4 replies to this topic

[Those Who Squirm]

Like most people nowadays I shoot digital and rely on post-processing platforms like GIMP and Photoshop to make adjustments to my images.  The problem here is, since I'm using a computer to do this, how do I know that the way the image looks on the screen is reasonably close to what the final print will look like?  Obviously, one  part of the solution involves proper printer maintenance and stocking it with suitable paper,  Another part is simply to print the image out and use that to guide me in making edits to the image file.  But barring major purchases of gear, printing probably represents the greatest ongoing expense of this activity.  Good paper and ink are expensive.  (If I were a pro, that would be less of an issue.)

 

So it would be nice not to have to do too much printing before I get the images I truly want to print, if you follow me.  Is there a best practice that experienced photographers use with regard to their device displays?  If a photo looks all right when I turn my PC's brightness all the way up, does that mean the print will look all right when I print it out?  (For this question, assume that I've already done whatever adjustments to the image file I thought necessary.)   Or does it mean I underexposed the image in the first place?  

 

Sometimes, too, I'll put images originally taken with a DSLR and edited on my PC onto my smartphone, just because it's often more convenient to scroll through them that way.  I do this when I'm deciding what images I want to share or invite somebody else to look at.  The display brightness issue is more troublesome here, because always having your phone at maximum brightness runs down the battery and is annoying besides.  So what display setting on a phone would provide the closest approximation to the appearance of a print?

[Merco_61]

Best practice is to get a calibrator that can handle both screen and print, such as the i1 Studio from X-Rite. 

This will let you calibrate your monitor to an industry standard and produce correction curves for your inks and papers that will ensure that you get full WYSIWYG as long as the software you use to print is icc-capable. Unfortunately, GIMP doesn't handle icc-profiles, but all commercial editors do.

When it comes to using a smartphone for selection, do yourself a favour and use a photo browser instead on your calibrated screen. If you have Adobe's photography plan, you already have a license for Bridge and Lightroom Classic. If you want a faster DAM, culling and selection platform, Photo Mechanic isn't too expensive.

Once you have a calibrated workflow, just set up your smartphone so the correct colours you have in your photos look nice for presentation.

[Those Who Squirm]

My Adobe subscription provides Photoshop and Adobe Raw.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Those Who Squirm]

I should mention that it's mainly general brightness and exposure that I'm concerned with here, rather than color-specific qualities.  I  should have been clearer about that, sorry.

[Merco_61]

My Adobe subscription provides Photoshop and Adobe Raw.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

If you have PS and ACR, you should be able to download Bridge as well on your Adobe ID.

 

 

I should mention that it's mainly general brightness and exposure that I'm concerned with here, rather than color-specific qualities.  I  should have been clearer about that, sorry.

Calibration makes everything easier. Brightness and γ are the first parameters set, and the most difficult to eyeball.

Calibrating a LED or OLED screen by eye is almost impossible, even with apps to help. Doing so with the CRT screens we still used when I started out was doable but time-consuming.