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

I use both. The color checker is the ONLY way to ensure perfectly neutral color when you need it - and the only device that will resolve color from two light sources to neutrality. If you have multiple cameras, you can profile them to a common standard so that you cannot tell which camera produced which image.

I use the i1 monthly. All displays drift and you'd be surprised how much when you profile - it gives you the option to compare before and after and it is an eye opener.

The process is simple - load the software, check for any updates, plug in the colorimeter and follow the instructions on the screen. When you get to the part where you can use your own white and black clipping point, use 80 cda/m² - your display is probably set to 120 or higher, which is fine for viewing in a brightly lit room, but inappropriate for photo work.

For most fine art papers you can usually get good results using the paper manufacturer's profiles if your printer is listed. Otherwise you'll have to profile your paper - or you can use Epson paper with their appropriate settings.

Golden Rule Loc: Washington State

Once again, everyone has helped me with a problem, thanks!

dajanes4

With 120 lumens as a goal, my calibration requires a brightness control of 36 (out of 100) on Dell monitor. Lower ambient room light with drapes, shades.

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

All of the advice given so far is excellent. I have found one of the most helpful tips is to keep my monitor at about 40 percent when processing. The backlit monitors make the photos appear much brighter than they ever can on paper.
Steve

John Howard Loc: SW Florida and Blue Ridge Mountains of NC.

I use Spider5Pro and updated the software and calibration last week. Even with the update to version 5.3 I received the error message that the developer needs to optimize the app for my operating system. I think they are not up to date with Apple and a Mac computer. If you use Mac you may want to be sure the update works.

Ted d Loc: Green Valley, AZ.

In addition make profiles for all the paper that you use. This is done in X-Rites printer calabration, Also make sure that you proof your pix after editing, soft proof for the paper, I don't know if PS or LR have that feature I use on1 which does.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The MONITOR is the core pivot point of the entire system. When prints are too dark, 99% of the time, the monitor is either too bright, or not properly calibrated and profiled. Here are some pointed questions that will get you to the solution.

After careful calibration and custom ICC profiling, if you use the soft proofing feature of your software for final image adjustment before printing, it is entirely possible to have what you see on the monitor almost exactly match what comes off the printer.

Of course, monitors are additive color devices and printers are subtractive color devices, so what you are trying to do is simulate reflected light with a transmissive device. The color gamuts of the monitor, printer, ink, and paper do not match exactly. So the need for *color calibration* (linearizing the three color channels so they reproduce gray at every shade from white to black) and *ICC profiling* (mathematically describing the color capabilities of one device so they may be converted to the capabilities of another device, within reason) is urgent.

Is your monitor capable of displaying at least 100% of the sRGB color space, and preferably over 98% of the Adobe RGB (1998) color space? If not, you need a new monitor.

Does your monitor have individual controls for backlight, brightness, contrast, gamma, and color temperature?

Do you own and use religiously a colorimeter and software or spectrophotometer and software calibration and custom ICC profiling kit from Datacolor or X-Rite? Alternatively, did your high end monitor come with its own calibration device and instructions?

The $150 to $300 you spend on a calibration kit will MORE than pay for itself in paper and ink savings over the life of the printer. Even if you only use outside labs, if you calibrate and profile your monitor, and get the lab's printer profiles to use as proofing profiles, you will get prints that satisfy, almost every time.

Have you set the following parameters in the calibration software?:

> Color Temperature 5800K (5000K to 6500K, depending on the software's recommendation)
> White Point 80 to 120 candelas per square meter (cd/m^2) (105 cd/m^2 is a common lab aim)
> Black Point 0.5 cd/m^2
> Gamma 2.2

Is your monitor in a dimly lit room with just one 13-Watt, 5000K, 91+ CRI lamp bounced off the ceiling from behind the monitor?

Do you have a print evaluation box lit with the same 5000K lighting matched to the brightness of your monitor? (Meter EV 9.5 at ISO 100 off a gray card placed where an 8x10 print would be viewed.)

Is your computer desktop set to medium dark gray?

Is the area around your computer nice and drab — preferably gray with no bright colors in your field of view?

Are you sure you are not double profiling the image? Let EITHER the software OR the printer manage color, but not both. Disable printer color management when using third party papers.

If you are using third party papers with Epson ink, download and install the paper manufacturer's printer-model-and-paper-specific profiles for the papers you use, and install them. Choose the paper profile in your software, and the paper type in the printer driver, correctly.

I know that's a mouthful to swallow, but it does work. I set up a system like this in a huge portrait lab a while back. We kept nine reference monitors calibrated to each other and to a master printer. We had close to 80 different printing devices in the lab, from mini-labs to plastic ID card printers to Epson inkjet wide format printers, to electrostatic printers (color copiers with raster image processors plugged into them). We didn't have issues with dark prints.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Monitor calibration should be the FIRST step before any printing. I have the same printer which I use is a Color Balanced workflow which produces perfect, or at least near perfect, prints. Seems like a little step and can also seem impossible to do at first. It's not really that hard, becomes second nature ofter some practice, and makes a REALLY BIG difference. Get a Spyder (or a Color Muki), a little reading (Red River Paper site), the proper icc profile for the paper you're using and print away. You will save a ton of ink/paper in this way.

jjestar Loc: Savannah GA

Usually the main problem with printing from PS if you have PS managing the color is the print setup having the printer managing the color also, that needs to be turned off.

rleonetti Loc: Portland, Oregon

Another thought: your monitor has light behind the colors and will always be brighter that the reflected light off of a white paper print. It will be noticeable in dark colors that will just lose the details.

Years ago I calibrated my Epson Photo printer, to compensate for this by working with a color card and trial and error.

The stuff that goes out to a book printer, no such luck, so I just consciously lighten the shadows so the details are not lost by the printer.

Golden Rule Loc: Washington State

Thanks so much! Everyone has been so helpful and I agree that the $300 will more than pay for itself in ink and paper supplies. I will go to Red River paper and read about their paper settings. I use their paper pretty much 99% of the time.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

The Color Calibration process is more ongoing than "Years ago". IF it is performed correctly, AND you know what the 'book printer' is expecting, there is no reason why your monitor can't correctly display the final product. Best of luck.

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

THAT would be my first check. Also, in that printer dialog box, check to see what colorspace the printer is using (Photoshop will translate your screen image to that color profile.)

Bill P

CAVEAT EMPTOR!!! I have a Color Munki Photo that I have used faithfully since I had a Trinitron graphics monitor. A few months ago, I upgraded my computer and it came with Windows 10. Went online to Pantone (that's who owns X-rite now), and guess what? No drivers for anything newer than Windows 7. Tried to use their online Q&A service, but got on perpetual hold.

Next week I'm ordering a spyder.

geodowns Loc: Yale, Michigan

What do they say about that. Paper is reflective and monitor gives light, (there's a better way of saying that). But what you see on the monitor in my experience is not always going to print the same. Everything has to be calibrated and it can be a pain and also a big learning experience. There's books out there on just that problem. My Epson R1800 as to be calibrated differently than my Epson XP960. Different inks and different paper types and brand and on and on it goes, BUT once you got it dialed in and figured out it will all work together. Printing is the other side of photography like the darkroom used to be.