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Author Topic: new at calibrating, what now?  (Read 1453 times)

kerriann85

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new at calibrating, what now?
« on: March 20, 2011, 12:58:47 pm »

I work at a photo studio and I'm used to prints coming back that match the monitors. we use Apple iMacs and calibrate with a cheap Huey.
Doing more "freelance" stuff at home, I bought myself a NEC PA241w with the calibration sensor and SpectraViewII software.  I'm on a PC with WIndows 7.
I ran the calibration as instructed.  Shot some headshot portraits under studio lights. Sent off prints to my lab (no lab color correcting) Skin tones are much redder and
highlights are lighter and midtones seem darker then they look on the monitor.  Disappointed.   Gal at lab asked if my monitor was calibrated.  Yes.  Then I must now make
the monitor look like the prints I'm getting from the lab.  I can send in free color test shots until I'm happy.

So..... I suppose I have to bring up the image and make it look like the print headshot. "Red and ugly", so that on future images I can correct them in photoshop until they look good.
Then they'll print as I see them.  Right?

I'm guessing this is adjusted within the SpectraView software? 

Can someone talk me through this?    (Or do I have something set wrong in Photoshop?) 
Thank you!
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digitaldog

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Re: new at calibrating, what now?
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2011, 01:49:11 pm »


I'm guessing this is adjusted within the SpectraView software? 

Can someone talk me through this?    (Or do I have something set wrong in Photoshop?) 

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/why_are_my_prints_too_dark.shtml
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RHPS

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Re: new at calibrating, what now?
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2011, 03:13:35 pm »

Sent off prints to my lab (no lab color correcting) Skin tones are much redder and
highlights are lighter and midtones seem darker then they look on the monitor.  Disappointed.   Gal at lab asked if my monitor was calibrated.  Yes.  Then I must now make
the monitor look like the prints I'm getting from the lab.  I can send in free color test shots until I'm happy.

So..... I suppose I have to bring up the image and make it look like the print headshot. "Red and ugly", so that on future images I can correct them in photoshop until they look good.
Then they'll print as I see them.  Right?
Of course it may be that your lab is sending you lousy prints. Try sending them a standard test image (like the PDI test image available all over the web) and see if the skin tones are wrong in that; and while you're at it see how it looks on your monitor. I would be very reluctant to adjust my monitor so that images looked "Red and ugly" without convincing myself that my monitor was at fault, rather than the lab. If you find that they can't print a standard test image correctly I suggest you look for another lab. If it's too red today it may be too green tomorrow.....
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