How do you guys do colour management? - Forums

Topic starter

Nov 14, 2022 · Edited: Nov 14, 2022

I'm trying to get my colour management right from aquisition all the way to printout.

I bought a Datacolor SpyderX Pro colorimeter recently to calibrate my monitor. It seems to have made sure that what I see on my screen should be the same as what anyone else on the web who has also calibrated their monitor will see on theirs. That's a big step forward.

My question is really about taking those images and getting them printed. I've noticed on my main PC that the printout I get from my HP inkjet printer can range from being totally washed out to almost matching my screen based on the app I'm using. Printouts from Photoshop looks spot on (colour and brightness-wise), whereas if I print exactly the same file from Windows Photo Viewer they look awful.

What am I doing wrong?

Well Written Engaging

Lynn K

Nov 14, 2022

I suggest you always print from Photoshop. You will need a printer with advanced settings that will communicate with Photoshop. Photoshop and the printer need to be in sink. Such as both using Adobe RGB as color control. Photoshop needs to know what paper manufacture you are using and which particular paper from that manufacture. Different papers will receive color ink very differently. You need a high quality photo paper with a ICC color calibration control file. The paper manufacture's web site should have the ICC down loads. This file is downloaded to the control computer and works like a driver. It communicates to the printer and guides the ink distribution for that particular paper. Once the ICC file is downloaded it should be in the paper pull-down menu in Photoshop.

Make sure that the color control are the same in both PS and the printer settings. Either Photoshop or the printer can control the color. But both need be in sink and the same.

Like Astrophotography, printing fine prints is a learning curve. You may fine viewing video's and reading articles on line more beneficial than posting question to sites like this one. AND, can be a financial investment. Quality inks can be very expensive and will be 6 to 10 colors.

Lynn K.

Andy Wray

Topic starter

Nov 15, 2022

Lynn K:
I suggest you always print from Photoshop. You will need a printer with advanced settings that will communicate with Photoshop. Photoshop and the printer need to be in sink. Such as both using Adobe RGB as color control. Photoshop needs to know what paper manufacture you are using and which particular paper from that manufacture. Different papers will receive color ink very differently. You need a high quality photo paper with a ICC color calibration control file. The paper manufacture's web site should have the ICC down loads. This file is downloaded to the control computer and works like a driver. It communicates to the printer and guides the ink distribution for that particular paper. Once the ICC file is downloaded it should be in the paper pull-down menu in Photoshop.

Make sure that the color control are the same in both PS and the printer settings. Either Photoshop or the printer can control the color. But both need be in sink and the same.

Like Astrophotography, printing fine prints is a learning curve. You may fine viewing video's and reading articles on line more beneficial than posting question to sites like this one. AND, can be a financial investment. Quality inks can be very expensive and will be 6 to 10 colors.

Lynn K.

Thanks Lynn, I'll do some more research online about this topic. I guess this is more related to serious photographers who want their photos to be spot on.

I have found that using Photoshop and letting the HP printer control the output that I do get prints that look amazingly close to what I see on the screen. I guess I'm more concerned now about sending photos off for professional printing. I'll do the research.