Digital BW, The Print

sl91911 wrote:
>Despite calibrating my LCD monitor with Monaco Optix and getting
>spot-on color matching, my BW and color prints are invariably darker
>than screen image with the R800. I have seen postings about this
>elsewhere. I am using Best Photo, ICM, and the included high-quality
>ICM profiles.
>
>  Any ideas ?

I'm a newbie but I've gone through the exact same thing with a lower-end 
RX500 and a CRT monitor.  I tried 3 different brands of software monitor 
calibrations, being careful to disable one before using the next.  (Start | 
Run | msconfig | Startup ).  And one brand of spyder-based calibration.

And a google search seems to reveal a lot of the same complaint.

I have achieved some success, which may or may not apply to you, but you 
can try if you want.

First of all, the light under which you are viewing the prints makes a 
significant difference.  More than I would have thought.  I thought I had 
fairly bright lighting at my PC.  I own a light meter that I used to use at 
work for measuring office and parking lot lighting.  It showed the light 
around my PC is 20 foot candles.  Versus about 100 fc near a window during 
daylight.  So try looking at your prints in better light and see if that 
changes anything.  It did for me.

Second, after all the profiling, I really couldn't get anywhere till I 
simply turned the monitor brightness down below the setting that was 
determined in the calibration process.  I know that's not the way color 
mgmt is supposed to work, but I simply could not get there.

Like you I also check ICM in the printer setup, but then in the print 
dialog of my editing software (Picture Window Pro) I can select None or 
RX500 as the Printer Profile.  Probably one of those is the wrong 
choice.  :-) :-) :-)

But each seems to have a use for me.

If I select RX500, the turned down monitor image matches the prints viewed 
near the window.

If I select None, the prints are not good until I apply a Brightness Curve 
adjustment in PWP.  I don't know the PS equivalent to that.  The Brightness 
Curve brightens the midtones while leaving the blacks and whites relatively 
untouched.  There are two variations.  One keeps the colors the same hues, 
while another moves them towards white.  I use the one (HSV) that keeps the 
colors the same, just brightening them.   I have saved this curve so I can 
load it and apply it whenver I need it.

With ICM | None and that curve, the print matches the monitor before the 
application of the curve.  So, I get the image where I want it, then apply 
the curve which makes it look light on the monitor, then print.

That combo works better than the RX500 setting in indoor lighting, and is 
still pretty good with daylight, although it could use a bit more 
saturation in that setting.  The interior lighting adds the needed warmth, 
I guess, and the daylight doesn't, basically.  I'm sure that's oversimplistic.

Now, here's hoping you get a suggestion on how to fix this in the color 
management process instead, as this has eluded me.

Oh, after writing all this I just realized this is off-topic here on the BW 
forum.  I am also on the Epson_Printers list which is more the place for a 
discussion of color printing.  Anyway, having taken this much time to write 
it, I'll press send in hopes it helps you, and/or someone can point us to a 
solution.

Let me know if you find an answer elsewhere....

-Don M