spyder 4 calibration and prints still too dark

rpenmanparker wrote:

Joe (and others) excellent advice to OP. You have given him/her what is needed to get the best print that most closely matches monitor view as possible. BUT you did neglect to mention that even when doing everything right, many folks still perceive their prints to be darker than the monitor image. Some of this has to do with the difference between the emitted light from the monitor vs. the reflected light from the print. Some has to do with the difference between the additive color system of the monitor vs. the subtractive colors of the print. Maybe some is the monitor set too bright. We hear folks saying they need to set their monitors as low at 80 to get a good match to prints. And then there is the question of viewing the prints in the same ambient lighting level and type as is used to view the monitor. I am pretty sure there are a number of folks who follow all the rules and still never feel they get their prints as bright as they should be relative to their monitor.

Having said all that I know you will agree that abandoning the appication control of color is not the solution. One off adjustments to the printer driver just is not the way to go. I suspect there is a learing curve for folks to apply a "standard" offest (brightening) in PP that gives them the print appearance they want even though it may always look a bit dull compared to the monitor.

Oh, and OP should be aware that different paper surfaces can increase the difference in appearance between print and monitor. Glossy should be the least different and matte the most.

By the way no one has mentioned soft proofing. Shouldn't the monitor image be closer in appearance to the final print in soft proofing mode than in standard color management mode? If OP is not using soft proofing, that may offer some improvement.

Robert