Solutions

For beginners - An introduction to the problem and our solutions
If you are reading this, it probably means that you have been trying to print photographs from your computer and are unhappy with the results. You've tried adjusting your monitor, and adjusting your printer, and still, you're getting poor results. Worse, it seems like you have entered an endless loop - a digital Twilight Zone - where one adjustment creates an unwelcome result somewhere else.

All you really want to do is get your prints to match what you see on your screen.

Seems like it should be easy. Why isn't it?

There is a lot of colour science that explains why. We're not going to go there in this discussion. At the risk of oversimplifying, it really boils down to two devices – your monitor and your printer.

  

Monitors are like snowflakes....
Monitors are like snowflakes. No two are the same and each one comes out of the box different. And they change over time. This is true for both CRT and LCD monitors. Have you ever walked into an electronics store, seen rows and rows of televisions next to each other, and noticed that there was a perceptible - sometimes major - difference in colour among them? That's what we mean by "snowflakes."
In today's digital darkroom, the monitor has become the standard for what we deem to be accurate representation of colour. It is the "soft proof" - the standard by which we judge our prints. If you cannot trust what you see on your monitor, how can you be sure of what you print? Therefore, most colour guru's now strongly recommend that the first step in gaining control of your digital workflow is to calibrate your monitor and do so on a periodic basis. This gives you a stake in the ground. We absolutely agree with this recommendation.
How do I calibrate my monitor?
There are three basic methods. These are:
  1. Do nothing, adjust, and pray. You've probably been there and done that.
  2. Use a visual monitor calibration technique. There are quite a few of these available on the market. Many are free or nearly free. This approach is better than nothing, but remains very subjective. These programs present a series of screens with colored boxes and gray scales and ask you to make the closest match. However, human response to color is not an exact science. The way we see color changes based on many different variables including the amount of caffeine or alcohol in our system, the background lighting, and even our mood. It is very difficult for one person to get consistent results from calibration to calibration. It is even more difficult for several individuals to get agreement. Visual techniques are inherently subjective and therefore inconsistent and inaccurate.
  3. Use a sensor-based monitor calibration technique. This is what ColorVision offers with the Spyder™ and SpyderPRO™ products. The Spyder is a sophisticated optical sensor that measures colors displayed on the screen. It compares the measured colors with an industry standard known as CIELAB and makes adjustments to the graphics video card. These adjustments "calibrate" your monitor for accurate color display. The Spyder software (either PhotoCAL or OptiCAL) also creates an ICC monitor profile that contains the data from this calibration. This profile is automatically stored in your system where it is used as a default in "ICC aware" applications like Adobe® Photoshop®, Adobe Photoshop Elements, and Adobe Album. The Spyder basically replaces your eyes with an analytical technique that is not subject to caffeine, alcohol, or mood swings. While the Spyder is not free, it is very affordable. The Spyder eliminates the guesswork from the process and produces accurate and consistent results from calibration to calibration.
OK, now my monitor is calibrated... will my prints match what I see on my screen?
Printers have their own color space that varies by make, model, and even individual unit. Further, color will vary depending on the ink and paper that you use for your prints. The major printer companies have made major strides in creating products which will produce accurate, "calibrated" color prints when used with their own ink and paper. For each of the papers that these printer companies sell (glossy, heavy weight matte, etc), there is usually a corresponding "canned profile" provided in the printer's software. These canned ICC printer profiles make adjustments to the digital image coming into the printer from your computer to provide you with an accurate result.

Again at the risk of over-simplification, these two guidelines are very helpful.

  1. If you are using the printer company's ink and media, your prints should match what you see on screen IF YOU HAVE A CALIBRATED MONITOR. The canned profiles that these companies provide with their products are generally very good.
  2. If you are using - or want to use - third party papers, canned profiles will not work. Here you have to have both a calibrated monitor and a method for creating or using a "custom" ICC printer profile for each of the papers that you want to use.

 
OK, I think I have a clue, what should I buy?
Monitor Calibration Products
Photo Enthusiasts & Beginners Advanced Amatures & Professionals Professionals
Product: Spyder SpyderPRO PrintFIX SpyderPRO &PrintFIX Spyder Master Suite
Application Monitor Calibration Printer Calibration Monitor & Printer Calibration
Product Includes
Spyder Monitor Calibrator for CRT & LCD monitors
PhotoCAL Monitor Calibration Software
OptiCAL Monitor Calibration Software
PrintFIX Patch Reader & Software
DoctorPRO Software
ProfilerPRO Software
Spectro-colorimeter

If you want to calibrate only your monitor, ColorVision offers two products. These are 

PhotoCAL is a feature-limited version of the acclaimed OptiCAL monitor calibration software. PhotoCAL is designed for beginners and photo enthusiasts and OptiCAL is targeted for advanced amateurs, professionals, animation studios, and prepress operations. 
To read more about the difference between PhotoCAL and OptiCAL, click here....
Value Added Suites for Monitor Calibration and Printer Profiling
If you want to calibrate both your monitor and your printer, ColorVision offers three value-added suites. These are: Spyder Photo Suite which includes the Spyder with PhotoCAL and the ProfilerPLUS software. This product is targeted at beginners and photo enthusiasts; Spyder Photo Suite Pro which includes the Spyder with OptiCAL and the ProfilerPLUS software. This product is targeted for advanced amateurs and professionals. Spyder Master Suite and Master Suite Spectro which includes the Spyder with OptiCAL and the ProfilerPRO software. This product is targeted at professionals. 
I'm a little scared about making the leap into colour management, what are your policies....
Color management is a new concept to many of us. With the explosive sales growth of digital cameras, our products are now generally recognized as required accessories for the digital darkroom. ColorVision offers a line of very affordable products that are very easy to use. Price and simplicity are critical factors to your satisfaction, but we also designed our policies to help you take the leap into color management.

We offer free technical support. We have specialists on staff and most times when you call, you'll get a real person, not an answering machine.

We make improvements to our software on a regular basis. We post these on our web site when available, and registered users can download free software updates.

We are trying to reduce your risk in buying our products. This is the first step in giving you control in your digital darkroom and the ability to make high quality prints in your studio or home.

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