Trouble with choosing a display profile for my computer: I never had an problem with printed photos matching my computer monitor. Lately everything I have printed comes back muddy and...

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

I never had an problem with printed photos matching my computer monitor.
Lately everything I have printed comes back muddy and on the green side.
I found that in Photoshop I had switched to to CMYK color mode. I switched back to RBG but
am still having trouble. I can't remember what my monitor was set at, but it is on Prophoto RGB right now.
What does do you use for printing using an outside printer?
I have been trying to get this right and I am totally lost right now.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Your printer source themselves may be able to supply a profile that performs well on their presses. Start by contacting them. Also, don't forget resources available here, namely UHH's "Printers and Color Printing" forum section. Subscribe there and get their excellent help.

ecobin Loc: Paoli, PA

Print a test page to see if all colors are printing - you may have a clogged nozzle for one color. If so then do a clean or deep clean per your printer's instructions.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

ecobin wrote:

Print a test page to see if all colors are printing - you may have a clogged nozzle for one color. If so then do a clean or deep clean per your printer's instructions.

It isn't on my personal printer it is when I send them out. I am having the same problem with the cheaper prints shops and our local camera shop.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

rjaywallace wrote:

Your printer source themselves may be able to supply a profile that performs well on their presses. Start by contacting them. Also, don't forget resources available here, namely UHH's "Printers and Color Printing" forum section. Subscribe there and get their excellent help.

A printer profile will not address an unprofiled or misprofiled display. In fact, it relies on a properly profiled display to accurately show how the image will print using soft-proofing.

You need to acquire a display profiling tool. Not knowing what display you are using, I suggest an Xrite i1 Display Pro - around $225 with some specials occasionally available. The other popular tool, A Spyder, will not profile displays that use a programmable LUT, such as the Dell 2413 and others.

Once you have profiled it you can load the print lab-supplied profile to view your image using the printer's specific paper and ink.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

Thank you I will post there. rjaywallace

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

There is no shortcut to calibrating your monitor. There are too many variables to try hit-&-miss visual calibration. I recommend either the ColorData Spyder5Pro or the X-Rite ColorMunki Smile, whichever is on sale.
I own one each for two different computers at two different locations.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/894645-REG/X_Rite_cmunsml_ColorMonki_Smile_Color_Calibration.html currently $85.00
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1130968-REG/datacolor_s5p100_spyder5pro_downloadable_software.html currently $149.00
I am NOT familiar with Datacolor Spyder5EXPRESS: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1130967-REG/datacolor_s5x100_spyder5express_downloadable_software.html currently $110.00

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

Nikonian72 wrote:

There is no shortcut to calibrating your monitor. ... (show quote)

Thank you I was afraid of this. Are you using these on a mac? What is the advantage of one over the other? I would need something that is easy to use and understand.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Country's Mama wrote:

Are you using these on a mac? What is the advantage of one over the other? I would need something that is easy to use and understand.

Both of my computers are PCs. I have owned the ColorMunki longest of the two programs, and it is installed in the PC connected to my Canon printer, located at a friend's (larger) office. We each separately print 13x19-inch color prints. The Spyder5Pro is installed in my image editing PC at home. Not much difference in the calibration routines, and no difference in the calibration results.

tcthome Loc: NJ

Country's Mama wrote:

Thank you I was afraid of this. Are you using these on a mac? What is the advantage of one over the other? I would need something that is easy to use and understand.

They are all easy to use & have a fully auto mode. The more they cost the more software you get ( larger color patches etc.).

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

High End professional= ProPhoto RGB Color Space
Professional, Prosumer= Adobe RGB 1998 Color Space
Consumer= sRGB Color Space

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

I would advise sRGB.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

Fotoartist wrote:

I would advise sRGB.

Thank you for your advice. Could you explain the reasons behind your recommendations?
What is the difference between the three?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Country's Mama wrote:

Thank you for your advice. Could you explain the reasons behind your recommendations?
What is the difference between the three?

ProPhoto is the largest color space with the widest gamut. More colors, more tones. AdobeRGB is bigger than sRGB, but not nearly as big as ProPhoto. Despite the name and the general perception, ProPhoto is not necessarily used by professionals. In fact, most use Adobe RGB for editing and sRGB for output.

The argument for using ProPhoto until you create a compressed, 8 bit sRGB jpeg file for output is to minimize color shift, banding, posterization and other bad things that can happen when you move the sliders around in post processing. With a wide and deep color space it is less likely to happen. Once you have made all of your color and tone decisions, there may be some loss of color and tonal separation, but significantly less than had you begun with sRGB in the first place.

Here is a visual explanation for you:

http://schewephoto.com/sRGB-VS-PPRGB/

And some verbal ones:

http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/imprint_downloads/peachpit/peachpit/lightroom4/pdf_files/LightroomRGB_Space.pdf
http://cameradojo.com/adobe-rgb-vs-srgb-vs-prophoto-rgb/

This is a lot to take in with just one read, and far beyond what you can optimistically expect of forum posts. But it's a decent place to start.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

Country's Mama wrote:

I never had an problem with printed photos matching my computer monitor.
Lately everything I have printed comes back muddy and on the green side.
I found that in Photoshop I had switched to to CMYK color mode. I switched back to RBG but
am still having trouble. I can't remember what my monitor was set at, but it is on Prophoto RGB right now.
What does do you use for printing using an outside printer?
I have been trying to get this right and I am totally lost right now.

First buy or borrow monitor calibration equipment and calibrate your monitor. Then you can move forward with other suggested items.