| PRINTING ... welcome to the dark art of Inkjet Printing ... |
All that I wanted to do was look at a photograph on my monitor, think
"that's nice", print it and think "that's nice" about the print too!
wysiwyg
Several years later, many hundreds of pound lighter, and every
conceivable book and internet article read, I am almost there, most of
the time.
If you are reading this then you probably have the same, simple goal of
"wysiwyg" so I have put together a few notes detailing what works for me.
"that's nice", print it and think "that's nice" about the print too!
wysiwyg
Several years later, many hundreds of pound lighter, and every
conceivable book and internet article read, I am almost there, most of
the time.
If you are reading this then you probably have the same, simple goal of
"wysiwyg" so I have put together a few notes detailing what works for me.
When I began learning about digital printing, maybe five years ago, I
did much printing for my wife who is an artist. Although that brings many
benefits, it does mean that "almost right" is always totally wrong when it
comes to colours and printing. My wife "sees" far more shades, tints,
hues of colour than any printer can resolve and she always has the
original to hand for comparison.
My second problem was that all the books & articles assumed a starting
level of knowledge and understanding that I just didn't have. Also, much
of the available information is aimed at photographers & designers who
are preparing work that is going to be printed somewhere else. I wanted
a simple "one user - home printing set up". So I collected a phrase here,
a paragraph there and put together something that was relevant to what
I do and gives me wysiwyg most of the time.
I received my Licentiate distinction from the RPS in November 2009. The
panel of work that I submitted for assessment was printed by me, so by
definition was to a high standard. This is how I print.
Printer. I use an Epson 3800 A2 printer. I also have an Epson 2400
but, the 3800 is in a completely different league. If you are serious about
printing and are looking to buy an A3 printer - don't! Take the step up to
a wide-format A2. The difference in quality is noticeable and the ink is
cheaper, ie much bigger cartridges. The initial capital outlay is higher for
the A2 but spread over the printer's lifespan it is well worth the extra cost.
Ink. With the 3800, I don't have any choice, I have to use Epson original
cartridges. I have experimented with CIS in the 2400 and they do work
OK even if they look a little bit Heath Robinson-ish. My personal view is
that, if you are trying to sell your prints or have them exhibited then you
owe it to your customers & yourself to use only the best. If you can't
afford "proper" ink then you shouldn't be printing. I don't discount using
CIS - but go for the very best ink with a proven track record.
Paper. This is really down to personal choice. Most of my work that is
printed is for sale in our gallery or for exhibitions. It is almost always
going to be behind glass, so the "feel" and weight of the paper is not that
important. I use Epson Archival/Enhanced Matte. Full stop.
If I ever need a gloss finish then it's Ilford Galerie. I will not, ever, buy a
paper that doesn't come with an ICC profile. I have the equipment to
build my own profiles but if the paper maker can't be bothered then why
should I?
Software. I still use CS2 so these notes are based on that. It's more
than enough for me as I do very little manipulation. You can also try
The Gimp - it does most of what most people need and it's free.
If I am printing for a display or exhibition, then I use Qimage. This is a
really really good printing programme. It's not quite a RIP but it is very
useful.
OK, that's my Printer - Ink - Paper - Software sorted. Let's make the PIPS
Squeak!
did much printing for my wife who is an artist. Although that brings many
benefits, it does mean that "almost right" is always totally wrong when it
comes to colours and printing. My wife "sees" far more shades, tints,
hues of colour than any printer can resolve and she always has the
original to hand for comparison.
My second problem was that all the books & articles assumed a starting
level of knowledge and understanding that I just didn't have. Also, much
of the available information is aimed at photographers & designers who
are preparing work that is going to be printed somewhere else. I wanted
a simple "one user - home printing set up". So I collected a phrase here,
a paragraph there and put together something that was relevant to what
I do and gives me wysiwyg most of the time.
I received my Licentiate distinction from the RPS in November 2009. The
panel of work that I submitted for assessment was printed by me, so by
definition was to a high standard. This is how I print.
