Calibrating your Monitor

[jgrace]

Hello, I have been using PSE 7 for about two weeks now and have never used any of the older version of PSE.

I have the program loaded on a Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop. The books keep on telling me to calibrate my monitor but my system does not have the Adobe Gamma file on it and not sure if it even use it. The operation system is Vista. I also use a HP Photosmart C6180 printer. The prints almost always look a little brown in color.

Question: How do I calibrate the laptop if possible?
Is the brown color to the photo the printer or the photo. The photo looks fine when viewing.

Your help is appreciated.:)

Jon

[Codebreaker]

Jon....

The Adobe Gamma program shouldn't be used - its way past its sell by date and is no longer supplied by Adobe. It never did a good job anyway.

Unfortunately laptop screens aren't the best for imaging work. The viewing angle can be quite critical on some models and if you move around the image contrast and colours vary. They also lack the controls to set them up correctly.

That said the only way to set up any display is to buy a colourimeter like a Huey, Eye-one or Spyder.

If you don't set up your screen properly then you may edit out a screen problem rather than an image problem.

Printing also has its own set of rules to follow which if you don't get right will cause problems.

If you want to know more look on my web site under Colour Problems. The link is below.

Colin

[jgrace]

Thanks, it sounds like I need to invest in a monitor and use it when using PSE. In the past I have always wondered why the pics printed turn out a little different color. I know the printer has some to do with it but it sound like if the display or monitor is not correctly turn in to the right color management it makes things worse.

All this started when my wife ask me to create a collage of my grand daughter past for her graduation party. Things quickly got out of hand, first I purchase PSE7, then my photos were taken with a lesser grade digital camera so I bought a new digital SLR (Nikon) and know two books later and I still getting started, trying to get everything setup right to get started. Does it even end.

I'm happy with the new camera, don't know how to use everything it can do but I started taken a Digital SLR class which is helping. The instructor suggested buying the book "The Photoshop Elements 6 for Digital Photographers". I know it version 6 but 7 not out yet.

Any other suggestions.

Thanks Jon