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Puzzled re printing - need to brighten.

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
I print from a carefully profiled monitor using PS, to a carefully profiled Canon Image Prograf printer. I make my own profiles using I1 gear.

The colours are always right on, if slightly desaturated, but what I don't understand is why I have to add about +35 points in Brightness in PS before printing if I want the print to look just like the monitor image.

My monitor is calibrated to be quite dark - 100 lumens.

I'm very happy with the prints when I add the Brightness but I'm not sure why I should need to, having profiled the printer/paper. Doesn't matter what paper I use, the result always needs that extra shot of brightening before printing.

Anybody care to comment?

Bill
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
Not an unusual problem.
Emissive sources such as a monitor, tend to almost always look brighter than a reflective print.
There are two issues going on here usually.
First, the monitor is too bright and scone, the print is being viewed under too dark conditions.
The usual solution is to use a viewing booth with a color controlled light source. Set it up and turn up the brightness. The second is to set up that viewing booth next to your monitor and to turn down the brightness until print and monitor match. It depends on your ambient light level, but it is not too unusual to have to turn the monitor brightness down to 80 or so.
In my case, not only did I need to turn down the monitor brightness to 80, but to also adjust-down the monitor contrast ratio. Monitors are capable of MUCH more brightness ratios than reflective prints.
Tweak, check, and adjust.
Be sure that you are viewing your image on-monitor in photoshop with proof profile set up.
-bob
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
For an extreme example:
1) turn off the lights, draw the blinds, look at your print.
2) looks pretty dark, doesn't it, but I bet your monitor still looks nice and bright
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
Echo what Bob posted
Adjust your monitor to 80 lumens, and my experience has been your monitor and print will match
Stanley
 

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
Bob, Stanley, thank you. I've actually lowered my screen brightness to 70 and things are now pretty much right on.

I had been using 100 following Michael Reichmann's video tutorial for several years and adding the extra points in PS.

The lower screen brightness causes me to increase the image brightness and lo and behold, print and screen match!
 

tsjanik

Well-known member
Hi Bill, I can only repeat what Bob and Stanley have written; until I lowered my monitor to 80 lumens, I had a similar problem. I use a desk halogen lamp to illuminate an 8x10 test print held next to the monitor and that has worked well for me in judging brightness. Were cost no object, I would have a viewing station with Solux lamps. I include a link to a Pete Turner exhibit at the Eastman House illuminated by Solux. I was fortunate to see it and can only describe it as the equivalent of viewing transparencies on a light table.

Tom

Tailored Lighting Inc
 
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