Printer. I use an Epson 3800 A2 printer. I also have an Epson 2400
but, the 3800 is in a completely different league. If you are serious about
printing and are looking to buy an A3 printer - don't! Take the step up to
a wide-format A2. The difference in quality is noticeable and the ink is
cheaper, ie much bigger cartridges. The initial capital outlay is higher for
the A2 but spread over the printer's lifespan it is well worth the extra cost.
Ink. With the 3800, I don't have any choice, I have to use Epson original
cartridges. I have experimented with CIS in the 2400 and they do work
OK even if they look a little bit Heath Robinson-ish. My personal view is
that, if you are trying to sell your prints or have them exhibited then you
owe it to your customers & yourself to use only the best. If you can't
afford "proper" ink then you shouldn't be printing. I don't discount using
CIS - but go for the very best ink with a proven track record.
Paper. This is really down to personal choice. Most of my work that is
printed is for sale in our gallery or for exhibitions. It is almost always
going to be behind glass, so the "feel" and weight of the paper is not that
important. I use Epson Archival/Enhanced Matte. Full stop.
If I ever need a gloss finish then it's Ilford Galerie. I will not, ever, buy a
paper that doesn't come with an ICC profile. I have the equipment to
build my own profiles but if the paper maker can't be bothered then why
should I?
Software. I still use CS2 so these notes are based on that. It's more
than enough for me as I do very little manipulation. You can also try
The Gimp - it does most of what most people need and it's free.
If I am printing for a display or exhibition, then I use Qimage. This is a
really really good printing programme. It's not quite a RIP but it is very
useful.
OK, that's my Printer - Ink - Paper - Software sorted. Let's make the PIPS
Squeak!
IN SUMMARY:
1. Calibrate your monitor.
2. "Calibrate" Photoshop
3. View your image in Photoshop using a suitable profile for your ink,
printer and paper
4. Ensure that you do not "Double Profile"
5. Ensure the correct Media is selected in the printer window.
1. Calibrate your monitor.
2. "Calibrate" Photoshop
3. View your image in Photoshop using a suitable profile for your ink,
printer and paper
4. Ensure that you do not "Double Profile"
5. Ensure the correct Media is selected in the printer window.
| copyright 1970 - 2012 grahame soden. all rights reserved |
Well, if you've got this far, I hope you've picked up something that you
can use. Let me know!
Of course, if you are ever in this part of the world then call in and see
me - you're more than welcome to try out my set-up.
can use. Let me know!
Of course, if you are ever in this part of the world then call in and see
me - you're more than welcome to try out my set-up.
If you want, or need to be able to print what you see on the screen then
you must have:
- a properly calibrated monitor;
- image-editing software that "colour manages" such as Photoshop
- an icc profile for the printer/ink/paper combination that you are using.
If you lack any of the above then you cannot succeed. You may get
lucky once or twice, but you will not be able to produce consistent
results, day in, day out.
So let's take each element in turn:
1. Calibrate your monitor. You must calibrate your monitor and then
recalibrate it every month or so. There are plenty of articles that explain
why it is so important to have a calibrated monitor but for now - just do
it!!
Then, next time you are in a major tv retail outlet, look at a group of sets
that are all showing the same program. Do all the pictures of the same
program, on the same brand of tv, look the same?
The Adobe Gamma software is better than nothing, but if you are
serious about printing then buy a piece of hardware. It will cost you a few
hundred £ but you will have it for many years.
2. Software. You have to use image editing software that lets you
colour manage. For example, Photoshop does but Microsoft Publisher
does not. It doesn't matter what else the software can do, if it can't
colour manage then it is no use for wysiwyg.
3. ICC Profiles. An icc profile is a little gizmo that sits in Windows colour
library and is loaded every time Photoshop starts. Every profile is
specific for a particular combination of printer/ink/paper. When you buy
a new printer and install it, the manufacturer will give you profiles for
their paper/ink/printer. The Epson ones are very good - quite adequate
for most purposes. Ilford let you download free profiles for their range of
papers that are matched to various printers and again the Ilford profiles
are OK. I haven't used any other manufacturers profiles so I can't
comment.
