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Help Please - Printing in CS5. Prints too dark!

SmutjeUK
Posted 14/04/2011 - 12:41 Link
Hi all

I am slowly getting to grips with CS5 and Lightroom. Thanks to all the help I got from members in here in no small part.

I just came across a real problem that I seem to be unable to solve (but it may just be that I got the wrong settings).
I tried to print a couple of pictures but they come out so dark that you almost can think it is night. The pictures themselves are nice and bright.

The Printer(s) I am using are EPSON Stylus Photo R300 AND EPSON Stylus Photo R1800. No matter what settings I am using in CS5 the pictures come out far to dark.

If I save the pictures as .jpeg and then print in COREL Photo Paint X4 or COREL Draw X4 the pictures come out perfect.
This lets me to believe that it must have something to do with the print settings in CS5.

Can anyone please help me with this as it is really annoying to use several programs just to make a print.
Kind regards
SmutjeUK

It's nice to be nice!

Pentax K-5 with D-GB4 Grip, to many lenses to mention by now (serious LBA by now), TC's, Lowepro Slingshot 300 AW, Manfrotto 028 & Redsnapper RS-283 with various Heads plus various Camera Clamps (I collect them). Pentax AF 360FGZ, Pentax AF 240FT, several Metz 45 CT-1 & 5 with stands and 'Blow Up' Soft Boxes, Flash Triggers, and various Macro gear.
Tyr
Posted 14/04/2011 - 13:23 - Helpful Comment Link
If you want to match print to screen you need to calibrate both with a colorimeter.

There are screen, print and combined colorimeters you can get.

This sounds like you are having problems with the colour space though. Are you using sRGB, AdobeRGB, CMYK?

http://www.thinkcamera.com/news/article/mps/uan/706
Edited by Tyr: 14/04/2011 - 13:24
snappychappy
Posted 14/04/2011 - 13:31 - Helpful Comment Link
Have a read here.
SmutjeUK
Posted 14/04/2011 - 14:27 Link
Quote:
This sounds like you are having problems with the colour space though. Are you using sRGB, AdobeRGB, CMYK?

Where would I find this? Sorry, I know that sounds that I am 'thick' but I never had a problem with printing till now. So I am not really know the ins and outs of it!

Quote:
Have a read here.

Will do!

Many thanks for your fast response. I know I can work around it but I would find it easier to just do it from within CS5 (who would not to?).

The settings where that I had the printer manages the colour and the printer settings where as per normal (meaning the same settings I use in COREL Draw).
I know of some difference between screen and printer but these where minimal (print tent to have a bit more magenta in it then the screen) and I could live with this but having dark unusable prints was a shock.
Kind regards
SmutjeUK

It's nice to be nice!

Pentax K-5 with D-GB4 Grip, to many lenses to mention by now (serious LBA by now), TC's, Lowepro Slingshot 300 AW, Manfrotto 028 & Redsnapper RS-283 with various Heads plus various Camera Clamps (I collect them). Pentax AF 360FGZ, Pentax AF 240FT, several Metz 45 CT-1 & 5 with stands and 'Blow Up' Soft Boxes, Flash Triggers, and various Macro gear.
SmutjeUK
Posted 14/04/2011 - 14:35 Link
Quote:
Are you using sRGB, AdobeRGB, CMYK?

Just found it (I think). If it is in Image > Mode then it is RGB.
Kind regards
SmutjeUK

It's nice to be nice!

Pentax K-5 with D-GB4 Grip, to many lenses to mention by now (serious LBA by now), TC's, Lowepro Slingshot 300 AW, Manfrotto 028 & Redsnapper RS-283 with various Heads plus various Camera Clamps (I collect them). Pentax AF 360FGZ, Pentax AF 240FT, several Metz 45 CT-1 & 5 with stands and 'Blow Up' Soft Boxes, Flash Triggers, and various Macro gear.
Edited by SmutjeUK: 14/04/2011 - 14:36
johnriley
Posted 14/04/2011 - 15:22 Link
You need to check that the setting on your camera (sRGB by default) is the same colour space that Photoshop is working in. You will find this under Preferences. Go carefully through the options until you find the colour space box and make it sRGB.

You don't need to be using anything else but sRGB and at least that will be one variable done away with.

