Need help with printing photo...

Thanks in Advance. I've shot some photos at Sting ray city in Cayman. I am happy with what I see on the computer screen. When I print them out, the sand is not white, it almost has a blue tint to it (but the sand is white on my computer) Is it the paper? Is there a setting on printer I need to change? Not happy at all with the output. Thoughts??

Hi sluggo

It could be that your screen and printer haven't been calibrated?

Could well be someone can give you expert advice in reply - but in the meantime, have a look online at screen and printer calibration using something like a Spyder Pro.

What kind of printer and what kind of paper?
Bill

Step one.... Calibrate screen!

But even with perfectly calibrated screens, getting WYSIWYG onto printer paper takes time and work. You need to get the correct ink set and the correct paper profiles and the correct paper and then you need to tweak a bunch to get something close to what you want; or at least it took me a long time to get prints that I am happy with on either EPSON 4800 or Canon Pro 100.

Bill

I have an Epson printer, I'll check the model number, Paper? just basic 4x6 gloss at bought at wally's world. My goal is to get it looking okay, and then take it someplace to have it blown up some so I can hang and frame. Thanks

okay I checked, I have an Epson photo rx595 and I used HP premium glossy photo paper, inkjet, if that helps!

I have an Epson printer, I'll check the model number, Paper? just basic 4x6 gloss at bought at wally's world. My goal is to get it looking okay, and then take it someplace to have it blown up some so I can hang and frame. Thanks

Problem could be though, Sluggo, that you get it right on your home system - but then take it to a professional centre and the colours look different.

As the_dragon and bvanant suggest, it'd be wise to get your system calibrated first - and then maybe discuss your settings with whoever you are going to use for the final, big print.

Hey Sluggo-I would get the pros to print it for you:

http://wetpixel.com/articles/wetpixel-community-discount-vivid-pix-prints

Adam

 

Problem could be though, Sluggo, that you get it right on your home system - but then take it to a professional centre and the colours look different.

 

As the_dragon and bvanant suggest, it'd be wise to get your system calibrated first - and then maybe discuss your settings with whoever you are going to use for the final, big print.

Can I calibrate my system?? Where would I start?? TIA

Here is a rough path to follow ;

Buy a screen calibration unit and calibrate your screen.

Make sure you do not change color spaces as you go from camera to Lightroom to P/S to out put profile..

Select a quality paper and load the paper profile.

Make sure your inks are not stale.

Print a small image and look at it under the same glass you will frame it with and the same viewing light- natural, incandescent, florescent, ......

Go back and tweek the color balance and saturation to your liking

Another test print

OR spend $3.00 at Costco, drink a beer and say: "close enough!"

Sluggo,

There is no mention of any post processing before trying to print the images. Just "I like what I see on the computer, not the prints". Are you using Photoshop, Lightroom, or even the program that came with your camera to make any adjustments to the images? If you're not making changes, nothing's going to change. Without adjusting the white balance or temperature, the pictures will stay cold. Calibrating the screen may let the pictures look more like the prints but won't, by that alone, make any difference in what they look like when printed. Some image software lets you define what printer you are using and makes changes based on the nuances of a particular printer make/model (called a printer profile). So, are you using software and, if so, what program?

Bob W

Sluggo,

 

There is no mention of any post processing before trying to print the images. Just "I like what I see on the computer, not the prints". Are you using Photoshop, Lightroom, or even the program that came with your camera to make any adjustments to the images? If you're not making changes, nothing's going to change. Without adjusting the white balance or temperature, the pictures will stay cold. Calibrating the screen may let the pictures look more like the prints but won't, by that alone, make any difference in what they look like when printed. Some image software lets you define what printer you are using and makes changes based on the nuances of a particular printer make/model (called a printer profile). So, are you using software and, if so, what program?

 

Bob W

yes I made my adjustments in Photoshop, and liked what I saw on the screen, I did not like what was printed.

Hey Sluggo

oukma has set out the flow for calibrating.

This might help a bit more: http://spyder.datacolor.com

If you take a look at SpyderStudio this seems to go from monitor calibration - the first step - to then printing.

I use a SpyderPro to calibrate my monitor and find that works well. I know that if I send images to someone else then - in theory - the images should appear the way I sent them. Provided, of course, the receiver has also calibrated their monitor(s)!

Hope this helps a bit.

And here's a review Adam did of the Spyder4. http://wetpixel.com/articles/datacolor-releases-spyder4-colorimeters

Spyder 5 is now available.

yes I made my adjustments in Photoshop, and liked what I saw on the screen, I did not like what was printed.

Within Photoshop there is the ability to use printer profiles when you print. The idea is to have Photoshop handle color management, instead of your printer. If you search for "using 'printer/model' ICC profile on Photoshop 'version'" you should be able to find the profile that goes with your printer and instructions for installing and using. This should produce print results that more closely match what you see on your monitor. Calibrating your monitor will make colors on your monitor more closely match established standards for colors. Using a printer profile will tell your printer what to print for red, instead of letting the printer decide what red looks like. A calibrated monitor is great for processing images (mine is), but the calibration device isn't free. The printer profile is. Best case is to use both.

Bob W

thanks guys for the insight!! I'll let you know how it goes!