If "your" paper doesn't have a profile then you have to either make one
yourself (which involves the purchase of another piece of hardware!) or
pay someone else to make a profile for you - perhaps £15 - £20. But
remember, you need a profile for every combination of printer/ink/paper
that you use.
you must have:
- a properly calibrated monitor;
- image-editing software that "colour manages" such as Photoshop
- an icc profile for the printer/ink/paper combination that you are using.
If you lack any of the above then you cannot succeed. You may get
lucky once or twice, but you will not be able to produce consistent
results, day in, day out.
So let's take each element in turn:
1. Calibrate your monitor. You must calibrate your monitor and then
recalibrate it every month or so. There are plenty of articles that explain
why it is so important to have a calibrated monitor but for now - just do
it!!
Then, next time you are in a major tv retail outlet, look at a group of sets
that are all showing the same program. Do all the pictures of the same
program, on the same brand of tv, look the same?
The Adobe Gamma software is better than nothing, but if you are
serious about printing then buy a piece of hardware. It will cost you a few
hundred £ but you will have it for many years.
2. Software. You have to use image editing software that lets you
colour manage. For example, Photoshop does but Microsoft Publisher
does not. It doesn't matter what else the software can do, if it can't
colour manage then it is no use for wysiwyg.
3. ICC Profiles. An icc profile is a little gizmo that sits in Windows colour
library and is loaded every time Photoshop starts. Every profile is
specific for a particular combination of printer/ink/paper. When you buy
a new printer and install it, the manufacturer will give you profiles for
their paper/ink/printer. The Epson ones are very good - quite adequate
for most purposes. Ilford let you download free profiles for their range of
papers that are matched to various printers and again the Ilford profiles
are OK. I haven't used any other manufacturers profiles so I can't
comment.
If "your" paper doesn't have a profile then you have to either make one
yourself (which involves the purchase of another piece of hardware!) or
pay someone else to make a profile for you - perhaps £15 - £20. But
remember, you need a profile for every combination of printer/ink/paper
that you use.
1. Profile Photoshop Go "Edit", "Color Settings".
In the "Working Space" drop down select Adobe RGB.
In the "Colour Management Policies" area set all three to "Preserve ....."
Then tick the three "Ask when .... " boxes.
(Note; for images destined for the internet, either on a web-page or
e-mail then many people choose sRGB instead.of Adobe RGB in the
Working space menu. It may give better colour rendition on the web.)
What you have done here is to make sure that every picture that is
opened in Photoshop starts off the same. It is converted, with your
permission, to Adobe RGB colour space (or sRGB) and displayed on
your calibrated monitor.
For me, CMYK and Greyscale are not that important. I don't think that I
have ever needed CMYK and if I print a b&w image then I usually print
in RGB colour space
2. Download & open a colour test image. By default, it will now be
converted to Adobe RGB colour space, with your permission. Then go
to "View" - "Proof Setup" - "Custom".
In the "Device to Simulate" drop down menu, find the profile for the
paper/ink/printer combination that you are using.
I select Pro38 ARMP which tells Photoshop to show the picture, on my
calibrated monitor, "in the style of Epson Archival Matte as my 3800 will
print it". Tick "Black Point Comp", "Simulate Paper Colour" and
"Preview" boxes.
(For the Rendering Intent I use Relative Colorimetric. It's not that
important. All the rendering intent does is to tell everything else how to
deal with the colours that are "out of gamut" ie the colours that your
combination of printer/ink/paper cannot print).
I cannot remember, in all my reading about printing, ever having
it explained to me how vitally important it is to look at the picture
on screen in the profile that you are going to use, and with the
paper white simulated. But it really is important.
Don't forget that the Custom Proof display isn't changing anything. It's
just showing you on screen how the image might look when printed. If
you have profiles for a number of different papers then you can look at
them all in this way to see if a particular paper gives a "better" rendition
When you are working on your own image, rather than a test file, you
can now make whatever adjustments are necessary..
In the "Working Space" drop down select Adobe RGB.
In the "Colour Management Policies" area set all three to "Preserve ....."
Then tick the three "Ask when .... " boxes.
