Printing is darker then on the screen - SBB Digital Scrapbooking Forums | Scrapbook-Bytes

Synthea · #1 (**permalink**) 03-13-2005

I have a Lexmark X5150 All In One...does pretty good, even at best settings, photos are a little pixely, but I can liv with that...the problem I have though, is that my printed layouts are printing quite a bit darker then what I'm making on screen.
Advice? Thanks!

collage lover · #2 (**permalink**) 03-13-2005

I have the same problem and have tried everthing and have found out that it was my printer (I have an epson all in one that uses the durabrite ink) the prints could be nice if the colors were brighter but they seem to be muted .I tried calibrating my monitor and it helped the tiniest bit have you tried that?

Synthea · #3 (**permalink**) 03-13-2005

I did find that Photoshop has Adobe Gamma with it and I calibrated my monitor, thanks for the help!

kindarana · #4 (**permalink**) 03-13-2005

Also, part of the problem is the physics - with paper, the light that reaches your eyes has been reflected off the page, whereas on your monitor the light is coming directly from the source. This is why slides look nicer than prints too.

ColorSync and calibration are my two favorite C words though

Pesto126 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-21-2005

and if you will need to calibrate you monitor and use ICC profiles when printing.. these profiles are created specifically for your printer, inks and paper. When all is said and done, you will need to use the profile that matches the ink, paper and printer for accurate color. Unfortunately, its still easier to use film.. no issues with color so long as the shop has calibrated their machines!

Synthea · #6 (**permalink**) 03-23-2005

Hmmm...thats too much info for my brain to take in right now. It's doing ok now, not as perfectly matched as I'd like but brighening the image on the screen a bit produces a nicer printed image.

inahayes · #7 (**permalink**) 03-23-2005

if you are using PS, I have found that the perfect solution to make prints look pretty much exactly like they appear on screen is to create a Levels layer at the very top (so you can hide it when you are done printing). In the options box, my settings from top left are 1 - 1.1 - 247, then 25 - 255. Test a few pages at 25% size so you can get a few on one page and adjust the numbers accordingly for your particular printer/paper (this has saved me tons! in paper costs!) HTH!

cris

Mona · #8 (**permalink**) 03-23-2005

Hello,

I was reading this thread and thought I would add that if you look at your layout at 25% on the screen that will give you a good idea of what things will look like printed. This isn't related to the darkness or lightness of your printout though. Sometimes I'm working in closeup mode for so long and when I forget to view at 25% sometimes the elements look quite different than what I intended! LOL!