I was wondering if anyone knew how I should adjust my screen to show exactly how it will print out because what my screen shows is lighter and my printer is darker! I keep having to go back and lighten my LO's and am not sure how light to make it. I have an emachine 17" flat panel and I've tried to calibrate it according to a book I have called The Missing Manual by Barbara Brundage (a life saver) and was able to do it with my old screen but it's not working for this one! Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Even if it's something as simple as just darkening my screen so it matches my printouts let me know because I haven't tried that yet, it just hit me! Thanks!

Simply darkening your screen may well help and be your best option - flat panel monitors are notorious for not calibrating well.
Thsi article here on calibration may help: http://scrapbook-bytes.com/cgi-scrip...icle_426.shtml
Also check your screens manufacturer website - they often have tutorials or tips and hnts to help with color calibration

HTH

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nataliamf,

The foolproof way to match what you see on screen to what you are printing is to calibrate your monitor with a hardware sensor (a colorimeter). Previously these devices have been very expensive however now there are solutions available under $99.

Honestly, using a software program like Adobe Gamma to calibrate will only get you half-way there, you really need to use a hardware sensor.

monitor calibrator for best results. . . but. . . in the meantime, you can hold your printed page by your monitor and adjust to match the print. That's the "dirty" way to do it. But it will at least give you something to work with. You'll know how light to go, as what you're seeing is close to what is printing. I have this problem with the laptop.

Another thing would be to get the ICC profile for your printer and work in that color profile. I've never really done it as I have 2 printers and they have different profiles. The lab has a different profile as well.

Another thought I just had. . . depending on what program you are working in. . . I am assuming PS but I might be assuming wrong. I know that in PS, the color picking pallete that opens when you want to pick a new color will tell you if the color is (1) websafe and (2) within print gamut. The websafe part isn't a big deal in this field. For me, I pay more attention to it when I am do web design stuff (professional web designer), but I could CARE LESS for digital scrapbooking. The 2nd however, I do pay attention to. Why? Because it often helps the color issues. I had one layout that I did that was this sandy, beige color ( think Star Wars) and it printed in this GREEN! Nasty green! I adjusted. I adjusted. I adjusted. I finally got this nasty yellow color. I was getting closer, but certainly not the nice beige I had on the screen. ICK! But the brown I had picked was simply out of print gamut for the printers I was using. *sigh* So that "could" be an issue, but it might not be.

Another thought. . . are you printing from the original file or from the JPG? Sometimes there can be variations.

Ideally, I'd save up for a monitor calibrator. They used to be relatively expensive, starting at $250 and going up VERY quickly. However, there are a couple available that are in the $100 range. There is the Huey that is retailed at about $99. Layers Magazine just reviewed it and gave it a decent review for the consumer market. I know that I can get it for about $75 at student cost through the college bookstore site, so I'll be getting mine this fall (I'll write it into my textbook expenses). So I'd just watch around for the sales on them.

For what it is worth, I've been doing the down and dirty tricks to get the colors to match. *sigh* Not best practice as I am a web/graphic designer BUT until I can afford the equipment to do it the right way. . . . I do have a CRT monitor on my desk that if I get desperate I can switch back over to it to check colors.

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hardware monitor.. but then again, I have not done it and have great results from my screen. Lucky I guess.. but hardware monitor and then printer profiles for each paper/ink is the way to go for totally accurate results.

hmm... this forum is awefully quiet.. what's going on here?

Interesting SR...can I pick your brain on this subject a bit? I currently have a NEC Viewsonic 21" monitor which is calibrated pretty decently (just by sheer dumb luck!) but I've been drooling over the flat panels and dreaming of how lovely it would be not to have this huge monster taking up space on my desk. From what you've written I'm wondering if I'd be sorry if I take the plunge?

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I have a flat panel LCD monitor and it is calibrated just fine... actually it does it itself everytime I turn on the monitor it goes through a little boot cycle and it displays on the screen "Calibrating - Just one moment"

And when I print something it is just the same as on the screen... maybe it is just dumb luck here too - or a good monitor... don't know which LOL

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