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monitor issues!
Hey, I’ve just started working on an apple cinema display….and, am having big issues matching monitor look of photos with print output.
I’ve never had this problem before….I’ve set my working space to adobe rgb 1998; and, for proof set-up….I’m printing to epson 1800…..on epson lustre paper. I choose the lustre paper…..and 1800….and, they look totally off……not nearly as deep, saturated, or contrasty……
I’ve gone through adobe monitor software, customize….and noticed, the very first “correction” box (where you adjust the little apple to match)….was way, way contrasty, more than I’ve ever seen…I really couldn’t get it to match well…….
What am I missing?…….I do like the big monitor, but, this is pretty crazy….
Can someone walk me through what I need to do here?………… -
3 Replies
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Color management is a vast and hairy topic. The bottom line is that the colors on your monitor will never exactly match what your printer creates, simply because they use color in completely different ways.
But what you can do is calibrate your monitor, use the color profiles for your printer, and make a best effort. Photoshop has all the tools to help you manage the color for your documents between screen and paper, but it’s up to you to use them wisely.
First thing I’d recommend you do is to read up in the Photoshop help files on color management. Don’t worry if you don’t grasp it all on the first try, no one ever does (including me; it took several years and a three-day class to learn). Learn what you can and apply it.
Second thing, make sure you have the correct profiles for your printer (and the paper you’re using!), and turn on the Proofing view in Photoshop to check your colors before you print.
Third, buy or borrow a color calibration device for your monitor. I use the Eye-One by Gretag-MacBeth. There are others out there that are just as good (and possibly cheaper). This will save you TONS of headaches compared to what you’re doing now, which is calibrating your monitor purely by sight. Chromix.com has a good selection of devices.
Fourth, get a book like Real World Color Management, by Bruce Fraser and friends:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201773406/102-7989790-2962535?v=glance&n=283155
Or take a class, or search the web, or do whatever you need to do to learn. Color management can be overwhelming at first, but it makes sense once you get into it, and it makes things SO much easier once you take the time to learn it. -
yeah, thanks, I know all that….was hoping there was just something simpler, seeing as how it’s a pretty standard set=up……
Have done all the above….I just can’t believe an apple cinema display would come out the box and need calibration……as well as brand new epson. I’ve NEVER had this happen.
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There’s always some color variations in monitors, it’s inherent to the materials. LCD’s are much better about it than CRT’s, but they’re not immune to the same type of problems. You can at least start with the stock profiles, but you’re best off calibrating, and re-calibrating every few months as the characteristics of the monitor degrade. I was advised once to keep the brightness of a new monitor at no higher than 50%, so as to minimize wear and to prolong the life of the elements.
As for the printer, they’re usually pretty well calibrated out of the box, as long as you’re using the manufacturer’s profiles. The monitor is always the big variable.
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