If you want to adjust colors, then what you need is to make the
screen display the colors that the printer will eventually print
(you cannot make a print look like screen, but you can make the
screen look close to a print)
I would suggest one of two things (always work with a copy of your
original image):
Option 1 (easier, but only for selected papers)
a) Download the Epson ICC profiles from the Downloads section of
the Epson website, and install on your computer (they come with a
Read Me file that tells how to do it).
b) In Photoshop open the color settings panel, and choose the
proper printer profile for your
RGB space (Working Spaces> RGB>
Load RGB) That way only the printable colors will be displayed in
your RGB image. You have to make these settings BEFORE you open the
image, or it will not be converted.
c) when you print turn off color management options in your Print
dialog - it was already taken care of in Photoshop. Keep in mind
that every paper will need it's own profile, which is not always
available. Therefore, there's another, custom way to do it:
Option 2 (you can, and actually have to do it for every different
ink/paper combination you use)
a) make a blank image (just white background), set image mode to CMYK.
b) in that image create patches of the printer's primary colors:
fill one patch with 100% Cyan only, next one with 100% Magenta
only, next 100% Yellow, next 100% black. Use the color picker
window to enter the numerical values for your colors. Print that
sucker (with color managenment OFF).
c) Now that you can see what your printer's inks look like you can
create a custom CMYK profile. To do that in Photoshop open the
color settings window, and choose: Working spaces> CMYK> Custom> Ink
Options> Ink colors. This will bring up a window with little
colored patches. You can double click on the colored rectangles and
this will open a color picker. Adjust the colors of the Cyan,
Magenta, Yellow, Black (K) and white patches to match the hues on
your print as closely as you can.
d) (optional, but useful) After you did your color calibration, and
came back to the Color Settings, I'd suggest to save your CMYK
profile, and in the file name use the brand of ink and of the
paper. That'll be in Working spaces> CMYK> Save CMYK You can later
load it from the same menu.
e) Now if you open an image (use a copy of the original!) and
convert it to CMYK (Image> Mode> CMYK) then it will be displayed
using the colors of the inks that you
saw on paper - just what
you want. Turn the color management in the print dialog OFF.
General advice: work on a light grey background, and always use the
same kind of lighting around you monitor - the colors on both paper
and monitor will look different depending on the ambient light.
At the same time, I have to admit I do neither. With my own
pictures, I crop them, reduce noise, do tricks to bring out detail
in the shadows, add fake objects (or remove real ones), then adjust
levels (usually Autolevels works fine), and burn them on a CD. When
I print them the colors do look different from the screen, but I
still like them plenty. I learned to trust the camera, and I don't
care for making green greener, or blue bluer.
Torte
What do you think of the colour profiles I have available? Are they
the correct ones, or should I maybe set the printer to Dimage7icc?
I doesn't seem likely. Is it correct to set to the monitors' icc,
or would I be better off setting to Adobe RGB?
I notice that I have a icc in PS7 for Epson 1290 premiunm glossy
paper, and that that colour space is far removed from the normal
on-screen display in sRGB etc
I have also downloded the latest profiles from Minolta but am
unclear if they are the Dimage 7 profiles or hte one labelled
Dimage & (jpeg & tiff)
Sorry if this reply is a mess. I am afraid I am in a bit of a mess
about the profiles. I have been looking at info on icc's but have
found the going hard.
Any input will be most gratefully received.
I have to get to bed now but I really look forward to trying what
you suggest and would be most grateful for any further input.
Regards,
--
DaveMart
