Calibration Question?

[mivy00]

I have calibrated my monitor.
Then I downloaded the ICC profiles from my lab.

When I go into pjotoshop and edit a picture then hit ctrl+y to toggle proof view. Everything looks dead on except the blues. They change when i toggle back and forth.

Now for the question. Do any of you have a similar problem ? is that the way it should work or should i recalibrate my monitor. if that is the way it should work should I edit all my pictures in proof mode ?

[boxofrocks]

That is due to the limited color gamut of the printer who's profile you are using. You're doing it exactly right.

You can go to selective color (Image/Adjustments/Selective Color) to try and boost some of them, but if they are out of gamut, you can only do so much. A lot of printers out there have difficulty with really vivid colors, like reds, greens, and blues.

Try another printer profile, and you'll see different (but not necessarily better) results.

BTW, which lab?

Try this profile, and see if it's any different. Just for comparison, this is the lab smugmug uses: ezprints; Right click and save file.

I'd love to hear back and see what your results are.

Here is a good calibration photo to test with.

[NoLight]

Every ICC will have a differnt look If you are sending out to print then use the soft proof as a guide line..

[mivy00]

Originally Posted by boxofrocks

BTW, which lab?

Try this profile, and see if it's any different. Just for comparison, this is the lab smugmug uses: ezprints; Right click and save file.

I'd love to hear back and see what your results are.

Here is a good calibration photo to test with.

I used that profile and it looks similar to the company I use to do my prints. BWC out of dallas they are the printer for exposure manager.

[mivy00]

Originally Posted by NoLight

Every ICC will have a differnt look If you are sending out to print then use the soft proof as a guide line..

So I shouldnt edit the photo's in proof mode.....just check them before i send them out?

Thanks for the input guys

[boxofrocks]

Originally Posted by mivy00

So I shouldnt edit the photo's in proof mode.....just check them before i send them out?

Thanks for the input guys

You may get several different answers, but here's what I do:

I edit on my color corrected monitor in whatever colorspace I prefer (RGB, Adobe RGB, etc). When I get it looking the way I want it, I save it. I then preview with the printer profile I'll be using, make any tweaks, and save it under a different name (DSC_0244_Costco for example).

That way, I have one file available specifically for that lab, but If I want to send it to another lab later, I have the "edited original" that I know is the "proper" color.

[billbunton]

Originally Posted by mivy00

So I shouldnt edit the photo's in proof mode.....just check them before i send them out?

Thanks for the input guys

I do it slightly different from Tom, but basically the same thing. I do my editing in my preferred working space, without proofing. I save the final edit. I then duplicate the image, and resize both the original and duplicate so they both fit on the screen (or at least as much as I need to see).

I then edit the original in proof mode, USING LAYERS, to get it as close to the duplicate I have open. This actually doesn't take much time, because I have actions to load the proper curves adjustment layer for each paper I use. That gets it close, though I may have to do some tweaks. When I'm done, if there was more than one layer added I put them in a group and name the group according to the paper, otherwise the curves layer already has the proper name (thanks to the action). I save again, with the layer or group turned off.

I can then close/delete the duplicate image. When I'm ready to print I load the image, turn the proper adjustment layer (or group) on, flatten and save as to a different file name or directory. (I actually have an action that does all this).