HEALS3113 Loc: PENNSYLVANIA

I like to print pics sometimes and am having a very frustrating problem. The picture can look good and how I want it on the screen, but when I print it they always come out much darker. I tried calibrating my lap top screen to no avail. Is it the printer?
laptop Dell XPS L7O2X 64 bit
Printer HP Photosmart C7200 series

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

This is a very common complaint. You're dealing with ink sprayed onto paper vs light shining at you from an LCD. Actually, I'm surprised that the colors are so similar.

Since you calibrated the screen, the problem is probably with the printer. Are you using HP ink? Have you looked at the images on another computer or monitor? Did you check the printer Properties settings? Can you have a picture printed on another printer? Lots of stores have Kodak stations that let you insert a memory card and print from that.

CurreyPhoto Loc: Reddick, Florida

Getting accurate color prints is basically a two part process. First is getting the colors right on the monitor and if your monitor is calibrated correctly, then you have accomplished part one. Second is getting the monitor colors, brightness and contrast to print on your paper. That requires the computer to have a set of instructions that it sends along with the picture file to the printer. This is sometimes called a profile. The profile is specific to your make and model of printer and your photo paper brand and type. The most basic way to deal with the second part is to use your printer manufacturer's ink and paper. Then, somewhere on the installation disk for your printer is a set of profiles for your printer and all of the papers that HP makes for your printer. You just select the right profile for the paper you have loaded in your printer and you should be pretty close to getting good color, brightness and contrast in your print. As Jerry has pointer out, a print will never look exactly like it does on your screen because it is back lit and your print is viewed with reflective light. There is a lot more to it than that, but those are basics. I cannot be more specific than that because I am not familiar with your printer.

There is an excellent book entitled "Color Confidence" by Tim Grey that will tell you many times more than you ever thought you wanted to know about this topic, but when you finish it you will be the UHH resident expert on accurate color printing.

CurreyPhoto Loc: Reddick, Florida

I read your post again and it may be that your only problem is dark prints. If this is the case, hold a print you have just made up to the laptop screen and then tilt the screen away from you until the screen picture looks as dark your print. Leave the screen in the dark position and reprocess your picture so it looks the way you would like it to and print again. If your only problem is darkness, this should solve it.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

I'm not familiar with your printer model, but under printer properties, my HP printer has a color enhancement setting activitated by default. Each time I print, I have to uncheck the box or otherwise the prints won't quite match the monitor display - prints turn somewhat darker and more saturated. Sometimes I forget to deactivate the color enhancement (on my printer referred as, "RLT photo fix") and I have to do a reprint. If only I could change this setting to "off" as default.

lightchime Loc: Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Everyone's post added something, but the question was specific to laptops. Many people make fine prints from them every day. There is often a problem induced that tends to be greater than a desktop. That is, the video display of the laptop will vary in both location and positioning of the screen (with changes in the viewing angle and distance). This causes changes in the perception of the image on the monitor and adds an additional/greater inconstancy between the displayed image and he final print.

billybob40

Try red river paper.
When I started printing all my pictures I tried about every paper on the market. You buy paper and it old stock bad prints, Kodak is real bad.
Try one paper then another on the same image and you will see what paper is best for you.

plaza Loc: london uk

another thing it may have been mentioned and ive missed it but are you letting your software use its colours or are you letting the printer pick this

edwardahaber

I print from my laptop - I used Photoshop for some time and had the same problem- I did not care for that software - I then got LightRoom 3 and the problem of the prints looking darker than my screen went away - Lightroom is a photographers program and does not have all the confusion that is Photoshop, which is a designers program and is complicated because it can do everything. One other suggestion is that you also purchase the screen monkey - it's a device that calibrates the screen as you run a software program that you get with it - that will also help - there are a number of the calibration programs and devices that you can use - google screen calibration - there are a number of screen calibration programs available.

rebride

On a laptop the angle of the screen makes a big difference.
Often, even with calibration tools/software, the screen brightness is set too high. Adjust your screen brightness down to match your prints. Way down. Then edit.
If your HP printer is all of a sudden printing darker than usual than you might need to reset the driver. You can do this thru Device manager (PC).

Hammer Loc: London UK

Hi,

Know just how you feel , have driven myself mad.

Luckily, had a media professional staying with us for a weeks whilst visiting the UK .

He said that you can colour calibrate your monitor and printer but there is the added problem of the paper profile. Ultimately its print and adjust. If using glossy paper you will almost certainly have to "sharpen to print". Been using LR4 and after picking up the paper profile in the print module, have then sharpened the image a bit and printed. Have also lightened it a bit .
So far not too bad at all, but it has driven me mad.

Good job that I have the photography to relax me !

All production of Humus and Taramasalata in Greece has stopped
Its now official , its a double dip recession.

Hammer Loc: London UK

Hi,

Know just how you feel , have driven myself mad.

Luckily, had a media professional staying with us for a weeks whilst visiting the UK .

He said that you can colour calibrate your monitor and printer but there is the added problem of the paper profile. Ultimately its print and adjust. If using glossy paper you will almost certainly have to "sharpen to print". Been using LR4 and after picking up the paper profile in the print module, have then sharpened the image a bit and printed. Have also lightened it a bit .
So far not too bad at all, but it has driven me mad.

Good job that I have the photography to relax me !

All production of Humus and Taramasalata in Greece has stopped
Its now official , its a double dip recession.