[TaiChiTom]

I have recently begun to make and print photos again after about a year away while I pursued another hobby. But, yesterday I began to encounter a problem with printing B&W images which so far has me stumped.
I use PS CS2 and print with an Epson R2400. My monitor is calibrated. I work on a color image using adjustment layers to improve levels, curves, H/S etc. If I'm going to create a B&W image I will ad a Ch mixer layer then sharpen. I will sometimes add a dup layer with some gaussian blur and an effect I like is to add a dup layer with diffuse glow and back off the opacity some.
I think I forgot a lot of stuff in that year away and I also sometimes wonder if I am experiencing more that my share of senior moments. Anyway, when I got back into printing B&W I realized or re-realized I could avoid color casts in my prints by using the Adv B&W mode even though I am printing a B&W image. Yesterday I was working on repairing a scanned image of an old photograph for a friend. I had printed an early version of this image with no problem. Yesterday when I printed a final version it came out of the printer much darker than my screen image. Today I was working on some of my own images and the prints are coming out much darker than the image on my monitor. I don't believe I have changed any of my method which would result in dark images.
Checked the nozzles a few minutes ago and there are no clogs.
Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. Any ideas on using Adv B&W mode or other methods of making color cast free B&W images is appreciated.
Thanks,
Tom

[Miguel]

Having too-dark images, even with a properly calibrated monitor, is a very common complaint. This is usually a symptom of a too-bright monitor. A brightness setting range of 110-130 cd/m2 is a good starting place. The better calibration software will let you set the luminance metrics.

It's also recommended to have your room lighting very indirect. Not black but pretty low-key.

M

[TaiChiTom]

I don't think it's calibration or the brightness of the monitor. I re-calibrated using Spyder2express and printed a color image with the same disappointing results. I re-calibrated using the eMac's calibration utility and printed the image again. No improvement.
This problem occurred suddenly with no changes in settings that I am aware of. Frustrating.
Tom

[Miguel]

It'n not necessarily about calibration. It's about screen brightness. That's different.

Your eMac is a CRT, no? If yes, then different brightness settings apply. I don't believe that your Spyder software will let you target a brightness range. The eMac built-in calibration is far less useful than the Spyder.

One more thing: what OS-X version are you using. There were issues with Epson drivers.

Re: printing, did you check Clayton Jones' site for 2400 B&W?

M

[TaiChiTom]

Miguel,
Yes, the eMac is a CRT. OS 10.3.9.
I have been printing color and B&W w/o trouble for several years. This darkness problem just occurred suddenly, yesterday.
I will check out Clayton Jones' site.
Thanks for your responses.
Tom

[TaiChiTom]

I should have titled this thread Sudden Trouble Printing. The problem persists with B&W as well as color prints. I've re-calibrated and re-re-calibrated paying attention to monitor brightness.
Here are a couple examples of what I'm getting. The bright pics are what I see on my monitor and how prints have appeared in the recent past. The darker images are a rough approximation of what I'm getting from the printer now. The are darker and very over saturated. I don't think I have inadvertently mucked up any settings.

[Vertex Ninja]

When printing images using advanced black and white mode, have you looked at the settings? There is dark, darker, etc. For color are you making sure the Epson dialog has "no color adjustment" and having Photoshop do the conversion from working space to printing space? Also just to confirm, you are using the right color profile for your paper? What is your "working" color space and your "printing" color space?

I prefer to work with a brighter monitor(not too bright though) and add an adjustment to the file just before printing to add some brightness back to the print.

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Last edited by Vertex Ninja; 01-19-2011 at 01:49 PM.

[TaiChiTom]

Vertex Ninja,
Thanks. I am not too tech savvy and tend to follow recipes. I went back and looked at my PS color settings and made some changes. I have learned most of my PS technique from a book entitled Photshop Artistry. My settings differed from what this book suggests though I am certain I followed their suggestions before. Anyway, printing in color and B&W is back to normal. I can sleep comfortably tonight.
Once again I am rescued by a Pentax Forum member.
Tom

[Vertex Ninja]

Vertex Ninja,
Thanks. I am not too tech savvy and tend to follow recipes. I went back and looked at my PS color settings and made some changes. I have learned most of my PS technique from a book entitled Photshop Artistry. My settings differed from what this book suggests though I am certain I followed their suggestions before. Anyway, printing in color and B&W is back to normal. I can sleep comfortably tonight.
Once again I am rescued by a Pentax Forum member.
Tom

Basically you want Photoshop to convert the profile for you. Your working space is probably taken care of in the dialog(probably sRGB, Adobe RGB 1998, or ProPhoto RGB), then you select your paper profile with perceptual intent. You can download your paper profile from the manufacturer of that paper. For the best prints you really need to be using the right paper profiles, because every paper has a different white point and way of soaking up the ink. PM me if you need any help.

I'm glad you got everything working again!