Adobe Photoshop 7.0 & Epson Stylus Photo 890

[lasercomp]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has this combination? I started using Photoshop for about a month now and love the possibilities that exist. My main problem and this one is huge is that whenever I retouch my images and they look great on my screen, they never come out like that on paper when I print. This si what I have done so far. I downloaded from Epson the PIM plugin and installed it. I calibrated my monitor with Adobe Gama in control panel ( I use Win XP). I am also using Epson 4X6 Photo Paper. Before I used Photoshop, I used Microsoft Photodraw and I get nice prints which matched alot better but the program is not as good as Photoshop. Can someone please tell me a step by step way to setup my application/printer settings so when I print it looks like the photo I see on screen. I understand that there can be slight differences but not what I'm seeing. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[slejhamer]

I just went through the same process with an Epson 780 (also known as the Epson "POS" ) and Photoshop 6. What I found works almost perfectly is to go into the custom printer configuration and select ICM (image color matching) along with the other settings (1440dpi, uncheck high speed, etc.) Then, in the prior window, I set the data source as the document's color space (I use Adobe RGB to edit) and then - this is the key for me - I set the printer space to "Same as Source" or whatever it is called. I get much better results this way than with the Epson printer/paper profiles.

One thing I have found is that my printer has better resolution than my monitor, so some slight color differences are inevitable (in particular, my printed reds are more saturated than what I see on screen.)

I tried Qimage as a print utility, and while the results were better than what I get using Photoshop, it is quite cumbersome if you don't use it regularly.

[john_houghton]

First run Edit->Color Settings to set Working Space RGB to Adobe RGB 1998. In Color Management Policies, set RGB to Convert to Working RGB. Check Profile Mismatches and Missing Profiles to Ask when opening. When you open a file with an embedded profile, you should choose to convert to the working RGB. When you open a file without an embedded profile, you should usually elect to assign sRGB and convert to working RGB.

To print, use File->Print with preview. Check Show more options. Select Color Management. For Source space, check Document. In the Print Space box for Profile select the appropriate Epson paper profile e.g. Epson Stylus Photo 890 Photo Paper if using Glossy paper. (Premium Glossy is different to ordinary glossy). Select Intent Perceptual.

Click on Page Setup, Printer, Properties. Set media type to appropriate paper (Photo Paper). Select Mode Custom and click Advanced. In Color Management, check No Color Adjustment. Set Print Quality to 1440dpi.

Click OKs back to the Print dialog and make sure the print size etc is satisfactory. Click the Print button and all should be well.

John

[slejhamer]

John - you just summarized the entire color management process in one small posting!

A question for you - my process is the same as yours except for two elements - I use the ICM setting and a different printer profile. If I select ANY of the Epson profiles, I get weird color shifts and an intensely oversaturated image, both in the preview window and in the final print, as if an overlay layer had been added.

It doesn't matter if I'm using ICM or No Color Adjustment or PhotoEnhance or Epson Natural Color - the result is way off whenever I use the Epson profiles.

Only if I set the printer profile to be the same as the source do I get an accurate print.

My monitor is calibrated with Photocal and a Spyder, and my images look okay on other monitors, so I don't think that is the problem. It's somewhere in the print driver's color conversion.

Any thoughts? It's possible my printer is living up to its POS reputation... I don't mind using my simple workaround solution, but I'd like to know if I'm otherwise missing something. I hear those new Canon printers are pretty good ... :)

Thanks,

[lasercomp]

Slej, when you say set your profile to be the same as my source, what do you mean exactly? In what app do I do that or in what printer settings. Thanks

[slejhamer]

lasercomp wrote:
Slej, when you say set your profile to be the same as my source, what do you mean exactly? In what app do I do that or in what printer settings. Thanks

First, if you haven't done so, you must follow along with the first part of John's post and get your color management settings in place. You do those in Photoshop.

Now, let's jump ahead - you have edited your image in AdobeRGB space and are ready to print. Follow the 2nd part of John's post (file > print, check "show more options" ), and for source space, select "document" (which should say AdobeRGB or whatever color space you use.)

Below that, in the print space box, where John selects the Epson photo paper profile, is where I choose the option "same as source." From everything I've read, John is correct in his method - it just doesn't work well with my printer. Maybe you are having the same problems I am?

Now go to the third part of John's post, and get to the Custom screen and click advanced. John selects "No color management" here. I select "ICM."

Click the OKs to back out and print. On my monitor, the preview window opens up and looks pretty darned close to the actual image, suggesting that the print will be good.

Hope that helps.

P.S. Keep in mind that with different papers you may get different results - that's why John's method using the specific paper profiles should be the preferred choice. I use Epson photo paper (for 4x6 snapshots) and the heavyweight matte (for larger color prints) with good but slightly different results. I like the premium glossy for black & white prints, but thankfully don't need to worry about colors with those!

[john_houghton]

Slej, If you are using the ICM driver setting, then I think you should be setting the Print Space Profile to Printer Color Management. I haven't used ICM much; I have had generally good results using it but abandoned it when I had problems with what I put down to out-of-gamut colours. The standard method I outlined in my posting copes very much better with the images I was having problems with. For the record, I also have a Spyder and Photocal, but I now use a CIS, which forces me to use custom profiles rather than the standard Espon ones.

John

[slejhamer]

Thanks John. The ICM + Printer Color Management combo gives me the same hyper-saturated results as I mentioned with the other settings I have tried. Oh well; I will stick with what works. :)