Printing: Use Monitor Cailbrated ICC FILE, or Printer ICC fi

[sprockett]

hi guys,
my monitor is calibrated, and i have a custom ICC for my monitor.

I adjusted my picture using my custom calibrated ICC.

i want to print now... so do which do i use? my custom ICC or the PRINTER ICC profile, or adobe1998 / srgb?

i still dun get it...

i read and read and i still don't get it....

[robertwgross]

To have a fully calibrated system, you must have all input devices, monitors, and output devices profiled, and the image editor and operating system must be involved.

Instead, if you have everything calibrated except for one item, then you get junk results.

---Bob Gross---

[sprockett]

i see.. lets say im using my g5 (srgb),
monitor (custom calibrated profile)

and Epson photo printer (downloaded profile)

THats 3 different profiles in all...


Which profiles do i use for which purposes?

[John_T]

Well... yes, you can go nuts getting your colors matched from input to output. Since much is system dependent, I'll simply tell you what works perfectly for me.

I have dual identical 21" professional monitors. Since identical monitors are not identical, I have calibrated them both until the screens are identical and color true.

In my photo/graphic software I have selected "No color management". I have yet to find software that can manage device color.

In my printer driver I have selected "Use ICM". I don't use any printer driver options for color, just paper type and size, borderless, whatever. All photo adjustments I do in my editing software.

What downloads from my camera, what I see on the screen and what comes out the printer are precisely what I want. What I see on the screen, backlit, is as close to my printout, front lit, as my eyes can determine, and that is all that counts.

Of course the paper you use has an effect on color too. Most good paper manufacturers provide a table of printers and settings to make adjustments to correct for the paper.

There are many factors, but the best thing is not to get in a twist and keep it simple. If you try to get your software and drivers to manage color, they will all get in a fight trying to "correct" each other and you will land in the loony bin.

[robertwgross]

In a properly calibrated system, input profiles are used when inputting the image to the editor, and then output profiles are used when outputting the image from the editor to the output device. Meanwhile, the profiled monitor simply shows you what is going on at the editor.

So, all profiles are used, and you should not have to select anything new except for the case of switching printers or papers.

---Bob Gross---