Thomas Firth

Hi all, I took the Excedrin but that didn't fix the print. I am printing with a new Canon Pixma Pro-100 and the prints are coming out way darker than the monitor does. The picture is from my D750 and it looks like the color space was sRGB IEC61966-2.1. I have tried both Photoshop and ON1 with the same results. I have tried having the printer manage the colors and Photoshop manage them. Can someone offer some guidance.

Tom

frankie c Loc: Lake Havasu CIty, AZ

This really is a common problem people have. The screen hardly ever looks the same as a print. It is not WYSIWYG (what you see is what your get). You have a couple of choices. The best is to set up an ICM (Printer Profiles) file these are instructions you set up in software to adjust the printer settings. Some printer software allows you to make the corrections. Photo Shop lets you set this up in the print file. Some printers and some software has no way to set this. Other option is to change the image parameters to compensate for the changes you want it to look like in the print (you won't be happy with the way it looks on the screen but you should with some trial and error get the print to look better. Another key is you need to calibrate the screen and this helps (you still need printer profiles) to optimize the print. Professional Print labs Do this to Optimize printing. Other issues are inks (dye vs. pigment) Batch variables. When you change ink the results are different. Printing is not easy. There is a lot to learn to before you get it right. Modern consumer printers set up profiles that will generally give people an acceptable result. So most people I believe just go with what the printer does. Other controls you have over printing are weather you allow the printer to have control or the computer. You can also, opt for choices like no corrections to the printer. I hope this gives you some direction in getting better results. I am an Old Lithographer so I know something about printing. I just don't know how to deliver all that info in my head to concise instructions for you to have success printing. Good Luck. I wish you well.

Dan R Loc: Way Way Way Upstate NY

It sounds like your monitor may need to be calibrated.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

A very helpful answer, Frankie. This should help the OP figure out what variables may be affecting his prints. The OP should also be aware that UHH has a section devoted to “Printers and Color Printing” that is administered by some pretty smart people. The section can be accessed by clicking on the link to “All Sections” at the bottom of this page and scrolling down to join (no charge) the “Printers and ...” section.

Thomas Firth

Thanks for the reply. I forgot to add that I have printed out pictures that look great and appear pretty much like the monitor and I am quite happy with. I don't remember setting the camera color space to the sRBG ICE61966-2.1 but that is what appears in the camera data.

Thomas Firth

Thanks, I'll go take a look and see what's there for my canon printer.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

My first thought is that your monitor is way too bright. So you are adjusting the brightness based on what is a faulty starting place.

My iMac has the brightness turned down to just four "bars" on the brightness scale. That gives me a minimal brightness difference monitor-to-print.

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

Your monitor is too bright. It is not a color space issue, or should you try to address this by adjusting the individual image or printer settings.

Your best approach is to create a profile for your display using a profiling tool like an XRite i1 Display Pro, using a value of 80 CDA/meter² as a white clipping point value as a starting point and adjust from there. The monitor will be dark, but your prints will be lighter. If you adjust the image on your monitor to "look" correct, the darker you make the display, the brighter the print will be.

10MPlayer Loc: California

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Exactly right, and load the correct ICC profile for the paper (and ink) you’re using as a custom setting. Then soft proof before printing. The procedure to soft proof (view how the finished print will appear with the settings you’re using) will vary with the post processing ap you’re using, but in PS, it’s under view/proof setup/custom. Be sure to use either the printing profile from your PP ap OR in the printer driver in Windows (or your OS), but NOT both.

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

simple and effective. adjust your monitor brightness to the print.

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

Not so simple is to adjust it to what value. That's where the profiling tool can save on paper and ink, not to mention the time spent trying to fix something by trial and error. And do the colors shift at lower brightness levels? YOU BET!

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

Im not suggesting that there is anything simple about printing. Almost all my printing is in black and white, and even so, all the printer settings have to be right.

Jim Bob

You can use the brighten setting before printing.

davyboy Loc: Anoka Mn.

You guys make me thankful for Costco and Shutterfly