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Thread: Calibrated MacBook Pro screen/dark prints

  1. #1

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    Calibrated MacBook Pro screen/dark prints

    There might be a better forum for this, but there are more smart people here, so I will give it a try. I have a MacBook Pro whose screen I have calibrated with an eye-one...lots of times! Had an old Epson 2000p and no matter what always got prints darker than the laptop screen. got a custom profile for it and still got dark prints. Tired of the old clunker anyway, and bought a new Epson 3800. Still get prints significantly darker than the laptop screen. I know I need an external monitor, and am going to break down and get one, but I would really like to be able to get close with the laptop screen. Photoshop CS, premium luster with the Epson printer profile 38plpp, photoshop managing the color, all the normal stuff. Could it be some kind of issue with the monitor brightness matching the level at which it was profiled? Many thanks to all.

  2. #2
    Doug Dolde
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    Re: Calibrated MacBook Pro screen/dark prints

    For one thing a backlighted monitor always looks brighter than a print. At least it does for me.

  3. #3

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    Re: Calibrated MacBook Pro screen/dark prints

    Quote Originally Posted by John Sarsgard View Post
    Could it be some kind of issue with the monitor brightness matching the level at which it was profiled? Many thanks to all.
    If you change the brightness, you've invalidated the profile. Though there's some suggestion that the best way to profile a MacBook Pro is to wind the brightness up, profile it then turn it down:

    http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/con...id=7-8741-9027

    You have to get the screen brightness and print viewing conditions to match to make any assessment of whether it's too light or dark. As a guide, I run my NEC monitor at 90 cd/m2 with low ambient light.

  4. #4
    Kirk Gittings's Avatar
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    Re: Calibrated MacBook Pro screen/dark prints

    Is this the newer Macbook Pro or the first MacBook Pro? There is a fair difference in the monitors between mine which is a year old and the subsequent realease including a brighter screen.

    FWIW I had to do some image editing on my calibrated MBP a few months ago in the foeld and deliver from the field. When I got home it was clear that despite the calibration the files were slightly too light when viewed on my best desktop. IE the laptop monitor is dark.
    Thanks,
    Kirk

    at age 73:
    "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
    But I have promises to keep,
    And miles to go before I sleep,
    And miles to go before I sleep"

  5. #5

    Re: Calibrated MacBook Pro screen/dark prints

    How do you have the ambient light feature set? Is it turned on or off in Preferences? I doubt you could ever calibrate the screen with this turned on. Turn it off and leave it off when you want accurate color.

    Also if your viewing environment changes your calibration will be off. And when you calibrate and then change the monitor settings you are no longer calibrated.

    The new screens are lots better but they are still not the same as a desktop monitor. You need a good monitor if you expect high level results.

  6. #6

    Join Date
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    Re: Calibrated MacBook Pro screen/dark prints

    I use a MacBook Pro and Epson and while I will make all kinds of critical judgements using only the laptop monitor, when it comes to printing I always end up with a curves adjustment layer and vaying the gamma to suit. But if it works for the first print of the session, it will work for all the rest... I just don't expect the same curve to work tomorrow night when it is darker or whatever changes...

    Black is black, white is white... but it's that middle that you fuss with.

    FWIW, the color is remarkably decent for matching using canned profiles and all.

  7. #7

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    Re: Calibrated MacBook Pro screen/dark prints

    "...all the normal stuff"
    It would be helpful if you tell us the options you are selecting. There are so many of them, it's...a miracle.

  8. #8

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    Re: Calibrated MacBook Pro screen/dark prints

    Many thanks to so many thoughtful responders! Let's see...it's the original MacBook Pro, not the ones shipping now with the better screens. Ambient light feature is turned off. I last calibrated at 90 cd/m using the rob galbraith procedure mentioned above. It may be a little problematic to get the brightness at that level when using the monitor. I think today I will calibrate again at max brightness and just specify whatever that turns out to be so I can be sure to be working at the calibrated level and see how that works. Options...Ken, what all the books say. I print with preview and specify the epson profile, then turn off printer color management when I print, specify epson premium luster for the paper to the printer, etc. Thanks again. John

  9. #9

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    Re: Calibrated MacBook Pro screen/dark prints

    Are you soft proffing with your profile? If not then that may be your problem. If you are then why not just build a curves layer that adjusts the print to your satisfaction and then add it just before printing? I used to do this when I was using my 2100 with the OEM UC inks and it worked perfectly. Building the curves layer takes a few iterations for each paper you use but one its done your prints will be fine.

    David Whistance

  10. #10

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    Re: Calibrated MacBook Pro screen/dark prints

    Update....I measured the maximum luminance on the screen of the MacBook and calibrated for that value so I would have something hopefully repeatable. I am closer now to WYSIWYG, so I think matching screen luminance with the calibrated value may be my issue. A little tricky, since it seems to drift a bit, and even after using the keyboard to go to maximum brightness, if you hit it more, still increases a bit. Maybe this is as good as it gets for the original MacBook Pro screens. Thanks to all again. Other ideas still eagerly listened to! John

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