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Why is color calibration important?
Color calibration is important for many reasons:
- To get consistent and repeatable results
- To get accurate colors. Accurate colors are accurate to the degree that technology allows (see further discussions below)
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What are the "parts" of color calibration?
Each part of your system needs to be color calibrated, this includes your scanner, your monitor, and your printer - but even more specifically each of the papers used in your printer need to be profiled. The first step is to calibrate each device and then to create a profile for each device and each paper. The profiles are ICC regulated so there is consistency between the use of them in different manufactured devices.
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How do you color calibrate your system?
We use Gretag McBeth’s Eye-One hardware and Profile Maker software. We start by calibrating our monitors. The eye-one hardware device attaches to the CRT monitors and using that and the Profile Maker software, we create monitor profiles. After our monitors are calibrated and profiled, we then profile each of the papers that we use. This is a multi-step process which entails printing many different color squares on the paper and reading them back using the hardware. It takes several hours to profile each paper. The profile takes into account how much ink the paper can hold and the whiteness of the paper. We feel color calibration is so important, we spent over $7,000 in equipment and training in order to be sure our in-house profiles were the best available.
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In Photoshop, they have profiles too - how do these interact with the profiles that you create using your hardware and software?
Profiles in Photoshop and other software programs are input profiles - these are the color profiles that define the artwork. This information is necessary when printing an image -- we need to know how the file was created so that we can then tell the machines how to create the best colors when printing. Our software programs tell us what the color profile is that is already embedded. We prefer to use "Adobe RGB (1998)". If you are creating a file from scratch and know that we will be reproducing it for you, it's best to create it in "Adobe RGB (1998). If you already have a file, then don't worry about it - we take care of all the color profiles on our end - so you don't have to!
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Why do the items I order from you look different then they looked on my monitor?
Although you may calibrate your monitor and you may even create profiles for your monitor - your monitor is going to look completely different than your neighbors and then every one else's monitor. There are a million reasons for this. Our system is calibrated with OUR monitors (there is no way we could calibrate to your monitor). Also, the light from a monitor is coming from behind where a light on a print is reflective - this is a different type of light source and makes your items look different from any monitor. Another reason is that your monitor can display millions of colors. Not all these colors can be printed by ink sets. When looked at, the items are very pleasing, when compared directly to a monitor or a chemical print, the digital reproductions will not have as much color gamut - as many tones. If we receive a request to duplicate a digital file and the colors in the file are not "normal" (for example, blue grass) we will contact you to discuss the print prior to making it. Sometimes, there are reasons that the colors aren't "normal" - other times it's because your monitor is way out of calibration and your child's green hair is really supposed to be blond.
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I'm still confused, what can I do?
You can contact us via telephone or e-mail. Our toll-free number is 866-913-8625 or . We are happy to answer any questions you have.
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