Colormunki drives me crazy !!!

[steflaurent974]

Well i've just bought a Colormunki to profile my macbook pro laptop and an EPSON 2400 printer....
I have printed a few on Harmann FP mat paper (wich I didn't use anymore but it was for a try ). The day after I looked at these pictures and was quite happy with it , but one week later they have turned yellowish... it might be the paper (I did have wait the 10 minutes delay before profiling the color chart).

So I try another thing : I picke up colors printed on a Mat paper, and then put it beside the screen : it is not the same color . Is that normal ? Is my colormunki quite blind ? Understand me when I pick up Blue , it's blue on the screen , but not the same (hallogen light).

I may have miss something, as I am quite new in the profiling... I think some colors are quite accurate when printing, but the blue is very difficult.

Are you using this device , and have any advices ?

Stef.

 

[Ranger 9]

You can't expect colors to match exactly between a computer screen and a print held beside the screen. They form colors in different ways: the monitor is by transmitted light and the print is by reflected light. Imagine holding a poster of a stained-glass window next to the actual window; you'd expect the colors to be similar, but you wouldn't expect them to be exactly alike, right?

You're right, blues are especially hard -- monitors love blue and can produce a deep, brilliant vivid blue that ink on paper can't duplicate. There are other colors that will look better on paper than on a monitor.

Another problem is that, as you've discovered, you're always viewing a monitor by its own "light," but prints can look different in different lights. (This is called metamerism.) In the graphic arts industry we use special viewing booths and lights with particular specifications, so people in different places are viewing their prints under the same lighting conditions. Without this standardization it's hard to be consistent.

You may still be having problems with some aspect of your calibration process, but it sounds to me as if your results are typical. It might help to consider that, no matter what the advertising says, the only realistic goal for color calibration is to get color that's consistent and predictable -- you can't necessarily make every device exactly match every other device.

 

[thomas]

The Colormunki has an UV-cut filter and therefore it is not appropriate to make ISO standarized printer profiles.
That shouldn't be a problem as long as you use it only for the devices in your personal workflow. But it might be a problem regarding the above mentioned metamerism effects (especially since you talk about the blues).
(I assmue you eyed up the colors on screen with the respective softproof seetings...).

 

[TRSmith]

One other point I'm sure you've already incorporated into your workflow is the decision/selection of whether photoshop or the printer is managing the color. For my own printing, I select "Photoshop Manages Color" and then in the second print dialog that comes after you select "print", make sure that "No Color Management" is selected for the printer.

Again, you may have already included this, but it's worth mentioning since it's an important step and can lead to some weird color junk if forgotten.

Tim

 

[steflaurent974]

Ranger9 - I need calibration just for my personnal workflow, but when I put photo and screen side by side there is a big difference, the photo is globally a lot warmer. But as Thomas mentionned it , I don't have softproof the screen view : I'm looking the photo in lightroom and I am not sure you can softproof in Lightroom. Maybe shoul I look at the picture in photoshop with softproof on ?
I did realize my prints with Lightroom Tim, wich is tuned with No Printer Calibration, I choose then the Colormunki Printer profile I created and in the Printer driver set up otion No Calibration...

I have a lot of underwater photos, with very subtle blue tones wich I have to render the best for some contest.

I think I have to re calibrate my laptop and my printer ; and maybe it's better if I print with photoshop instead of Lightroom...

 

[thomas]

when I put photo and screen side by side there is a big difference, the photo is globally a lot warmer.

so let's start with the obvious...
If you look at a plain white photo paper under the viewing conditions you usually eye up prints and set a white plane in Photoshop ... does the paper white appears to be warmer or does the paper white match the white in Photoshop?

- which lighting do you use to eye up prints?
- what are the values of your display calibration?

Be aware that all you can see on your display is limited by the colour gamut of your display... a laptop is definitely not appropriate for softproofing. Thus you have to work with colour warning and numbers in Photoshop.

 

[steflaurent974]

Thomas : Well I don't have a special area with a consistant light , It's hallogen spot in the ceiling. I will try the white sheet test...

I'm uning the lumonisity to match 100cd and I can't tune the contrast. I use the D65 setting for the white point.
I'm sure not looking at a professionnal precision but at least I do like my print to match my screen...

stef..

 

[thomas]

Thomas : Well I don't have a special area with a consistant light , It's hallogen spot in the ceiling.

bad idea.
Eye up your prints under indirect, soft daylight.
And set your display to 5800K (with a measurement device, not just by setting a preset in the OSX calibration tool)