Matching what I see in the Monitor with what I get in the printer?

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I have started to experiment with an HP scanner and the Epson 700 Inkjet printer to get quality B&W prints. Results are excellent, but the main problem I have is to match the monitor image with the actual print I get. I use a Vueprint or Adobe Photo de Luxe to manipulate the image and get the right contrast and gray tones. But when I print (Using Epson Photo paper) I never get the same thing I saw in the monitor. I found out that it depends on monitor adjustments and I have to (aproximately) reduce contrast and ligthness on my screen to obtain what I want. Is there any precise way of dooing this?

-- Emilio Martinez (emilio.martinez@att.net), April 05, 1999

Answers

Maybe you can print a gray scale, put it next to your monitor, view the gray scale on both print and monitor, then adjust monitor contrast and lightness so it looks like the print. Once adjusted you can work on your actual pictures.

-- Clive Creven (clive_creven@hotmail.com), April 07, 1999.

It's a complicated field and one I'm struggling with at the moment. All the more difficult for finding any plain English explanations.

In essence, your monitor (when properly warmed up and typical light conditions) needs to be properly calibrated to your printer.

There is equipment (which is probably expensive) which can do this.

There are also functions in Photoshop (especially Photoshop 5), which can be used without this equipment, to do the same (as far as possible). Check the section on Calibrating Your Monitor in the Help section.

In addition to calibrating your monitor, you can (in effect) establish a standard curve which Photoshop applies to each image when printing to adjust for differences between the monitor and printer. As I understand it, a printer may reproduce shades inaccurately due to 'dot gain' (essentially, I think, the ink spreading when it hits the paper). Again, Photoshop help deals with this.

Your printer software might also have different modes for reproduction - my Epson Photo EX does. (damned if I know what they do, though)

Corrections to anything inaccurate in my rudimentary understanding would be appreciated.

Regards Gareth Jolly

-- Gareth Jolly (sgfj@minters.com.au), April 07, 1999.


If you want to do this right, you'll need Lookup Tables for your scanner, monitor, and printer. You didn't mention what operating system you use, but I suspect it is Windows 95 or 98. If so, the LUTs will be of little value and you may as well take Gareth's suggestion - get PhotoShop 5. That way you'll at least be in the ballpark. Not perfect, but fairly close.

If you're using NT then you can get a calibrator and write your own LUTs if you have the inclination and the time. Those LUTs will not help if you send your best files to someone else for high-end output, but you will be able to match colors on your own system.

-- Darron Spohn (dspohn@clicknet.com), April 07, 1999.


It is a lot easier if you have an RGB printer like a Fujix 4000. But matching still requires a lot of setup time.

-- Philip Greenspun (philg@mit.edu), April 16, 1999.

This may be a new thread or a continuation Is philg@mit.edu or other users happy with there Fujix 4000 Are there archival inks available? Is there such a thing affordable archival printing ?

-- david hodgson (davidhodgson@mindspring.com), April 17, 1999.


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