color looks different on display cf print

[stix666]

When printing a photo, the color comes out different to how it looks on the computer monitor (imac g4, canon pixma). Can anyone point me to a simple guide explaning what causes this and how to fix it?

tia

 

[dogbone]

I love the innocuousness of this question.

There is no simple guide. You will need to learn about ICC colour profiling.

But in a nutshell, firstly your monitor must be calibrated and a profile constructed. While there are hardware calibrators for this, the monitor calibration in OSX should be sufficient. Go to displays>Colour and click on advanced and follow the instructions. That will create a profile for your monitor.

Your printer will have probably come with a profile that it would have dropped onto your system. But a printer's profile will depend on the paper it's being printed on.

 

[MacHarne]

I always get my digital prints from Ritz Camera. I am forever impressed with the quality they can produce. The only catch to going to Ritz? They must have a Frontier digital printer; the quality difference between a Frontier and anything else is blatantly noticeable.

I've never had a truly satisfying experience with home printing methods and the costs associated with ink are a deterrent, as well.