Calibration

[akj]

Just wondering how and to what extent all of you have calibrated your system--scanner, monitor, printer, etc. There seems to be a wide range of products on the market. From the free Adobe Gamma utility that we all get with Photoshop to very expensive spectrophotometers that cost thousands of dollars.

This topic seems to be over my head, but I'm afraid it's something that I'm going to have to learn (along with everything else) if I expect to get professional results.

Amanda

[DJ Dubovsky]

Sorry Amanda,
I may not answer your question very well, but you sure solved mine. Thank you very much. Well, you learn something new everyday.

You made me think about how my printer was calibrated to my monitor which hasn't been a real problem since they seem close enough to deal with. But in further investigation, I discover that Photoshop actually supports my printer profile under File, color settings, profile setup, assumed profiles, RGB. There's a drop down list and in it was the Epson I own. Well, don't I feel real stupid now. I can't wait to try printing something now to see the difference. Who would have thought I could find the exact printer. Thanks again Amanda for the inpirational question.
DJ

[DJ Dubovsky]

Amanda,
I just tried printing my first print since changing my color profile in Photoshop to match my Epson 2000 and it is fantastic!!!! My God the colors are so close a match to my monitor I can hardly see a difference. Thank you Thank you Thank you for this little boost of inspiration. If I thought that printer printed good before it just moved up big time! Wish I could show you the comparison.
DJ

[jeaniesa]

OK, I'm lost... DJ, what version of PS are you running? I can't find anything about "assumed profiles" under color settings in PS6. Are you running 6.0 or 5.5? (I know that color management changed quite a bit between the two versions.) I just can't find anything about printer profiles and I'd really like to. Thanks, Jeanie

[DJ Dubovsky]

Hi Jeanie
Until 6 shows up in the mail, I am still on 5.5. In my version I go to File-Color Settings-Profile Setup and in the dialog box under Assumed Profiles-RGB, there is a drop down list and I found the printer listed in it when I scrolled down. I think I was just lucky I had one listed. I'm not sure how these instructions translate to 6.0 but if you figure it out let me know because I'm getting it soon. The options have to still be there in 6 but you may have to check your help file to find their new name/place etc.
DJ

[akj]

Hi DJ,

Glad to hear you are having success with printing! It's amazing what a little change can make. I'm still trying to figure my system out.

Jeanie and DJ,
I'm running PS 6, I'm not sure if version 5.5 has this or not, but if you go to View>Proof Setup>Custom and then choose your printer's profile, you are supposed to see what your image will look like when printed as opposed to how it looks on screen (read this from the PS6 Artistry Book). My images always look the same here--but the colors end up different when printed.

I calibrated my monitor using Adobe Gamma and always choose my printer's profile from the Print dialog box so I'm really not sure what's going on. However, sometimes changing from regular paper to photo paper seems to help with the colors (even though a lot of my images aren't photographs). Oh well, I'm not losing too much sleep over it yet, cause I'm planning on getting a new printer soon. I'll figure it out then. :p

Amanda

[jeaniesa]

Well, duh!! If I'd just looked up printer profiles in my Photoshop Studio Techniques book, I'd have found my answer. :o (I don't have the Artistry book yet, but it's on my list.)

Thanks for the pointer Amanda! Now, I just have to figure it all out.

Jeanie

[DJ Dubovsky]

Wow, if that's the case with PS 6 I may keep a copy of 5.5 on my computer to send things off to print. You can't get a better match than I'm getting now. Guess I have a lot of research to do before I install and start using 6. Thanks for the input from you both.
DJ

[T Paul]

Great thread. I learn something every time I visit here. I just change my printer profile in PhotoShop and what a difference! Especially in flesh tones. THANKS

-T