Camera Labs

Hi all,

I have a Canon Pixma IP4200 printer and I'm happy with the prints it eventually produces but......I'm constantly wasting paper and ink because I have to play around with the brightness of an image before it prints the same as it looks on the screen. Another odd thing is that the level of brightness I have to add isn't consistent either. Sometimes 10 (think it's percent) and sometimes even as much as an increase of 50 before the print looks the same as how I see it on my monitor. That isn't normal is it?

I've been through the software that came with the printer and it has loads of tools for cleaning the nozzles and making sure they're aligned etc., but there is nothing about calibrating it to the monitor.

Does anyone know of an easy guide on how to sort this out or any software I could download that would do the job?

Thanks,
Mark

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Mark
Nikon D300 / Sigma 10-20mm / Nikkor 17-55 f2.8 / Nikkor 18-200mm VR / Nikkor 50mm f1.8 / SB600 Speedlight
Mark Amy Photography
My Squidoo lens - Images of China

Look out, Mark!
One of the major probs with comparing prints and monitors is ambient light: The color and strength of the light influences heavily the way you appreciate your print.

I find incandescent light makes my prints dull and redish. I would not optimize for that. Although one can argue then, that if you have an exhibition somewhere with incandescent light, you should adjust your prints to look optimal under that conditions. ((Zorro - you're listening?))

When I compare prints I prefer bright daylight, no direct sun, close to a window. As your monitor is bound to be in a slightly darker place, produces his own light and has a constant color-temp it's always a challenge to compare.

So before you adjust your printer-driver and what have you, first go find a way to have stable lighting to judge your prints by!
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B.t.w.: Which SW are you printing from?

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Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses

You also need to calibrate you monitor and your printer.

Otherwise you will never get it how it should be.

Otherwise, send them to the local photo-lab.