How to "synchronise" notebook screen with printer?

[Evilmerlin]

I recently tried to print out some photos which looked bright and well exposed on my notebook and when it was printed, it turned out really really dark. Could it be my notebook screen lying to me or the printer read the data wrongly?

Anyway to "synchronise" the two of them?

 

[zaxh81]

you have to calibrate your notebook screen.

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=177066&highlight=calibration

a good read up

 

[Gamut Labs]

I recently tried to print out some photos which looked bright and well exposed on my notebook and when it was printed, it turned out really really dark. Could it be my notebook screen lying to me or the printer read the data wrongly?

Anyway to "synchronise" the two of them?

Hi Evilmerlin,

You are half correct actually,

(1) the display is lying to you (if it has never been profiled/calibrated before, think "ZEROing"

(2) i assume you are printing within Photoshop? - Is Photoshop setup for PRINTMAKING (Adobe RGB-More Colors, think 96 colors box of crayons) or SCREEN/VIDEO (sRGB-Less Colors, think 72 colors box of crayons)?

(3) the printer is a DUMMY device, it prints whatever you send it. So it can never print the wrong data.


So for successful printmaking,

(1) Try to get your display calibrated, a low-end calibrated display can outperform a high-end display showing the wrong colors.

(2) Setup your PS working space correctly, for Print.

(3) Make sure your file has a PROFILE (Color information)

(4) Make sure your your paper has a PROFILE for the printer so the printer will know what color compensation it has to do (based of paper white point) and how much ink to spray (absorbancy).

(5) Who manages Color? Photoshop or the Printer Driver? Decide on one, turn off the other. Best results is to let PS manage Colors and turn off in Printer Driver.


That basically rounds up the few checklist for successful home-based printmaking.


Cheers,
nic

 

[Evilmerlin]

Thanks for the help! Now I just figure out how to do all those..doesn't look too difficult.

 

[Evilmerlin]

I seem to have run into a problem. When I'm choosing a printer profile, it shows me alot of printer profiles but not what they are. I'm getting things like MP370 MP1/MP3/SP1/SP3 etc etc, how do I know which is the correct one?

 

[Gamut Labs]

I seem to have run into a problem. When I'm choosing a printer profile, it shows me alot of printer profiles but not what they are. I'm getting things like MP370 MP1/MP3/SP1/SP3 etc etc, how do I know which is the correct one?

Ah-Ha!

Canon User, You have to figure out which is the corresponding media type!

Which printer model do you own? What paper do you intend to print on?

That's one area Canon has to buck up.


Cheers,
nic

 

[Evilmerlin]

I'm using the MP370 and will be printing on Photo Paper Glossy.

That kinda sucks if I've to figure out for myself what the silly codes mean....

Thanks for the help nic, much appreciated!

 

[Gamut Labs]

Hey,

I did a major search and this is what I came out with.

"This the interpretation for anyone that has been looking for it:

The SP files mean Shiny Paper. This would be the glossy papers.
The MP files mean Matte paper. That is an easy one.
The PR files mean the Pro paper series (Photo Paper Pro).

The numbers are where you need to set the quality levels. So the SP2 profile means you use one of the glossy paper settings and set the print quality to level 2. A PR1 files means you use the Photo Paper Pro setting and the quality level at level 1. PR2 means the same thing but the quality level at level 2." - Peter Gregg

http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=19448&forum_id=33

I'll talk to Canon soon and find out their intention in the photo market and how they are going to supply the profiles for their printers.

The ones included aren't real profiles for specific media, rather they are generic for your general use so I wouldn't bank on that to give me accurate results.

Nothing beats Custom profiles for sure.


Cheers,
nic

 

[Evilmerlin]

Thanks alot! I'll see about getting that custom profile done..but need to calibrate my screen first...

 

[Gamut Labs]

Thanks alot! I'll see about getting that custom profile done..but need to calibrate my screen first...

Always a good thing to start from your display!

Cheers,
nic

 

[spurssy]

(4) Make sure your your paper has a PROFILE for the printer so the printer will know what color compensation it has to do (based of paper white point) and how much ink to spray (absorbancy).

This is important... I have forgotten how many papers i've wasted when I forget to set the correct paper type for my prints...