Hi
I'm new to this forum and just hope someone out there can help me! I use the above set up and what I see on the screen is NOT what prints out!! I have tried to read up on how to sort this out - the more I read the more confused I become!!!:depressed
Is there someone out there who could walk me through how to set up PS7, calibrate my display and set up my printer to get as near to as is possible printing what I see on the screen??? ( maybe through several private messages? ) I don't want to spend any money!
Look forward to hearing from you.
tonyt

Tony, Welcome to RetouchPRO!

See my video tutorial on Color Shift (http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s316/lpswampy/?action=view&current=Color_Shift.flv). This may be of help you understand what the printer wants from you

Every printer is different. Same for monitors. There are a couple things you need to be sure you do. I use an Epson, but the theory is the same.

1. Use the Print with Preview option in Photoshop.
2. Set the Color options as shown in example 1 below. RGB and Relative Chromatic.

Now you need to study your printer driver dialog box when you choose PRINT and select your printer. The terms may be different, but below is how I set up my Epson for printing.

1 Media Type: VERY IMPORTANT!! Depending on the kind of paper you are printing on, you need to set this correctly. For optimum results you need to use a photo glossy paper. Expensive, yes, but print on plain paper for drafts first to check things out.
2, Quality: I always set for high quality and high quality halftoning even when printing on plain paper.
3. Finest detail: I also request this even when printing a draft.

My Epson has several other print option screens, but this dialog box is the most important. Options #2 & #3 above use more ink, but the results are more consistant.

Hopefully this info along with my Color Shift tutorial will help you understand what your HP expects from you. Always send RGB files to the printer and let your native printer driver handle the CMYK conversion.

I've never calibrated my monitor and I do prepress work. I know that's probably not the "correct" way. But when I'm working on stuff that is going out to a 4 color process image setter, I use my vendor's ICC profiles for the CMYK conversion and I've had excellent results.

Swampy
Many thanks for your reply. Tried that but my 'print with preview options' do not match yours. I'm on dial up so watching a video is a no-no!
Still looking for help out there folks!!!

Sorry, Tony. Did you check the Photoshop print with preview dialog box? I think in version 7 there were still the same options, but you had to click on something to expand the dialog box to get the color setup options. Been so long since I used version 7.

oh,sorry,i am not clear about that :(