Beginner Epson Eco Tank

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8
Name
Lawrie
Edit My Images
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Hi all, am really trying to print some landscapes, but the prints are way too dark, Im not sure if buying a screen calibration is needed yet as am still a beginner, I use Mac OSX and my Printer is the Epson ET-7750 any help would be great thanks
 
It's a really common problem. It will help if you turn your screen brightness down so that you are viewing a more realistic view of your image when you are editing it.

Screens are backlit, so you'll never get it quite as bright, but dimming your screen and then editing so that the image looks right can help.

My screen calibrator will get me to set my screen to the correct brightness. You can be lucky with your colours, but calibrating can help tremendously.

There is a very good YouTube channel to help with printing https://www.youtube.com/user/cheo1949 He also has a facebook group.
Here are his videos specifically on dark prints https://www.youtube.com/user/cheo1949/search?query=dark
 
Thank-you, am already a subscriber, thanks tho for the reassurance and also the links.
 
Hi Lawrie and welcome to TP

As @Bebop says, what you describe IMO is the most common question in regard to printing. As she says and I agree, if you want consistent prints and control then a monitor calibration device is a key bit of kit.

However, you can get a very good basic "calibration" based on the human eye being in control by using the tools on this page
http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/ to check your monitor setup. So do give that a go and then see what a test print looks like compared to what you have been seeing!

But the use of a calibrator takes the personal human variations out of the equation.
 
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Hi Lawrie and welcome to TP

As @Bebop says, what you describe IMO is the most common question in regard to printing. As she says and I agree, if you want consistent prints and control then a monitor calibration device is a key bit of kit.

However, you can get a very good basic "calibration" based on the human eye being in control by using the tools on this page
http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/ to check your monitor setup. So do give that a go and then see what a test print looks like compared to what you have been seeing!

But the use of a calibrator takes the personal human variations out of the equation.
Thank-you both for your help and support here, out of interest and in the long run it will be worth it, what calibration device do you recommend ?
 
I started with a Color Munki Display (I think this model has been superseded by another now), and then moved on to an i1Studio - both made by X-Rite. i1Studio was considerably more expensive, but allows me to create icc profiles. Often paper manufacturers will supply icc profiles, so you don't have to have this feature.

I haven't tried others so I'm not sure how they compare, but I've been happy with my output.
 
Going back some years I had a Huey Pro....sadly for me I suffered with "the green colour cast problem.....". Sold it someone for whom it worked AOK.

Next I got a Spyder.....upgraded to the Spyder3 after a few years........now have the i1Display Pro by xRite.

For pictures I exhibit for sale I have only ever used outside printers. Though latterly for my own test prints and to stick on a small whiteboard I have been using a budget Canon TS8250 to print. FWIW the few that I have printed are a worthy match to the pro printers prints in regard to colour matching et al.

Will I invest in a higher ink count printer and print my own exhibition prints ~ no I won't be doing that as I don't print that often (yet?) so getting my archival grade prints done outside suits me.

As you can see, for me a calibrated screen is not just for printing in-house but any situation where prints are the intended outcome :)

HTH

PS @LR-Images can you tell us the make & model number of your monitor. NB whichever calibrator you get, make sure it is fully compatible/supported your your specific Mac OS version!
 
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Hey there, thanks I am using the standard imac screen, no external. (at the moment) thanks for your kind response tho.
 
Thanks for your response also, I can buy the items to make it work, just dont want to spend out too much and waste money.
 
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