printing woes

[Isa Luna]

Hi there!
My image looks great on my computer (mac pro lap top) ... colours are nice, all is good.

But, when I print them ( xerox super duper colour copier) or @ Black's I am disappointed with the result for colour.

Have you had this experience?

L.

[Barefoot]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha hahhhhaah ah, boy. Sorry.

[Matt K.]

Have you tried to calibrate your monitor? Once you have done so, give it another try, and you may find the results may improve with the printing. Here is a link to a photograph that may help to calibrate your monitor. We use this image @ our club to set the projector. It is not as sophisticated as using color munky or other calibration software, but in a jiffy it may do. Here it is.

[Barefoot]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha hahhhhaah ah, boy. Sorry.

That was rude, I apologize. Calibration and ICC profiles(and printing on the right side of the paper, but thats another story) matter more and more as you become more serious about the quality of your prints. Printing is not for the meek of heart, but once you get it right and your holding it in your hands...

[Barefoot]

Search youtube for printing instructions and tips on whichever application you're printing from and make sure the app controls the color and not the printer(turn off "printer manages color" in print dialogue box). Try that, and get back to us.

[Runmonty]

For what it is worth, I can sympathise. My monitor is calibrated, PS is managing colour (printer management switched off), paper profiles match the paper being used and still getting lousy prints. Last week I printed a 4x 6 image accidently on an A4 page, and got an acceptable result. I then changed selected paper size only and the colours were totally different. If I didnt know it was such a "black art" I would use my printer as an boat anchor. I am sure I will still persist and get frustrated on a regular basis.

Good luck with yours

[AcadieLibre]

I would avoid Black's for prints and go to a print shop that will work with you to get the correct colour on your images.

[slackercruster]

Monitor view seldom = what you get with the print. Just how it is.

Use a good printer and decent photo paper and you should have no problem.

[JAS_Photo]

Ha! Ha! The black hole that is printing. I find that I get best results from my laptop if I calibrate with the Spyder and use the Spyder calibrations. I am a big fan of Hahnemuhle Fine Art Baryta and Photorag. But yes, it is a pain and frustrating if you are using large sheets of expensive paper and expensive pigment based ink (which in itself is more subdued in colour then dye based). I gave away a lot of 11 X 14 in prints this Christmas and had good results from my Mac once I got everything figured out.

As far as professional printers go, if you are having large photos professionally printed, you need to go to someone that specializes in that and uses specialty papers etc.

I think that Mark has a podcast dealing with printing so you may want to check that out as well.