Computer Screen to Printer calibration: I am using Photoshop 8 and want to calibrate my computer screen colors to the colors that are printed when processing or printing a picture. I...

Guy A. Loc: Concord, Ohio

I am using Photoshop 8 and want to calibrate my computer screen colors to the colors that are printed when processing or printing a picture. I am finding that flesh tones are not printing as I am seeing them on my computer screen. Is any calibration practice available for this intention?

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

Guy Armstrong wrote:

I am using Photoshop 8 and want to calibrate my computer screen colors to the colors that are printed when processing or printing a picture. I am finding that flesh tones are not printing as I am seeing them on my computer screen. Is any calibration practice available for this intention?

Photoshop 8? It's not out yet (current version is 6). Do you mean PaintShop Pro X8?

Guy A. Loc: Concord, Ohio

I am using Adobe photoshop elements 8.
Please accept my apology for stepping on your topic. I will start over again. G.A.

Picdude Loc: Ohio

Guy Armstrong wrote:

I am using Photoshop 8 and want to calibrate my computer screen colors to the colors that are printed when processing or printing a picture. I am finding that flesh tones are not printing as I am seeing them on my computer screen. Is any calibration practice available for this intention?

Here are a couple of links that might help describe the process. To do it right, you should purchase a software/calibration device set like Color Monkey or Spyder, then follow the instructions to calibrate your screen. The one thing to make sure of is that your screen has good brightness, contrast and color settings before you purchase any calibration device.

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-calibrate-your-monitor/

http://improvephotography.com/4440/how-to-color-calibrate-your-monitor-for-photo-editing/

You can also try the "dead reckoning" method of scanning a picture whose colors are good, clipping to the edge of your computer screen and adjusting the Brightness/Contrast and Color settings so the screen matches the picture.

Guy A. Loc: Concord, Ohio

Thank you for the locations to go find help.
I'm on it.
Regards
G.A.

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

Nothing short of a calibration device will work with consistency - the two mentioned above are both fine, though I prefer the Color Munki. Displays drift, and the screen's appearance changes with changes in ambient light. In other words, the calibration needs to be redone frequently, and also every time there is a material change in the room light.
The display it self needs to be checked separately - many are inconsistent across the screen, and no amount of calibration will succeed.
That sounds complicated, and at first it is. Once you have a good quality screen and become familiar with whichever calibration device you choose, it becomes routine. Remember too that the printer profile is also part of the calibration process, but pro-level printers are quite stable, and the published profiles generally good, at least with HP and Canon printers - the only ones I'm familiar with.

kubota king Loc: NW , Pa.

I have the Spyder 4 elite and the ColorMunki Photo Calibration devices . And I still had to adjust my monitors some to match my printer .

mrjcall Loc: Woodfin, NC

kubota king wrote:

I have the Spyder 4 elite and the ColorMunki Photo Calibration devices . And I still had to adjust my monitors some to match my printer .

You probably have some driver issues if you have done all the other setup correctly. Should match very closely otherwise with no adjustment once the calibration is completed.

Psergel Loc: New Mexico

All good advice. This may be included in some of the links provides in the replies but....

Also be aware of the light that you are viewing the print in.

I was fighting a tendency for my prints to look a little greenish no matter what I did until I realized that even the borders looked a tiny bit green instead of pure white.
Took the prints out in the day light and they were pretty close to what I saw on my monitor.

I don't think that many of us are going to paint our "editing room" neutral gray and purchase expensive color balanced lights so......the light in your room will lend some degree of color cast to what you see on your monitor and your prints. They can each be effected a little differently.

lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania

Guy Armstrong wrote:

I am using Photoshop 8 and want to calibrate my computer screen colors to the colors that are printed when processing or printing a picture. I am finding that flesh tones are not printing as I am seeing them on my computer screen. Is any calibration practice available for this intention?

One thing that others have not mentioned yet is color management. Most post-production software can manage color. So can your printer. If you set software to manage color, you want to turn color management off in the printer driver. Since you adjust the color, exposure, etc. in the software, that would be my choice for color management rather than the printer.

mrjcall Loc: Woodfin, NC

lsimpkins wrote:

One thing that others have not mentioned yet is color management. Most post-production software can manage color. So can your printer. If you set software to manage color, you want to turn color management off in the printer driver. Since you adjust the color, exposure, etc. in the software, that would be my choice for color management rather than the printer.

Not going to work this way for 'accurate' monitor to printer results. You need to use a device that allows you to calibrate both. It's the only way that really works.

washy Loc: Dorset UK

one way of getting your printer to print correct colours is to as has been mentioned before, calibrate your screen with a Spyder or Colormonki, the spyder I am told if far better than a color monki. Then get your printer custom profiled to match both your ink and the paper you print on. Each different paper will have its own profile. I use different papers for what different image I print. The custom profiles are free normally from your paper supplier. I use www.fotospeed.com the results are amazing. I used to have the same problem you have but no longer. Both my screens are spydered and my lap top as well. I'm sure you will have a paper supplier in the US than can icc profile your printer.

washy Loc: Dorset UK

I forgot to mention when you custom profile your papers all the other profiles are not used including the printers own colour management

mrjcall Loc: Woodfin, NC

washy wrote:

the spyder I am told if far better than a color monki.

Both the Spyder and Colormunki are effectively equal in monitor calibration. Colormunki is better at calibrating monitor/printer to each other.

jenny Loc: in hiding:)

Sounds like a good question for the new printers and color printing section.
Click at top of page "home", then "all sections", scroll down the list of special forum sections, it is last on the list.