Does it matter whether my monitor is calibrated correctly or not if I only use my computer as a conduit from my digital camera to my printer?

-- Roy (good_golly_miss_molly@pobox.com), May 17, 2000

Answers

As long as the computer is just a connection device to the printer,no. The problem will be if you want to modify the image in some way, and your print output does not match the monitor, how do you adjust the print? The vast majority of us don't have calibrated monitors. As long as it is close, that's probably more than adequate. Ideally, you would like the printed copy to look just like the monitor (no matter what the monitor looks like). Then when you tweak your image in an imagage manipulation program, you get the image right as it appears on the monitor, and the print will match.

-- Steve (MilwaukeeChrome@aol.com), May 17, 2000.

Roy, The short answer is that your monitor should be properly calibrated no matter what you are trying to do. What image editing software are you using? You want to be able to consistently be able to output whatever you like on your screen to your printer. You do not specify which image editing software you use. I have 4 Macs and 3 PC's running Photoshop 5.0 or 5.5 and I insure that they are all in the same color space (BruceRGB) in all viewings. I can look at an image on one of the Macs, put it up on one of the PC's, and it will look the same, and output the same to any of my devices whether it be dye- sub printer, large carriage ink-jet, or the film recorders. When you have your monitor contrast, brightness, and phosphor settings right then it is time to translate what you see on screen to your printer via the printer drivers. Supply some more information on your system and the software which you are running. Fred Deaton NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Imaging Services

-- fred (fdeaton@hiwaay.net), May 17, 2000.

Oh I have Photoshop 5.0 but have only waded through a few lessons. I did try walking through the Adobe Gamma calibration routine but the manual that came with the monitor has none of the specs they ask for. The monitor was expensive in it's day (1992. It is a 17" Mag. The camera is a Nikon 990 (which tells you how long I've had it) and the printer I'm using is an even newer Epson 870.

Actually I'm quite happy with most of what I've shot and printed with the exception of an interesting tree with silver bark. It was in a wooded thicket but there was an opening to the clear sky on the edge and that edge of the tree and the leaves in that area all came out purple. That shot is what got me motivated to try to figure out how to "correct" an image. I shot it XGA/Fine.

I feel a little guilty holding a private conversation on a public forum but I'm sure there are a lot of people like me who read all the postings and learn from them.

Thanks for your interest.

-- Roy (good_golly_miss_molly@pobox.com), May 17, 2000.