Help with Photoshop & Epson R2400

[josheudowe]

Could someone recommend a good book, site or article to explain the best way to calibrate photoshop and your home printer(s)? I use a

MacPro (brand new), an Epson R2400 and a Nikon D300. I've spent time working in Photoshop to acheive the right results on the screen,

then I go to print and whoa - completely wrong colors. To date, most of my work has been no retouching and I'm now venturing in to some

added manipulation of my photos. I feel lost.

 

I need a good, basic, article that can also touch on the difference between shooting jpg and raw formats and how that plays a part in digital

retouching. Maybe a class would be the best way? Nevertheless, I'd love to start with a great article and/or book.

 

Thanks!

[keith_durnford]

Firstly before you get to ivolved with setting up your printer you need to calibrate your monitor, preferably, with something like Huey or Spyder, until you do this nothing is going to look right.

 

As for raw and jpeg there are countless articles about why, or why you should shoot each, no need for a book. Also if you are using a D300 I would recommend you try NX 2 to convert your raws, you can download a 60 trial version.

[jon_shiu]

Hello, there are some dvd's for sale over on the site luminous-landscape.com that explain raw conversion and printing. I have not seen them, but they might be useful for you.

 

Jon

[patricklavoie]

no need fot book, at that stage, but some hardware;

 

1_a spider3 pro to calibrate your monitor BUT

 

2_you need a better monitor first like a viewsonic (dont recall the model) or a apple cinema display 20-23 inch or the best, a NEC 2490wuxi. A laptop screen will not give you perfect result, only good. good enough for many user, but not for serious one.

 

3_learn how to print with your epson, by reading your manual that explain a step by step in windows or leopard how to print form Ps.

 

When you have a better monitor, a hardware to calibrate it, read your manual on how to print..then go buy

 

Color Management for photographer by Andrew Rodney to learn the why you need a colormanage workflow.

[charles_watson]

@Patrick, he has a "MacPro" - not a laptop. That is Apple's line of high-quality desktops.

[patricklavoie]

dam! sometime i read so fast that i create words..i tought i read Mac *book* Pro..dont know why. Must be because when people said that they are not happy about what they saw on screen i assume its a laptop?! I should know what a MacPro is..i got 2 expensive one pump up rigth beside me LOL

 

Anyway, thanks for the corrections, but the OP still need to get a good monitor / a hardware to calibrated it / know how to use a icc profile..and then, get a good book : )

[ashton_lee3]

With a brand new Mac (Leopard) Photoshop CS3 and a 2400 you may have a bit of trouble... at least I do. In the past I have chosen to let Photoshop manage color in printing (technically the correct and high control approach). But with my current combination that doesn't work at all well (produces very washed out prints), and I am forced to let the printer manage the color (and not use paper profiles). Many other people have had the same problem... apparently there is an unresolved conflict in the combination of Leopard, CS3 and the 2400. Given how common this combination should become I expect there will be an eventual resolution.

 

I agree with others that calibrating your monitor is a must for high control of color. Use the Spyder.

 

My 2400 predates my new computer by several years, and the manual is written for a much earlier driver. So the manual is pretty useless in describing control of the printing process. It's really best to find someone else who is saavy with digital printing and get them to spend half an hour getting you into the groove.