Photo printing question

273K

Thanks, is calibration just for separate monitors? My laptop screen, which  I normally use, doesn't give me too many native options to adjust screen setting other than brightness. I'll look into what the options are, I'm guessing there are apps that will allow greater control over screen settings?

snerkler

You need a proper calibrator like the i1display pro or Spyder munki

=adrian=

Yes, as Snerkler mentioned, to calibrate monitor properly you need an external device and a piece of software. Unfortunately laptop screens are usually very limited in what you can do without fully calibrating it.

273K

Just to update on this, the prints came back pretty much exactly as I was hoping for, very pleased!

I was thinking, maybe if there was a way to export your monitor settings, then the printer could somehow compensate at their end?? Say you get the image looking right on your screen then send the image   monitor settings to the printer and then they adjust the image so it prints like it looks on your monitor. Rather than the other way round with you calibrating your monitor to the printer profile? Must be possible with digital printing and software these days? Just a thought...

snerkler

It’s unlikely they’d have the same monitor, and then there’s ambient light to consider too.

273K

I agree lighting/backlighting would be an issue, but for colour

I was thinking this,
but in reverse? So you send them your monitor settings and they adjust their printer accordingly, to get close to what you see on your screen??

snerkler

It wouldn’t work. Screens aren’t always exactly the same even if it’s the same make and model, there are variances in hue, saturation etc etc so you can’t apply the same calibration to all monitors and expect them to look the same. Look at different makes and models and the calibrations will be even more different. If you have a standard print profile this should be the same across the board, assuming corrected calibrated screens.

Print companies are kind enough to offer up their profiles, the least the customer can do is make sure their screen is properly calibrated if they want good colour reproduction imo. At the end of the day if you haven’t got your screen calibrated you don’t know what the true colour is anyway

razer1

Ive had this conversation many times with customers of mine.

The only true way of getting "close" prints is to calibrate monitors and use print profiles when editing / viewing.

Technology to how prints are created also makes prints appear different. Some use  C type printers ( old school silver halide type equivalent) or Inkjet - canvas etc.

Most genuine print processors should let you have profiles for their equipment & media combinations.

Use these when processing photo's along with a calibrated screen.

As others have said, calibration is key and so is brightness of monitors.

No commercial printer would have the time to do this! Nor should they have to. Most are automated systems now for the larger scale operations.

My workflow for printing is:- Customer sends photo > I size accordingly > select media in RIP > goes to printer > item mounted etc > customer receives.

Very occasionally if I find prints are way out will I adjust a little but 95% is print and mount etc. Im a small operation so I view every print that comes off my Epson 9900 and other machines - I print canvas, acrylic and other media daily.

Its customer to check colour & ensure they are setup as well as possible. Otherwise issues as above occur. Recommend either Xrites calibrators or datacolour are the 2 best ones out there. Most can be had for under £100 quid or so. Multiple monitor calibration is possible but check features on them as some basic ones dont do this.

Another thing is for best colour reproduction is a good quality IPS monitor. Expect to pay around £500 for a decent entry one - Can pay much moe than this but wouldnt unless going pro or wanting very best. Ive got one thats over £1200 to buy!

And this is from experience running a studio.

Hope that helps.

Raz

273K

Were it possible, I was thinking of the 'reverse calibration' being done by software, rather than manually.

Thanks, this is the first time I've printed from my current laptop, based on the end result, the screen actually seems to be pretty good (to me eye). But I'll definitely bear this in mind if/when I go back to a desktop, or start printing more often.

razer1

Would be too many variations for it to work. Thats why theres industry colour specs to work from. This is what the colour SHOULD be not what the software thinks is true colour. Plus inks vary even from batch to batch sometimes.

Calibration is the only true way.

Laptops are not the greatest however are getting better.
it depends how far you take it calibrating - like I said, a few hundred quid gets a half decent display and calibrator and a couple of grand gets you the pro stuff.

I would be surprised if you didnt find it better when calibrated! I would certainly recommend them if you are serious about your prints and images.