Printer calibration

[mij]

This Epson Stylus CX6600 printer/scanner has now been working on Vista. I did have to get an Epson cleaning kit from stateside as the yellow system got blocked.

 

I now want to print out some images but they are too dark. A colour wheel when printed out was far too dark. From what I read when googling this fault it looks as if the printer may need calibrating.

 

Do you think this is probably correct?

Can this site help me to do this?

cheers

jim

[PseFrank]

Are you using Epson ink?

[mij]

Are you using Epson ink?

 

No I'm not but..... I did download a print calibration sheet and that was perfectly bright- so much so that I was really surprised. The printout of it was virtually as bright as the screen display of it. So I thought that the cleaning fluid had cleared from the printer and all would be well.

I then printed out the image of the dog I am to do in oil pastels (yeah- that's right) but it was a poor image - dark and dismal. Again!

Cheers

jim

[RandyL]

Jim are the images you're having trouble printing from scans? If so it may be that you are not scanning at a high enough resolution. Also some pictures don't have as many dpi's as others. Although scanned pictures may look fine on a monitor to get good print quality they need more dpi's.

 

Also have a look at Epson Support for your model. There is quite a bit there that may help. Also make sure you have up to date drivers.

[Synapse]

Its worth considering monitor calibration. Also, you should check the profiling, Adobe RGB tends to be the default, but I have a vague memory of Epson sometimes changing it to their own profile.

 

Its about making sure your monitor accurately defines the colours, making sure the colour profile is defined only once, and that the printer colouring relates to that profile. Its fairly easy on top end printers such as the Epson 3800's but on consumer printers is seems over complicated with settings hidden all over.

 

For example, person A turns up the brightness because they like it that way, adjusts the image and the prints it, it comes out too dark. Person B adjusts the monitor to low brightness because they are working at night in a low lit room, adjusts image, prints it and it comes out too light. The screen didn't replicate the image accurately.

[mij]

I will check the DPI settings on the images today. The image is from a digital camera but may have been reduced in resolution to transmit by email. The calibration page was as downloaded from the 'net.

The driver is as recommended by the Epson online Technical Help guys. In the end it was they who got the Stylus CX6600 going in Vista running on the onboard drivers.

Cheers

jim

[mij]

I'll have to leave this 'in the air' so to speak. The opposite gender have their limitations at times when I need a yes/no answer when all I get is 'maybe/depends'.

Apologies to all that gave some time to this.

cheers

jim

[mij]

I'll have to leave this 'in the air' so to speak. The opposite gender have their limitations at times when I need a yes/no answer when all I get is 'maybe/depends'.

Apologies to all that gave some time to this.

cheers

jim

Because I have suscribed to this thread I got an email advising that erikdrop had replied to my printer calibration problem. It also contained the message so all noted and understood. However, the reply is not showing here. I have mentioned this before but was assured that this would be corrected due to an update of software at month's end. Just to say this has not worked.

 

Ok erikdrop I will try to follow up on your post but also with a wary eye on the 'difficulty' bit as it didn't look logical or easy when I went into it before. I'd better get on with the commision of said doggy first or I'll have the chief critic giving me an ear-bashing.

cheers

jim

 

edited PS I thought quoting might include the missing post but wrong again .... bleedin' PC's......

[PseFrank]

Hi Jim...

 

In this instance the absence of erikdrop's post has nothing to do with the site software. Erics post has been deleted because it contained spam. Spam is not allowed at Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help, and all instances of it are dealt with in the same manner.

 

Thankyou for your understanding.

[mij]

Hi Jim...

 

In this instance the absence of erikdrop's post has nothing to do with the site software. Erics post has been deleted because it contained spam. Spam is not allowed at Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help, and all instances of it are dealt with in the same manner.

 

Thankyou for your understanding.

 

So I'm not the only one to suffer from this malady then? <lol>

cheers

jim

 

:D

[Synapse]

I'm perhaps a little surprised and grumped that you drew a close to solving your problem without considering monitor calibration.

 

It may seem out of the range of possibilities, but believe me, knocking out prints that don't match the display shouts at a number of issues not mentioned by anyone else.

 

Why not have a read of this, it is one site's view, but it is full of good practice.

 

Monitor Calibration and Profiling

[mij]

I went no further on monitor calibration as the monitor was/is not the problem. This set-up was a hand-me-down from one of my sons who runs an interior desigh business. I cannot make the monitor any better by tweaking the settings.

 

The printer is something else. It is obviously out of date but prints out the calibtation sheets from differing sites in brilliant colours. In a previous post I was informed of the reliance of the printer on the dpi of the image. Because there were two unreliable peeps between the dog portrait photo and my printing it out I was unable to get an image with a reasonable resolution to the printer. It was at this point I threw my hands in the air and ......... and ....... screamed........ some peeps can be sooooo frustrating! Quite incapable of anything other than their chosen profession .......

Sorry if this 'unresolved issue' doesn't rest easy on the archives. It grates here as well.

cheers

jim

[RandyL]

As you can see by all the posts there are indeed many possibilities. Consider them all and do indeed read Synapses link. It might well give you some insight.

 

between the dog portrait photo and my printing it out I was unable to get an image with a reasonable resolution to the printer

I'm a bit confused by some of your posts. Does that mean it is only one picture that isn't printing correctly?

 

By the way Synapse is well respected here so please do consider his words.

[Synapse]

Thanks for the update.

 

I've been through this myself a good few times, and for me it did take a good monitor calibration using a Spyder Datacolor device and making sure the prints were generated using the Adobe RGB colour profile, rather than the printers own profile.

 

After that, they were almost perfect every time. I have to say I did spend a quite alot of time sorting it all out and I too nearly threw the towel in.

 

Last thought, it may have been set up to print vibrant prints for specific type of business and everything else just looks, well......rubbish :(

[mij]

printer calibration

 

I'm a bit confused by some of your posts. Does that mean it is only one picture that isn't printing correctly?

 

Yes, it was rather late in the day when I realised this. It was also immediately after printer cleaning fluid had been used to clear a clogged print head. Someone mantioned the dpi of the image and it all sank in - a light bulb moment. After mentioning this to my other son (just visiting today) my wife (listening on the side) elects to tell me she has the original, undiminished image stored on her computer!!! HELP me please!!!!

Ok we printed that out and all is well. It was just the dpi and the diminshed image file causing the problem.

I sometimes want to tear out hair - but there's little enough already.

cheers

jim

[RandyL]

I'm glad to hear that Jim. Like you said these things can be frustrating when trying to get to the root.