cony25

I edit my pictures on aperture, and they look pretty good. Then, I send them to the lab, and they come out too black, especially the shadows. So my computer screen is not matching the print...HELP,, what can I do?

nyweb2001

Either calibrate your monitor or have the photos printed in a place that Lab Corrects.

cony25

The lab has an option of color correct, but I am afraid that they will ruin the contrast, hues, and aperture has the color correction as well...how do I calibrate the monitor? any tips/ thank you so much.

nyweb2001

You need to buy a monitor calibration tool....over $100.00 ! Others will let you know what's available ! I can't justify the expense...I go lab corrected prints.

ShakyShutter Loc: Arizona

Ask the Lab what Color Space they are using or want your files submitted in. sRGB would be normal. Your camera and P.S. setting should agree also with the lab.

I've gotten caught in this trap in the past.

jimberton Loc: Michigan's Upper Peninsula

the cheap calibrators, like the Pantone Huey, are a waste of money. we use color munki and works great.

the advice given on finding out the color space used is the best and cheapest way to go.

MakuaMan Loc: Waianae, Hi.

On a related subject,[I hope you don't mind],I shoot in raw Adobe RGB and have seen message about color profile's not matching and when going to change ,it only has SRGB or calibrated monitor profile.Why no adobe RGB?.
I set it to the latter.If anyone know's why my computer is Windows 7 and only a year old.Using Corel PSP X4.
Aloha

mommy115 Loc: California

It depends on your monitor and computer, but with mine, I go into control panel/color management/ and it has the steps to do to calibrate the monitor without buying additional equipment. This was with my desktop. I don't know if this can be done with a laptop.

cony25

Does anybody know how to calibrate the monitor on a mac?

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

A Mac monitor calibrates like any other. You have not told us what your monitor is, but I am guessing you either have an iMac or one of the Apple Cinema Displays.

I have been an Apple guy since 1985 and love the stuff, BUT their monitors are too bright. To even get close, you need to turn that sucker way down. No farther than that.

I am guessing this is the issue since it is pretty widespread.

So yes, you need to calibrate (get the Color Munki), but the rest of the bad news is that Apple monitors do not calibrate all that well because they do not have enough control.

I have been using the 24" Cinema Display for about 6 years and have learned to work through the shortcomings. I do calibrate with the Color Munki and it does get the color pretty close.

After processing the image and before printing, I go to the Curves dialog and pull the middle of the curve up the amount needed to get the print correct. That amount you will have to decide for yourself.

When this monitor dies I will be looking at the Eizo/NEC/Samsung offerings that calibrate better.
Darn Apple stuff does not die all that easily!

14kphotog Loc: Marietta, Ohio

I had the same with getting dark prints from the local lab. I figured out what to set my moniter at to match their lab, about 1 stop lighter and do not let their printer do auto correct, works great and my pictures print well and do not change on my monitor.

Jody

If your only problem is the relative darkness of the print (and color calibration is not the problem), try this...set your monitor as far down as possible (my brightness control is set at 30%) and then set your final print to 'screen mode' and lower the opacity to between 15 and 30. You will need to experiment a little to get the monitor and screen mode tuned correctly for your set up but it will work. The reason that you want to use screen mode is that it won't change your color balance.

kimberliswenson Loc: Ridgefield, WA

Most labs offer a free set of evaluation prints....including both color corrected and regular....so that you can see their quality. See if your lab offers this. It is a quick phone call or email and well worth your time. I also wouldn't cost you much just to order a couple of color corrected prints to see what you get...

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Another thing to consider is whether you are embedding a printing profile. If you are, the printer may be using it and it is the wrong one for his equipment. However, the printing profile does not affect the monitor. That is why the print looks right but prints wrong.

I have been thru the monitor calibration issue for years. It is fine for fine-tuning your own scanner and printer to the monitor but your problem is bigger than that. And that is why I suspect the problem is an embedded printing profile.

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

You could do it by trial and error. If your shadows are too dark, then I'd suggest your monitor is too bright. If your monitor brightness was reduced 20%, then your photos would seem too dark on the screen and you'd lighten them 20% during editing. Take one or two to the local WalMart or drugstore and print 4X6's of the new edited versions. Did that help? If so, go back home and adjust the monitor brightness and/or contrast some more (darker monitor setting if your prints are too dark, lighter monitor setting if your prints are too light).

After you've got that close to right, then take some shots of something in daylight that has red, green, and blue in it. Make the photo look natural on your monitor. Save that file and take it for printing 4X6s. Is one color too saturated? Boost that color in your video settings on your monitor. Then when you look at that color on the screen you will reduce it in editing to make it look natural. Is a color not saturated enough? Lower the level of that color in your video settings on your monitor. Then you'll increase that color during editing to make it look natural.

It's not perfect but it's virtually free. After your monitor and drugstore prints are pretty close to the same, then when you send away to labs they'll give you accurate results too.