they say CRT got more dynamic range than LCD monitor

[headlesschook]

but printers don't. So LL.

[headlesschook]

Originally Posted by drummercow will it cut the hassle if i just get a new monitor? cos ive been thinking of getting one also.. haha...

If you do get one, try to get those that have a default sRGB setting. Saves a bit of calibration time.

[ST_sg]

Originally Posted by headlesschook If you do get one, try to get those that have a default sRGB setting. Saves a bit of calibration time.

I guess there is already a icc/icm profile that you can select from Display control panel, advance, color management tab?

I usually choose the sRGB Color space profile from there.
Does it help in getting proper color??

[drummercow]

hmm... i've kinda given up..=) haha

managed to get my monitor colour back... cos yesterday i tweak tweak until all purple colour.. haha

I tried printing via photoshop using the colour profile of my printer... but still comes out blue...

[ckiang]

Originally Posted by headlesschook 3rd. Do not attempt to print b&w on an inkjet. With most inkjets, there is only 1 black cartridge. that means the inkjet has to use the other colours to produce some sort of process "grey". That usually results in some colour cast. Forcing the inkjet to print using only the black ink will result in a duotone b&w. very low quality. Unless you modify your inkjet to run 4 black cartridges (quadtone), b&w images will always be difficult.

This is not right. I've printed a few black-only B&W prints off my Epson Stylus Photo 890 and they looked beatiful. Even a few B&W diehards were impressed. It's all in how you print them.

Here's an excellent article on Black-only printing.
http://www.cjcom.net/articles/digiprn3.htm


Regards
CK

[headlesschook]

Originally Posted by drummercow hmm... i've kinda given up..=) haha managed to get my monitor colour back... cos yesterday i tweak tweak until all purple colour.. haha I tried printing via photoshop using the colour profile of my printer... but still comes out blue...

try original ink and paper.
I've had colour issues even with older (no longer supported) epson paper on the epson 7600. the yellow totally didnt show up, resulting in a blue cast on the photo.

[headlesschook]

Originally Posted by ckiang This is not right. I've printed a few black-only B&W prints off my Epson Stylus Photo 890 and they looked beatiful. Even a few B&W diehards were impressed. It's all in how you print them. Here's an excellent article on Black-only printing. http://www.cjcom.net/articles/digiprn3.htm Regards CK

good article. it also depends on what you are willing to accept. to me, b&w from duotone shows isnt fine enuff.

[Witness]

i tink there's also someting about setting the warmth of ya screen..

[ckiang]

Originally Posted by headlesschook good article. it also depends on what you are willing to accept. to me, b&w from duotone shows isnt fine enuff.

Black-only is not duotone. It's one of the most neutral ways to get B&W (other than using those specialized B&W quadtone inks).

Regards
CK

[wolf_agent]

hey man, I'm also suffering the same problem. All my photos taken from my newly acquired 300D (parameter 1), slidely adjust the histogram from PS CS, looks bright and nice on my Philips 107S screen, but print out from Canon CP200 photo printer quite dark and color over saturated leh...

how man???

[headlesschook]

if it's just dark and over saturated, then lower the saturation and increase brightness (increase highlights or midtone levels) then print.

[r4mil]

Originally Posted by drummercow Hi ... not sure if i should be posting here or in newbie forum, but decided to post here anyways. My problem is this. I use Photoshop to edit my photos, and i adjust the curves, colour balance everything to what i think is good. BUT i press print and my Epson 810 gives me a nice big hot steaming piece of junk... The reds are over pronounced, the monochrome prints come out with blue biase, etc etc. Have heard about colour management from friends, but I have no idea whatsoever.. From what I understand, you have to get your monitor, photoshop & printer all speaking on the same frequency no? Would appreciate advice/help from anyone as to how to rectify, or at least get the colours closer to the image i see on my screen. It's quite frustrating to spend an hour plus layering and everything until everything swee swee , then print out and get nothing like what i see on the screen. FYI, am using a Philips LCD Screen, Photoshop 7.0 & an Epson Stylus Photo810... HELP!!

Hi,
I have the same problem now. I am using Smasung CRT Monitor with Epson 810 printer.
I started to have this problem after installing Nikon view.
Anybody can help.
Thanks.

[r4mil]

Originally Posted by r4mil Hi, I have the same problem now. I am using Samsung CRT Monitor with Epson 810 printer. I started to have this problem after installing Nikon view. Anybody can help. Thanks.

Additional info:
I do not have this problem with my old set-up:
Sony S85 camera, Samsung CRT Monitor, Epson 810 printer.
Anybody can enlightened me about this.
Thanks