Monitor/Printer Color Calibration

I have a relatively new (less than 1 year old) iMac and an Epson 3800 printer. To date I have been using Epson and Red River papers with the correct printer profiles. The print look fine to me but before I start going out to sell, I want to make sure my monitor and printer are both color calibrated.

I'd like something really good but not something that is going to cost more than the iMac and/or the 3800. Recommendations?

Thanks.

I'm sure there must be something in the archives but I did a quick scan and didn't see what I was looking for.

From what you said I assume you are going to print by yourself. Does what you see on your monitor matches what you printed out from your printer?

dchen99 wrote in post #8912539
From what you said I assume you are going to print by yourself. Does what you see on your monitor matches what you printed out from your printer?

Very, very close but not perfect.

From what Ive read lately, the two popular choices seem to be the ColorMunki Xrite ($350+) or Spyder3Studio SR ($500+).....just ordered my first calibrator, went with the CM unit.

EdV wrote in post #8913229
Very, very close but not perfect.

I am asking since I am not sure what your intent is.
If you are only working on this close system (your own monitor and printer) and they are nearly perfectly lined up, calibrating monitor won't gain you much even though that's a cool idea.
Make sense?

EdV wrote in post #8913229
Very, very close but not perfect.

Are you comparing print (under what light?) to screen or to softproof?
Have a read in the link from my sig...

Instead of starting a new thread I thought I'd keep it in here to make future searches easier, hope the o/p doesn't mind.


I received my CM X-Rite today and went through the set-up program (easy mode) in calibrating my monitor and printer. My question is, when soft proofing in PS now shouldnt the difference be minimal since they're [SUPposedly] matched?

Im getting some horrendous prints and far from being happy at this point.

Softproofing can only do so much...

It'll try to "emulate" ink on paper, but uses light coming of a screen to do so.

What software and settings? What printer?

Have a read in the link from my sig on softproofing and color managed printing. Plenty links in there.
That should rule out a wrong setting somewhere.

Prints should match the softproof quite well if done right. (correct printer / paper profile, same rendering intent used for softproof and output)

I think a missing factor in this equation is a viewing/softproofing booth. If I was preparing to sell or exhibit prints, I wouldn't be without one.

http://www.gtilite.com …esktop-color-viewers.html