Colour issues.

[Lester]

Hi, I get some of my better photos printed out at my Tesco's using their 1hour service for convenience mainly. Recently I've been having some issues with all being quiet dark. They look great (colour wise) on my non-calibrated screen and other non-calibrated screens at home and work. So my first thought was Tesco, so as a test I got some of the dark prints done by Snappy Snaps and they came out dark as well. Now before I go out a buy a screen calibrator to eliminate my screen, does anyone have any ideas or have experienced this sort of thing? One other thing, it may even be my processing?

 

[snappingsam]

Your screen is far too bright - so you are making the image dark to compensate!

You might find you are making the image too yellow to cancel out the blueness that most uncalibrated monitors have.

If you are looking at a calibratior first try your local camera club - as there's often a club one - and if not they'll know a member who has one.

Second - don't get a spyder2 - as it doesn't correct the brightness..

Color munki screen or i1 display or spyder3

 

[Lester]

Hi David, thanks for the reply. I'm not sure if I am making my photos dark. I do generally need to brighten my photos in PP to make them a bit punchier. So either I'm a really bad photographer or what you have suggested is not it. Besides when I watch films or videos on my monitor, they are nowhere near as dark as the prints. Also, my photos look ok on my monitor, my parent’s laptop and my work monitor. I know none of them are calibrated, but they all look roughly the same and nowhere near the prints. The prints are very dark.

I'm not sure about the yellow. I don't adjust individual colours in PP. I'll have a look in Photoshop.

I did try a local camera club last year, but after two meetings I got the general idea that no one there has heard of digital photography, as they was all film users. At 36 I was the youngest there by a very long way. I gave up after two meetings.

I've just had a quick look at the calibration devices you've mentioned. Any particular version of each? The Spyder3 looks good price wise, but would I need the Pro version or would the more basic version alright? Sorry I know nothing about this sort of thing. If in doubt with things, I usually just go for the better version of things, but I'm not sure if the Pro version would be overkill for home hobby use?