[Leica] Prints are way too dark. Driven to distraction

Aram Langhans leica_r8 at hotmail.com
Mon Mar 2 07:49:45 PST 2015 

Then that is too low for that monitor.  If memory servers me correctly, I 
adjusted mine with so my Spyder/ColorHCFR gave me a reading of 90.0 - 95.0 
CD/m2.  Still bright when not compared to my non-adjusted Samsung monitor. 
With that brighness, and with the calibration file made my the Spyder alone, 
my print density matches, and my colors are spot on when I print to any 
calibrated device, be it my R3000 with appropriate paper profile using 
Lightroom or PS, or to Costco using their printer profile.

If you can use something to read your monitor brightness, set it close to 
90.0 CD/m2  and see how that looks.

Aram

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Lew Schwartz" <lew1716 at gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2015 4:42 PM
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
Subject: Re: [Leica] Prints are way too dark. Driven to distraction

> With the monitor set down that low, I can barely see the controls. I'm 
> also
> miffed that Adobe hasn't provided a simple fix. It'd consist of "print 
> time
> presets," corrections that would be sent along with an image to the
> printer, but which wouldn't interfere with what you see while you're
> editing.
>
> I might just try letting the print driver do s bw or two, just to see.
>
>
> -Lew Schwartz
>
> On Sun, Mar 1, 2015 at 7:18 PM, Ken Carney <kcarney1 at cox.net> wrote:
>
>> Not sure I can add much here.  I keep my monitor (Dell U2410, Spyder Pro
>> calibrated for room light and color) at a brightness and contrast setting
>> of 11/50 and keep the room lighting consistent.  I think the default
>> brightness is 50 which is too much and 100 is like looking into a
>> searchlight.  To print (in Photoshop) I make a duplicate image and set 
>> them
>> side by side on the monitor, then load the paper profile for the
>> duplicate.  This gives a sense of how to adjust the duplicate for
>> printing.  Usually it is just a slight brightness increase with the 
>> curves
>> tool, and sometimes a small saturation bump.  To print, the Epson panel 
>> is
>> set to "Photoshop manages colors" and the same paper profile is selected.
>> The print is a good match to the monitor unless the viewing conditions 
>> are
>> extreme.  I say a "good" match since I don't think it is possible to have 
>> a
>> perfect match with one source backlit and the other with reflected light.
>> I don't use LR for printing but the process is similar with the LR soft
>> proofing mode.
>>
>> That is for color.  With B&W using Epson Advanced B&W or a RIP so far as 
>> I
>> know there is not an easy way to soft proof. However, after a while I can
>> usually make an educated guess.  I used to use the ImagePrint RIP for 
>> B&W.
>> It is excellent but I'm pretty happy with the Epson driver now.
>>
>> Ken
>>
>> On 3/1/2015 4:28 PM, Robert Adler wrote:
>>
>>> I now have 2 monitors: I have one darkened to match print output (I am
>>> actually trying to have a different profile on that monitor for the 
>>> paper
>>> that I use) and one to work on for web viewing. I initially process for
>>> web
>>> viewing. I find that most times a simple pulling up on the middle of the
>>> curve adjustment in CC or LR works just fine for prints. Sometimes it 
>>> gets
>>> more complicated.
>>> Bob
>>>
>>> On Sun, Mar 1, 2015 at 1:23 PM, Aram Langhans <leica_r8 at hotmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>  Similar. I noticed that, too.   No matter how I calibrate the monitor,
>>>> the
>>>> prints are always darker than the monitor.  Whether I was printing
>>>> myself,
>>>> or using Costso.  Since two outputs were giving me the same results, my
>>>> input must be at fault.  So, then, I learned a few years ago to turn 
>>>> the
>>>> monitor down.  I downloaded Color HCFR and got it to work with my 
>>>> Spyder
>>>> and found out the monitor was WAY to bright.  The profile software for
>>>> Spyder did not adjust the monitor brightness.  I had to turn my monitor
>>>> (Dell 1224 IPS) down to 17 to get to the recommended brightness.  It
>>>> looks
>>>> pretty dark compared to my other monitor, but it works.  Prints are 
>>>> dead
>>>> on
>>>> from monitor to my printer (R3000) or to Costco.  The trend in consumer
>>>> monitors seems to be bright and saturated, but that does not translate
>>>> to a
>>>> standard print file, evidentially.
>>>>
>>>> so, try getting the HCFR Colorimeter program and see if you can get it 
>>>> to
>>>> work on your Monki.  The crank that monitor brightness down.
>>>>
>>>> Aram
>>>>
>>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>>> From: "Robert Adler" <rgacpa at gmail.com>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2015 4:02 PM
>>>> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
>>>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Prints are way too dark. Driven to distraction
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   Personally, I don't think your missing anything Lew. Even though 
>>>> these
>>>>
>>>>> calibrations are supposed to calibrate for "luminance", I tend to turn
>>>>> my
>>>>> monitor down 2-4 stops to match a standard calibration chart that I've
>>>>> printed on my printer. Then I adjust in CC or LR on a monitor that has
>>>>> been
>>>>> darkened by the above process. Seems really dumb, but it works...
>>>>> Best,
>>>>> Bob
>>>>> PS-Please let me know if you find out differently!
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sat, Feb 28, 2015 at 2:02 PM, Lew Schwartz <lew1716 at gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>   I'm printing on Epson Proofing, using LR 5.7, Epson 4880, ViewSonic
>>>>>
>>>>>> monitor
>>>>>> and I've just re-profiled monitor and printer using colormunki, plus 
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> confirm that both monitor and printer are using the new profiles. The
>>>>>> resulting prints are aprox 2- 4 stops too dark. Too dark is an on 
>>>>>> going
>>>>>> problem for me, LR, the 4880 and this monitor; I expected things to 
>>>>>> get
>>>>>> better after the colormunki stuff. I've just been winging a solution 
>>>>>> in
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> past by using the exposure control in the LR develop module and the
>>>>>> brightness setting in the print module. Not a great solution, but
>>>>>> workable.
>>>>>> Now, with these new profiles, I'm not even close. WTF? Things are way
>>>>>> worse. What am I missing?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -Lew Schwartz
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Bob Adler
>>>>> www.robertadlerphotography.com
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>  _______________________________________________
>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>
>

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