How to Get Great Prints

Printing

The first thing you need to do is color calibrate your system.

Your monitor and output device need to be on the same page when it comes to color

Color calibrating your monitor is the first step to getting correct color from your printer

Color Calibration

While high end printers can produce better prints it is possible to get good results from less expensive printers

Generally the more inks a printer has the better the results

High end printers have multiple shades of black .

This may be 3 black and 5 color cartridges

Printers

The larger the ink cartridge the less expensive the ink

A printers ability to use roll paper will reduce cost per print

While the ink cartridges cost more the cost per print goes way down by using a printer with both of the above

Roll paper also give you more flexibility in print size

Printers

Image Dpi

When printing image dpi is important. 240 dpi or 300 dpi.

When printing it is important not to double profile.

Your printer or your software can profile (do the work) but not both.

If you double profile you will get unpredictable results

Printing

If you want your printer to profile the print make sure to set your software not to profile the print.

If you want your software to profile the print set your printer to none or no color adjustment.

In the printer driver this is usually found in the advanced or color section.

Printing

Epson Printing Preferences

Canon Printing Preferences

Canon Printing Preferences

Canon Printing Preferences

It is also important to choose the correct icm profile for your paper type

This is done in the software used to print the image

An icm profile defines the most saturated colors available in a color space; i.e. the bluest blue or deepest black your printer can produce.

Icm files are used on a pc and icc files are used on a mac.

Printing

Photoshop Print Dialog

A monitor is transmitted light

A print is reflected light

When comparing prints to your monitor a print will appear darker in normal room light

Hold the print under a color corrected daylight desk lamp when comparing to your monitor.

Printing

Color calibrate your system

When printing choose the correct paper type

Do color correction in the printer or the software but not both

If color correcting from software choose the correct icm profile for your paper type

Conclusion