Then you need to make your image look good on screen and then adjust your printer dialog to match it. If everything is on default it should be very close to start with, but it would be much easier to troubleshoot hands on.
Best regards, John
SmutjeUK
Posted 14/04/2011 - 16:27 Link
Many thanks for that John. Never even crossed my mind that it may be the Camera Settings.

P.S. Just checked and it was set to sRGB. So do I understand this right then that CS5 has to be set to sRGB as well as I only can find RGB or CMYK?
Does it matter how many bits I am working with?
At the moment it is ticked on 8 Bits/Channel.
Kind regards
SmutjeUK

It's nice to be nice!

Pentax K-5 with D-GB4 Grip, to many lenses to mention by now (serious LBA by now), TC's, Lowepro Slingshot 300 AW, Manfrotto 028 & Redsnapper RS-283 with various Heads plus various Camera Clamps (I collect them). Pentax AF 360FGZ, Pentax AF 240FT, several Metz 45 CT-1 & 5 with stands and 'Blow Up' Soft Boxes, Flash Triggers, and various Macro gear.
johnriley
Posted 14/04/2011 - 16:32 - Helpful Comment Link
You're looking in the wrong place.

Edit>Colour Settings>Working Spaces - make sure it's set to
sRGB IEC61966-2.1
Best regards, John
SmutjeUK
Posted 14/04/2011 - 16:56 Link
johnriley wrote:
You're looking in the wrong place.

Edit>Colour Settings>Working Spaces - make sure it's set to
sRGB IEC61966-2.1

Thanks for that John. I think I got it now. It was set to a US settings. When I set it to Europe General Purpose 3 it got the settings you stated.

No I only have to wait for the wife to come home with the new paper as I run out trying

Many thanks again to everyone.
Kind regards
SmutjeUK

It's nice to be nice!

Pentax K-5 with D-GB4 Grip, to many lenses to mention by now (serious LBA by now), TC's, Lowepro Slingshot 300 AW, Manfrotto 028 & Redsnapper RS-283 with various Heads plus various Camera Clamps (I collect them). Pentax AF 360FGZ, Pentax AF 240FT, several Metz 45 CT-1 & 5 with stands and 'Blow Up' Soft Boxes, Flash Triggers, and various Macro gear.
Tyr
Posted 14/04/2011 - 17:15 Link
SmutjeUK wrote:
johnriley wrote:
You're looking in the wrong place.

Edit>Colour Settings>Working Spaces - make sure it's set to
sRGB IEC61966-2.1

Thanks for that John. I think I got it now. It was set to a US settings. When I set it to Europe General Purpose 3 it got the settings you stated.

No I only have to wait for the wife to come home with the new paper as I run out trying

Many thanks again to everyone.

I hope that doesn't mean stacks of bonfire material...
SmutjeUK
Posted 14/04/2011 - 18:23 Link
Tyr wrote:
SmutjeUK wrote:
Quote:
You're looking in the wrong place.

Edit>Colour Settings>Working Spaces - make sure it's set to
sRGB IEC61966-2.1

Thanks for that John. I think I got it now. It was set to a US settings. When I set it to Europe General Purpose 3 it got the settings you stated.

No I only have to wait for the wife to come home with the new paper as I run out trying

Many thanks again to everyone.

I hope that doesn't mean stacks of bonfire material...

I just was trying and trying and got nowhere and then I run out of paper altogether.
I thought I had a stack still left but all I got left is expensive A3 Canvas Paper and I am not stupid enough to use this as well.
So I got more A3 and A4 from 7 Day Shop and some cheap one later from the 99p shop (they had some 'glossy' A4 left that will be good enough for testing) in town that my wife got me.

Thanks for your help Dan!
Kind regards
SmutjeUK

It's nice to be nice!

Pentax K-5 with D-GB4 Grip, to many lenses to mention by now (serious LBA by now), TC's, Lowepro Slingshot 300 AW, Manfrotto 028 & Redsnapper RS-283 with various Heads plus various Camera Clamps (I collect them). Pentax AF 360FGZ, Pentax AF 240FT, several Metz 45 CT-1 & 5 with stands and 'Blow Up' Soft Boxes, Flash Triggers, and various Macro gear.

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