mike420 Loc: South Florida

I am using a laptop to to do post work on photos and when they are printed they do not look like what was on my screen. What can i do to get the two to match. The printer i am using is not the best but funds are limited at this time. any help will be appreciated.

GDRoth Loc: Southeast Michigan USA

Sorry, but there are books written on this subject.....you probably will never get them to match using a printer that "is not the best" and a laptop.

Sorry for being negative, but you need to start doing research on screen color calibration, printers, ink, and paper......

daveboy

Keep this in mind: You can adjust your laptop screen for brightness, contrast, etc.....to suit what you want to see. However, this only changes what you see on the screen. It has absolutely no effect on what the computer sends to the printer. But, if you go into printer properties, or printer preferences, there are adjustments available to adjust the printed image. There are also products that will allow you to adjust what you see on your screen to what your printer prints, but they ain't cheap.

However, you say that you are on a budget. Best advice, from someone in the printing business, is to print one....make adjustments...print another...etc., until you get it right.

One thing to keep in mind, without getting too technical: What you see on your computer screen is generated by little LEDs, which means nothing more than tiny lights that glow red, green, and blue (RGB). These LEDs actually produce light--they glow. Your printer printes images using cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink or toner (CMYK). These images do not glow, they only adjust or modify the relfected light you see that is bounced off the paper. So, it is amazing that they even look close!

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

Choose a local, or online, print source. This could be a local UPS store where you can get high quality prints made on paper using one of their printers. Or, it might be a photo print place like Walmart, Costco or a chain drugstore. Or, perhaps a local photo shop that prints photographs. Or, one of the many online providers of photo prints.

Send out a few images to a few of these places, and compare the results. After you have picked one that fits your choice of location, price, and services, then you can begin to adjust your on screen images to match the printed output. It's not a highly technical method, but at least you should get the best pleasing results that you are willing to pay for.

Danilo Loc: Las Vegas

I think Mister Wilson is getting you on the right track. Find one image that looks good to you on your screen, and take it to Costco, or whoever, and have them print it to your satisfaction. Once you have a prints that's acceptable, have them tell you what "correction" they used, so you can give them a heads-up next time.
As previously stated, your prints will never match your monitor screen exactly...they can't.

viscountdriver Loc: East Kent UK

I always do a test print then adjust.Sometimes it takes more than one. You can adjust the printer or in your edit programme or both.

lovitlots Loc: Tottenham, Ontario, Canada

Mister Wilson, I think is the closest to what will work for you. First off, I don't think you can print at home for much less than Costco or Walmart and if you live near a large center you could probably still find a pro lab to do your special pictures. Right now in Ontario, Costco is one of the better labs around and the price is reasonable. I just did a 12"X36" pano for $10. If you print that at home and then have to readjust then print again the cost of ink and paper will probably be more than Costco. I got that pano in an hour btw. If the lab does a poor job of it you can usually get them to reprint for no charge as well. So, try the labs, you'll probably be happiest in the long run.

GHK Loc: The Vale of Eden

There are three main points.
1. You monitor should be PROPERLY calibrated.
2. You need to have a print profile to suit your printer, paper, ink combination. If you use more than one combination, you need a separate profile for each.
3. The image file for correct screen viewing will give you a print which looks darker than the screen view. Before sending an image to the printer, I always add a Curves Layer, change the Blend Mode to Luminosity, and then move the bottom left point of the curve up to input 0, output 15. My print then closely resembles the on screen image.

GHK

OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey

Aside from all else mentioned, if as suggested you take it to a place like Costco etc., call them and find out what printers they use, you should be able to download the drivers specific to their printers and target them prior to sending your file, it can't hurt.

AndyCampbell Loc: Shanghai

GHK has posted a great reply with some really helpful advice, appriciated.

cheineck Loc: Hobe Sound, FL

GHK is correct.

jim charron Loc: Ontario Canada

that's why everyone uses digital photo frames !!! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

Check out a site owned and maintained by a fellow Hog: Kat Landreth. This is very well illustrated, and simple to understand ...

http://pareandfocus.com/index.htm/

vernando

You would be surprised at how many people think the picture they just snapped looks like what the LCD shows. I should have said how it's exposed and have no idea. They usually view them from their monitors and they look great.

albertaoldie Loc: Lloydminster Alberta

This comment will likely bring a tirade of comments as to why it doesnt work but when first starting and not undertsanding all the terms and settings I tried this. I sent a test image to my printer from photoshop ( image had lots of detail and colors) and then held up the print beside my monitor and adjusted the monitor to look as close as possible to the print. Problem solved...............have since read numerous posts as to why this doesnt work........but it worked for me.