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Home Color Management


R

Randy

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Hello Class,
I would like to set up an inexpensive Color Management workflow for my home.
My scanner is Microtek 4800.
Monitor is a Dell M992 hooked up to a Dell XPS w/ Windows XP Pro.
The printer is an Epson Stylus PHOTO 925.
My main goal is to refurbish/repair damaged photos/images.
For example, I would like to take an old picture, scan it, retouch and repair it using Photoshop CS, then print it to Photo-quality paper on my Epson.
It seems most calibration tools are expensive.
I'm happy using Adobe Gamma to calibrate my Monitor. Do I really need to calibrate or profile my scanner and printer? Or can I merely use my scanner w/ no presets, adjust the image in PS, then set my printer driver to "do not color manage"?
If this is not the way, is there a way to calibrate/profile my system that is not too expensive?
Thanks,
-Randy
PS, also, if I'm not mistaken I think there was a link not too long ago from this site to a site that would help determine if your monitor needed calibration...?
 
Calibration is a complicated subject.

To keep it as simple as possible: the intention is that what you see on your pre-scan is what you see on your pic-that-is-scanned, and also what you get when it's printed. This is an ideal situation, and can never be reached as printed colours are completely different from the light-colours you see on your monitor.
You will have to find a pleasing equilibrium that will always be a compromise.

Imo: if your scanner's software allows exporting to PS in Lab mode and 16 bit, and even better: if it offers Levels, Curves and colour correction tools, and if you want the best, then try calibration soft for your scanner. (btw: you can buy an IT8 card from every decent supplier of photographic materials, and there is free software around, I will look for you).
 
Erik,
Thanks so much! I will visit my local camera store this weekend :)
-Randy
 
when i do colour correction or clean ups for our brochures on photos , this is the colour profiles use


hope this helps
 
Generally, dzero2, sRGB is a fairly poor choice for color correcting if you are going to go to press, it's generally reserved for screen presentation. For things that will go to print, colormatchRGB or AdobeRGB98 are better choices.
 
These are no colour profiles, but color spaces.

Unless you use a printer that needs sRGB for calibration (like siome HP's), AdobeRGB is a much better choice for print because the print colours, CMYK ( plus evt PC and PM) have many hues that sRGB cannot offer, so you lose a lot of options. Adobe RGB is a much wider space, and, although you may see colours that cannot be printed, nearly everything that is printable is included (except for spot colours like Pantones etc...)

A profile has to be made, or downloaded from the site of the manufacturer and talks about hardware interpreting colour, not on how many hues that can be reproduced.
You can use, for example, sRGB or Adobe RGB on many different monitors that all give a different view. Calibrating, meaning: setting to a certified set of data, will make shure that the same hue is as good as identical when seen on those monitors.
 
your right about the HP profile for rgb thats why its there....
my process is usually correction in photoshop, but i dont always use photoshop for ripping......

i usually use posterprint 10 and a mimaki jv4 160 printer for large scale prints A0+ size and above as it got a ?7000 densitomiter connected to it.... trust me it helps a lot..... but as for correcting images and restoration on images and printing direct to the HP printer, and the results are more tehn adiquate
 
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