• Please use real names.

    Greetings to all who have registered to OPF and those guests taking a look around. Please use real names. Registrations with fictitious names will not be processed. REAL NAMES ONLY will be processed

    Firstname Lastname

    Register

    We are a courteous and supportive community. No need to hide behind an alia. If you have a genuine need for privacy/secrecy then let me know!
  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Basic Monitor Calibration/Printing Question

Tom Yi

New member
Hi,
I've started to make prints occassionaly at home. Till now I've been printing at Mpix.
I usually use a Canon i9900 (I think), which is a simple inkjet photo printer, and use the supplied easy photoPrint from Canon, using Canon's super glossy photo papers with my Dell desktop/LCD monitor.

I've noticed that the colors are never what I see on the monitor when I occassionally make 4x6's at home, so I've ordered a Pantone Huey to calibrate my monitor. I'm wondering for a serious hobbyist that mainly print from Mpix and occassionaly a 4x6 at home, if this set up will be okay or if I need to get into ICC profiles from printers or what not. If I do, will it make a really noticable difference? I'm a realtive newbie to color management and printing, so I'm sorry if this is a bit elementary in nature. But seeing as I'm not making prints at home for a business or for any serious prints, I'd like to keep things as simple as possible.

Thanks
 

Tom Yi

New member
yeah, I'm wondering since I'm using all Canon stuff, camera, zoombrowser/easy photo print, and a canon printer/paper, if that will be enough for the colors I see to closely resemble what I print.
 

Tom Yi

New member
I'm not sure, using the canon printer, it asks for which of the canon photo papers I'm using and the one I have is one of the default choices, so I'm assuming that the printer program knows the profile of the printer/paper combination. But I'm guessing here.
As I get my calibration kit (I ordered it yesterday) I guess I'll readjust an image or two after calibrating my monitor and see if the prints look closer to the monitor. If not, then I guess I'll have to consider getting ICC profiles and such for the printer and the paper.
One step at a time I guess, but since I rarely print and it's more to give a small 4x6, if I can get relatively close to the colors on the monitor with just the Huey, I'll be happy.
 

Tom Yi

New member
Well got and tried out the Huey. It does change the color on my monitor. The whites look a bit bluer, the black is darker, and there is more contrast.

As for the profiles, I think they are already installed as I print from DPP, it knows the printer model no. and it has the paper type that I am using, Canon glossy photo plus. I guess I'll hav to try it again now and see. If the Huey gets me close for my occassional 4x6 prints, that'll be fine, as I print from Mpix and have been very happy with the results.

Thanks for the help guys.
 
Top