camera to monitor to printing

[stampchick724]

and everything in between!!! Do I need one of those things to HANG on my monitor to calibrate??? and how do I know things will print well at the lab???

now that I have my 20d and shooting I need to color balance my monitor so it matches everything! I think this a little much to explain what I am thinking but I will try.

Previously, I was scanning old pics to reprint. If I print these through my ink jet, I can match. But, I have them printed at a local printer, they can be good, close or way off the chart...yukky and a waste of my time.

I dont see digital as a problem if you shoot and print. My friends that shoot "snapshots" dont have any issues. But, having the capabilities to shoot RAW, manipulate, etc THEN print, I dont know if I will have the same problems as scanning, perfecting and printing at the lab. I want to be able to print at the local camera shop...printing ink jet is costly. Not to mention, I want to give digital images to friends and have them print their own.

Am I making since???
thanks
jules

[robertwgross]

You can try to hope that your entire system is calibrated, or you can use an external calibration "eye" to help that out.

The other approach is to assume that it is calibrated, and run a test to either prove or disprove that assumption. Get a photo target. These are standardized images with many colors and shades. Capture that image (e.g. with your camera) and get it into your computer. Either print it out there, or get the image file in JPEG to your favorite print service. Print it there and then compare to the original photo target. If it matches, then you are pretty close or perfect. If it does not match, then you will need to figure out which stage of the entire system is uncalibrated.

---Bob Gross---