Am I Understanding What Calibartion Does?

I picked up a Spyder2 Express and ran it through to calibration my LCD. Like everyone, initially I thought that it made the monitor feel too warm and dark, instead of the regular brightness I was used to.

No big deal. I was interested to see how it displayed my pictures. The pictures on-screen didn't look too different than before. Maybe a tad darker because the monitor isn't as bright as it was before after calibration.

I took a previously PP'd photo and printed it through LR to see if there was any difference. I wasn't expecting any, because I didn't adjust the photo any further than how I printed it before I calibrated my monitor. I was just expecing a difference on how it was displayed on-screen. My Epson R1800 was already using ICC profiles for glossy from before so my printer settings hadn't changed. To my surprise the photo came out closer to matching what's on my monitor. Am I missing something here? Or does the software somehow better map between the calibrated monitor ICC profile and the printer ICC profile?

Workflow was like this:
1) Monitor is uncalibrated
2) PP'd duck photo to what I thought looked good on-screen
3) Printed photo with no color mgmt, using glossy ICC profile. Photo came out with a green tinge and a bit dark, just like it did from the photolab. Not surprised it was off.

4) Calibrated monitor
5) On-screen looked a bit darker (no surprise)
6) Printed same duck photo with no color mgmt, using glossy ICC profile. Photo came out matching on-screen better. Green tinge is gone.

It seems to me you have it almost right. Calibration of your monitor is to do exactly what you think it would, make your monitor display color correctly. that is it, its sole purpose. From there you have to do other things to get your prints to match. One of the ways is to use the ICC profiles for your printer/paper/ink combination. Now here is where I don't understand you. You said you printed with no color management. Can you explain this further? Do you mean you set your printer to not color manage or Lightroom? You should be telling your printer to not color manage and allow Lightroom to do it, but if you are doing it the other way and it is working for you then leave it be and enjoy your prints.

As the old saying goes, "If it aint broke, don't fix it."

Not too sure what you mean by "Printed photo with no color mgmt, using glossy ICC profile"...
Apart from that, it seems highly illogical that calibrating your monitor should alter your prints...
Maybe the last time you printed, the magenta cartridge was clogged?

René Damkot wrote in post #3296311
Not too sure what you mean by "Printed photo with no color mgmt, using glossy ICC profile"...
Apart from that, it seems highly illogical that calibrating your monitor should alter your prints...
Maybe the last time you printed, the magenta cartridge was clogged?

As I read it I came to believe that it didn't alter the print but now his monitor looks the same as it was printed. So both prints (before and after calibration) are the same, but now his monitor matches.

In2Photos wrote in post #3296346
As I read it I came to believe that it didn't alter the print but now his monitor looks the same as it was printed. So both prints (before and after calibration) are the same, but now his monitor matches.

That would be understandable...
However, the way I read it:

I'ld say the green tinge is on the print.

That would mean two different prints?

René Damkot wrote in post #3296394
That would be understandable...
However, the way I read it:


I'ld say the green tinge is on the print.


That would mean two different prints?

Well that certainly is contradicting then isn't it? In the first part it says one thing, but then his workflow states something else.

In2Photos wrote in post #3296424
Well that certainly is contradicting then isn't it? In the first part it says one thing, but then his workflow states something else.

Not the way I read the first part: It says the same (albeit not in a too clear way )

Maybe the OP could jump in and clarify his printing settings a bit?

René Damkot wrote in post #3296488
Not the way I read the first part: It says the same (albeit not in a too clear way )

Maybe the OP could jump in and clarify his printing settings a bit?

Ok, then I just don't know how to read.

OP, help us out here.

To clarify:

- The on-screen picture looked different after calibration as I expected
- No color management in the printer. I let LR handle it using the proper ICC profile.
- However, the printed photo also came out different than before (No green tinge). The end result was that the printed photo more closely matched what is on screen.

I thought changing one variable (monitor calibration) in my workflow would only end up with one difference in output: A different look on-screen. However I ended up with two changed outpupts: A different look on-screen and a different print out result. The two differences I now see when compared to pre-monitor calibration now match up. What I see on my monitor is what I basically see on my print out. So no complaints here, but I still want to understand if I had missed something.

Thanks,
Ken

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Westbeachbc wrote in post #3297440
To clarify:

- The on-screen picture looked different after calibration as I expected
- No color management in the printer. I let LR handle it using the proper ICC profile.
- However, the printed photo also came out different than before (No green tinge). The end result was that the printed photo more closely matched what is on screen.

I thought changing one variable (monitor calibration) in my workflow would only end up with one difference in output: A different look on-screen. However I ended up with two changed outpupts: A different look on-screen and a different print out result. The two differences I now see when compared to pre-monitor calibration now match up. What I see on my monitor is what I basically see on my print out. So no complaints here, but I still want to understand if I had missed something.

Thanks,
Ken

-

If you changed nothing in the picture before printing it again after calibration it should have printed EXACTLY the same. Nothing changed. Calibration only tells your graphics card what changes to make to display it properly. It has ZERO effect on the printout. Are you sure you used the same ICC Profile, same paper, same printer ? Did you have an update maybe that provided new profiles?

BTW, now your reference to no color management makes sense (it is regarding the printer).

If everything is set up correctly, the prints should not have changed...

I can't think of a way to set up LR so that CM is screwed up enough to explain the results you've gotten. (ie. using monitor profile as working space).
So my guess is a (partially) clogged magenta cartridge, or some other change you're not aware of (like a new printer / paper profile)

By the way: What you're seeing in LR isn't a soft proof AFAIK...

That's weird dudes. My R1800 is about 1.5 months old with 50 4x6 photos printed on it. it has about 75% left on some of the ink cartridges. This has been the longest time I've left it (2 weeks) off. I'm pretty sure I chose all of the settings correctly since I'm anal about the setttings. The only other thing that's changed is the room temperature.

There is definitely a difference (improvement) in the print outs which match the screen better, and I'm not complaining! I'll try printing more later for sure!

For reference, I'm using LR, Vista Ultimate. I wonder if there's such a thing as "printer break-in". Just like how your car owner's manual says to keep the engine below a certain RPM form X number of miles before you stomp on the gas.

Thanks for all your help!

I have read (on the net somewhere) that temperature can make a difference (as ink gets thinner). Don't know how true that is, since my room is at a fairly constant temperature