Monitor Calibration & ICC Profile with CS - help?

Hi, I'm really hoping someone can help me with this, as I'm not sure I
really understand how it works. I would like to calibrate my monitor so
that my photos look exactly the same onscreen as my online printing
service prints. I have the ICC profile for the printer that they use,
but how do I go about getting my monitor calibrated to the same thing?
I'm willing to get a monitor calibrator if that would help. Any help or
advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! Lynn

 

The printer profile will be of no use to a monitor. You need Monaco or
Colorvision to create a profile for your monitor. If instead you try Adobe
Gamma, I hope you have better luck than me getting a good profile.
Jim

 

ask the printer for the test file that comes with Photoshop, he will give
you a CD with a TIFF and a print of the same file.*
You can adjust the monitor by eye to look more like the print. Use Adobe
gamma or your display settings (On a PC, click
desktop>properties>display>advanced)

If you are extremely picky about the output being exactly what you see on
screen and have some $ get the calibration hardware and software. It is a
more scientific, precise way.

*the test file has charts with all spectrum and grayscale, shows a good
range of skintones.
I keep my own monitor calibrated to my in house printer but I know that my
lab has a warmer tone to their prints and the paper itself is less white
than I send them a print from my printer as a proof so at least we get
similar results.

I guess you could send the test file from PS and get a print made as a test
since you will be ordering online. Then you can see how "off" the colors
look.

 

I would like to calibrate my monitor so that my photos look

You need an accurate ICC profile for your monitor (which has nothing to
do with the printer ICC profile). What will then happen is the numbers
(colors) in your files will get translated by the monitor ICC profile
so they look as accurate as possible on screen, given the properties of
your monitor (and accuracy of the profile). You can then use the
printer ICC profile to 'soft proof' in Photoshop to get an idea of how
the final print will look on your monitor. This is more or less
successful, depending on how accurate both profiles are and how many
colors are out of gamut for one or both devices. You mention "exactly
the same" but often this is not possible.

This is an excellent introductory article on the ICC profile concept
.... http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/13605.html ... and here's
another on 'soft proofing' ...
http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/10150.html?origin=story

Bill

 

yep, this is how it is SUPPOSED to work. There are so many variables
in this process, it often fails to astound. But it can be a beautiful
thing.

 

Thanks, the printer does do a test card, so I'll try sending it from my
PC and see if it looks anything like theirs!

 

Brilliant! I had no idea that the softproof thing was even there!
Presumably I can load that to the ICC profile of the Frontier Printer
my printer uses and get a better idea what to expect...now it's just my
monitor I have to get right....