Printing Issue

[terrig]

I printed this photo and it doesn't look at all like on the screen. There it looks like a sky blue but after printing it is extremely saturated with a dark blue. I did lighten up the shadows which helped the island. Any thoughts?? Is there a way to correct this by photo editing?

[Andrew76]

Is there any chance you had it printed at a 'big-box' type store, or a pharmacy? Like a Costco, or a Walgreen's?

[terrig]

Is there any chance you had it printed at a 'big-box' type store, or a pharmacy? Like a Costco, or a Walgreen's?

No, I printed it at home...just had changed my ink cartridges.

[Andrew76]

Well Terri, there are a couple of things going on here. Firstly, prints will never be exactly the same as what we see on screen. And that's because of the different ways the two medium produce colours. Monitors use light in an additive process to generate the colours, where prints use inks and dyes that require light to be reflected off of them to give colours.

Secondly, if your monitor is not calibrated, it may not be displaying to you the actual colours that are there. So monitor calibration may be something to look into.

Thirdly, printers need to be profiled so that your editing software knows how to make the adjustments needed for that specific printer - ie, a Canon MG2100, does not print the same as an HP2640, as an example. So you need to tell your computer where your image is going.

Fourthly, all that is for naught if you decide to change your ink cartridges, or even your paper for that matter and not update the profiles in your computer.

It's certainly not as easy as you'd think, and to be honest, there are only a couple of commercial print shops around that produce accurate, consistent results. In my area anyway. I hope this helps you a little.

[Steve S]

Hi terri, I just looked at your image. It has a green cast to it. To remove the cast, you will have to add some magenta. I also added a touch of yellow to reduce the intensity of the blues a little bit. I printed the image and it looks fine to me.(exactly as I see it on my screen)

Are you using the correct paper profile?

How are you setting up the printer?

Are you allowing the printer to handle the colors, or photoshop?

[terrig]

Hi terri, I just looked at your image. It has a green cast to it. To remove the cast, you will have to add some magenta. I also added a touch of yellow to reduce the intensity of the blues a little bit. I printed the image and it looks fine to me.(exactly as I see it on my screen)

Are you using the correct paper profile?

How are you setting up the printer?

Are you allowing the printer to handle the colors, or photoshop?

Not sure about that on setting up printer> I'm also getting lines every half inch across photo. Something's not right for sure. What would be causing those? I'm using Kodak ultra premium. I'm wondering if its too thick. Could you tell me how you added color and how much...I'll try it.

[Steve S]

Not sure about that on setting up printer> I'm also getting lines every half inch across photo. Something's not right for sure. What would be causing those? I'm using Kodak ultra premium. I'm wondering if its too thick. Could you tell me how you added color and how much...I'll try it.

If your getting lines, it sounds like your printer head is clogged. Run it through a few cleaning cycles. This could very well be your problem with the colors. After cleaning, try an image you know prints right, to check it.

To adjust the colors as I explained, go to image----adjustment----color balance--------and move the slider towards magenta and a touch towards yellow. I do it a more advanced way, with the curves tool, but this way is easier.

[terrig]

If your getting lines, it sounds like your printer head is clogged. Run it through a few cleaning cycles. This could very well be your problem with the colors. After cleaning, try an image you know prints right, to check it.

To adjust the colors as I explained, go to image----adjustment----color balance--------and move the slider towards magenta and a touch towards yellow. I do it a more advanced way, with the curves tool, but this way is easier.

I'll try the cleaning! I use PSE so would I go to the hue ssaturation for adjusting color?

[terrig]

Well Terri, there are a couple of things going on here. Firstly, prints will never be exactly the same as what we see on screen. And that's because of the different ways the two medium produce colours. Monitors use light in an additive process to generate the colours, where prints use inks and dyes that require light to be reflected off of them to give colours.

Secondly, if your monitor is not calibrated, it may not be displaying to you the actual colours that are there. So monitor calibration may be something to look into.

Thirdly, printers need to be profiled so that your editing software knows how to make the adjustments needed for that specific printer - ie, a Canon MG2100, does not print the same as an HP2640, as an example. So you need to tell your computer where your image is going.

Fourthly, all that is for naught if you decide to change your ink cartridges, or even your paper for that matter and not update the profiles in your computer.

It's certainly not as easy as you'd think, and to be honest, there are only a couple of commercial print shops around that produce accurate, consistent results. In my area anyway. I hope this helps you a little.

I understand what you're saying but how do you know what the printed picture will be then?? I'm extremely fussy about color. Then you've wasted your ink and time. Do you just have to guess at the outcome?? I've never run into this before.

[terrig]

If your getting lines, it sounds like your printer head is clogged. Run it through a few cleaning cycles. This could very well be your problem with the colors. After cleaning, try an image you know prints right, to check it.

To adjust the colors as I explained, go to image----adjustment----color balance--------and move the slider towards magenta and a touch towards yellow. I do it a more advanced way, with the curves tool, but this way is easier.

I use PSE I assume go to image hue saturation then change master to magenta, is that how I would go about it?? I've also noticed that my photo editing changes like lightening shadows don't seem to be printing with that change. I can't figure that one!!

