Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Colour Management => Topic started by: ward00 on October 24, 2013, 07:05:38 pm
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I know enough to disable color management in the printer driver when I enable my photo editing software (PS Elements) to handle color management.
However, what should thecorrect setting for Color Management be in the Windows 7 Control Panel.
Assuming I have selected my printer in the device setting and have uploaded the ICC profile for my printer in = Windows Color Management in the Control Panel
do I check the box next to "Use my settings for this device" ?
do I select "Automatic (recommended)" or "Manual" in the Profile Selection box ?
do I check "Use as Default Profile" for my paper's ICC profile ?
or will my graphics program automatically override all the settings in Windows Color Management in the Control Panel?
If the graphics program does not override the Windows control panel settings, what is the proper permutation of settings.
Thanks
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Hi welcome to Lula.
PS Elements is a well behaved program with respect to colour management, so just leaving everything in Windows colour management at the defaults(recommended settings) will be fine.
If the graphics program does not override the Windows control panel settings, what is the proper permutation of settings.
If possible, it's always better to stay with programs that are properly colour managed when making 'serious' colour prints.
If you have to use a program that isn't colour managed at all, try to ensure that any graphic images you use are in sRGB colourspace* as other colourspaces may not be recognised and handled properly. A properly installed printer should then set the correct profile automatically with the media choice selected. This works fine when using OEM papers and inks, but if you're using non standard ink or paper and have a custom profile for them, you'll need to set that as the printer's default profile in Windows colour management settings. This might get a little complex if you've multiple non standard profiles, as you'll always need to remember/check what settings you've got set as default every time you print.
*sRGB; In PS Elements this is set by choosing to optimise for computer screen. ( or at least it was on the last version of PSE I looked at closely)
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I know enough to disable color management in the printer driver when I enable my photo editing software (PS Elements) to handle color management.
However, what should thecorrect setting for Color Management be in the Windows 7 Control Panel.
Assuming I have selected my printer in the device setting and have uploaded the ICC profile for my printer in = Windows Color Management in the Control Panel
do I check the box next to "Use my settings for this device" ?
do I select "Automatic (recommended)" or "Manual" in the Profile Selection box ?
do I check "Use as Default Profile" for my paper's ICC profile ?
or will my graphics program automatically override all the settings in Windows Color Management in the Control Panel?
If the graphics program does not override the Windows control panel settings, what is the proper permutation of settings.
Thanks
As Rhossydd says. A printer capable of colour management overrides the Control Panel Color Management applet settings (though the driver might default to the control panel settings). I never touch any of the settings you mention for printers. In fact, I rarely alter them even for monitors, as the monitor calibration/profiling software should do it. (I use Argyll software.)
I assume you have a calibrated and profiled monitor? I mean using a hardware tool: ColorMunki, Spyder or similar. If not, there may be little point in worrying about profiles for the printer, or you'll be chasing your tail trying to correct for errors in the displayed monitor colours. And, obviously, you have to use colour-managed software like Elements, Lightroom or similar. That is, software that uses monitor and printer profiles.
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FYI - I have calibrated my monitor and RR paper with the Spyder devices.
So just to be clear, when I am using a custom Red River ICC profile:
In the printer driver - I disable color management
In my graphics program I use the sRGB space and allow the program to handle color management and select the ICC color profile for my RR paper.
and in Windows7 Color Managment in the Windows Control Panel it doesn't matter what the settings are?
The reason I ask, nothing I have ever read about disabling color managment in the printer driver and enabling color management by the graphics program has ever addressed the settings in Windows7 Color Managment in the Windows Control Panel. There are enouhg permutations of the settings that it makes me still wonder if
do I need to check the box next to "Use my settings for this device" ?
do I need to check "Use as Default Profile" for my paper's ICC profile ?
do I need to select "Automatic (recommended)" or "Manual" in the Profile Selection box ? - for example, if set to manual, will this setting stop allowing the graphics program to manage the color setting?
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The reason I ask, nothing I have ever read about disabling color managment in the printer driver and enabling color management by the graphics program has ever addressed the settings in Windows7 Color Managment in the Windows Control Panel.
That's because you really don't need to worry at all about it, unless you're trying to do something really non-standard.
Printing with colour managed applications like Elements is 'standard' in that context.
An example of that might be changing the system's default profile for a colour laser used by many people across a network that only uses one specific non-standard paper for proofing and has had a custom printer profile made for it.