(Note; for images destined for the internet, either on a web-page or
e-mail then many people choose sRGB instead.of Adobe RGB in the
Working space menu. It may give better colour rendition on the web.)
What you have done here is to make sure that every picture that is
opened in Photoshop starts off the same. It is converted, with your
permission, to Adobe RGB colour space (or sRGB) and displayed on
your calibrated monitor.
For me, CMYK and Greyscale are not that important. I don't think that I
have ever needed CMYK and if I print a b&w image then I usually print
in RGB colour space
2. Download & open a colour test image. By default, it will now be
converted to Adobe RGB colour space, with your permission. Then go
to "View" - "Proof Setup" - "Custom".
In the "Device to Simulate" drop down menu, find the profile for the
paper/ink/printer combination that you are using.
I select Pro38 ARMP which tells Photoshop to show the picture, on my
calibrated monitor, "in the style of Epson Archival Matte as my 3800 will
print it". Tick "Black Point Comp", "Simulate Paper Colour" and
"Preview" boxes.
(For the Rendering Intent I use Relative Colorimetric. It's not that
important. All the rendering intent does is to tell everything else how to
deal with the colours that are "out of gamut" ie the colours that your
combination of printer/ink/paper cannot print).
I cannot remember, in all my reading about printing, ever having
it explained to me how vitally important it is to look at the picture
on screen in the profile that you are going to use, and with the
paper white simulated. But it really is important.
Don't forget that the Custom Proof display isn't changing anything. It's
just showing you on screen how the image might look when printed. If
you have profiles for a number of different papers then you can look at
them all in this way to see if a particular paper gives a "better" rendition
When you are working on your own image, rather than a test file, you
can now make whatever adjustments are necessary..
You need all three of the above elements to print wysiwyg. If you lack
any one element, then it is easier and less frustrating to pay someone to
do your printing for you.
If you have all of the above, then I'll show you how to put it together in a
way that worked for me.
any one element, then it is easier and less frustrating to pay someone to
do your printing for you.
If you have all of the above, then I'll show you how to put it together in a
way that worked for me.
3. Go "File" - "Print with Preview" You should see a screen similar to
this:
Directly under the image make sure that "Colour Management" and
"Document" are selected.
In the Options Dialogue box Color Handling menu, select "Let Photoshop
Determine Colors"
In the Printer Profile menu choose the same profile as you used in the
Custom Proof, and then choose a Rendering Intent.
4. Press "Print" - top right corner. Choose your printer then you
should see a screen similar to this:
The Printer Driver Screen. Set the type of paper and quality then find
the menu where you have the option of "No Color Adjustment" and
select that option. If you select any other option then the printer will
impose another adjustment on top of the Photoshop adjustment. You
then have "Double Profiled" and you will not like the result. The printer
MUST be set to no color adjustment in the printer driver.
I also check "Paper Config" which lets me reduce the amount of ink laid
down. Epson printers and papers are quite happy with -15% which cuts
down on ink costs and reduces drying time.
One last check round to make sure all the settings are ok - particularly
in the Print with Preview screen where Photoshop sometimes changes
settings! then - Print & Enjoy - wysiwyg at last!
this:
Directly under the image make sure that "Colour Management" and
"Document" are selected.
In the Options Dialogue box Color Handling menu, select "Let Photoshop
Determine Colors"
In the Printer Profile menu choose the same profile as you used in the
Custom Proof, and then choose a Rendering Intent.
4. Press "Print" - top right corner. Choose your printer then you
should see a screen similar to this:
The Printer Driver Screen. Set the type of paper and quality then find
the menu where you have the option of "No Color Adjustment" and
select that option. If you select any other option then the printer will
impose another adjustment on top of the Photoshop adjustment. You
then have "Double Profiled" and you will not like the result. The printer
MUST be set to no color adjustment in the printer driver.
I also check "Paper Config" which lets me reduce the amount of ink laid
down. Epson printers and papers are quite happy with -15% which cuts
down on ink costs and reduces drying time.
One last check round to make sure all the settings are ok - particularly
in the Print with Preview screen where Photoshop sometimes changes
settings! then - Print & Enjoy - wysiwyg at last!
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