[Steve S]

I use PSE I assume go to image hue saturation then change master to magenta, is that how I would go about it?? I've also noticed that my photo editing changes like lightening shadows don't seem to be printing with that change. I can't figure that one!!

Not hue and saturation..............image----adjustments-----'color balance'

[Manfred M]

Terri - Getting a successful print is all part of the workflow path and Andrew has given you a good "heads up".

Everything starts with your screen; and unless the colours are portrayed accurately (a nice way of saying you need a good quality, profiled screen), you have no baseline to judge your print output by. Profiling the screen means that (as close as possible) the colours that you see on the screen will match the colours that come out on your printer. This means buying a profiling tool; I use the x-Rite i1 for my work.

The next part is ensuring that the colours your printer outputs are accurate; and here you need to load the icc profile for the paper that you are using onto your computer to ensure that the printer reproduces the colours accurately, based on the printer / paper you are using. If you buy the paper put out by the printer manufacturer, the profiles have probably been installed (assuming that you are using a photo printer).

The final step is getting the print to more or less match the screen. Andrew has already gone through why this is a bit of a trick; your screen tends to be bright (transmitted, additive RGB colours) while your print uses a reflective CYMK process and depends on the light shining on it (reflected light) to show the colours. Nicely said, this means you need to crank up the brightness of the image before printing; and how much is going to come from testing. I have a method that works for my Photoshop setup where I duplicate the image, set the blend mode to screen (brightens the image up a lot) and adjust the opacity to 25% on that layer. How did I figure that out? I made test est prints until I found something that works.

[Shadowman]

What printer do you have and is it capable of exif printing?

[Andrew76]

Then you've wasted your ink and time.

Yep. That pretty much sums up printing at home!

[Stagecoach]

I understand what you're saying but how do you know what the printed picture will be then?? I'm extremely fussy about color. Then you've wasted your ink and time. Do you just have to guess at the outcome?? I've never run into this before.

Terri,

All good advice so far but here's a couple of points having gone through similar frustrations myself in the past;

a) You say you have never run into this before. Does this mean that you have previously successfully printed your photos as seen on your screen with that same printer on the same paper ? If you have, something has changed.

b) To save on ink and paper whilst testing the varying settings or editing you can 'downsize' an image and with a bit of simple manipulation manage to print a number using the same one sheet of paper repeatedly where it's also easier to compare them side by side.

[terrig]

Terri - Getting a successful print is all part of the workflow path and Andrew has given you a good "heads up".

Everything starts with your screen; and unless the colours are portrayed accurately (a nice way of saying you need a good quality, profiled screen), you have no baseline to judge your print output by. Profiling the screen means that (as close as possible) the colours that you see on the screen will match the colours that come out on your printer. This means buying a profiling tool; I use the x-Rite i1 for my work.

The next part is ensuring that the colours your printer outputs are accurate; and here you need to load the icc profile for the paper that you are using onto your computer to ensure that the printer reproduces the colours accurately, based on the printer / paper you are using. If you buy the paper put out by the printer manufacturer, the profiles have probably been installed (assuming that you are using a photo printer).

The final step is getting the print to more or less match the screen. Andrew has already gone through why this is a bit of a trick; your screen tends to be bright (transmitted, additive RGB colours) while your print uses a reflective CYMK process and depends on the light shining on it (reflected light) to show the colours. Nicely said, this means you need to crank up the brightness of the image before printing; and how much is going to come from testing. I have a method that works for my Photoshop setup where I duplicate the image, set the blend mode to screen (brightens the image up a lot) and adjust the opacity to 25% on that layer. How did I figure that out? I made test est prints until I found something that works.

That explaind a lot. I have and Hp Office yet...paper was Kodak I'm going to try setting it at screen.

Are you really Grumpy??? LOL!

[terrig]

Terri,

All good advice so far but here's a couple of points having gone through similar frustrations myself in the past;

a) You say you have never run into this before. Does this mean that you have previously successfully printed your photos as seen on your screen with that same printer on the same paper ? If you have, something has changed.

b) To save on ink and paper whilst testing the varying settings or editing you can 'downsize' an image and with a bit of simple manipulation manage to print a number using the same one sheet of paper repeatedly where it's also easier to compare them side by side.

Good idea...I've been trying to get a few images on one sheet. Its been a while since I've printed at home....just changed all of the cartridges...for some reason though, its not picking up on changes I've photo edited for shadows...not sure if that isn't part of the calibration

[terrig]

Terri,

All good advice so far but here's a couple of points having gone through similar frustrations myself in the past;

a) You say you have never run into this before. Does this mean that you have previously successfully printed your photos as seen on your screen with that same printer on the same paper ? If you have, something has changed.

b) To save on ink and paper whilst testing the varying settings or editing you can 'downsize' an image and with a bit of simple manipulation manage to print a number using the same one sheet of paper repeatedly where it's also easier to compare them side by side.

Yeah, I have been using several photos on one sheet! Good idea!! Haven't printed at home in a while. Just had changed all of the cartridges.

[terrig]

What printer do you have and is it capable of exif printing?

I have an HP

[terrig]

Not hue and saturation..............image----adjustments-----'color balance'

I googled it. PSE doesn't have it! Looks like the closest thing is the hue sat. layer.