Standard Color pattern

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pepebuho
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Pepebuho

Hi
Is there any Standard Color pattern I could download from the web?
I do not want to do a scientific calibration of my system. I just want make
sure that my monitor
and printer output are in reasonable agreement. I know that CYMK and RGB are
different color systems.

Thanks
 
On Sun, 3 Aug 2003 00:55:12 -0500, Pepebuho wrote:

=>Hi
=>Is there any Standard Color pattern I could download from the web?
=>I do not want to do a scientific calibration of my system. I just want make
=>sure that my monitor
=>and printer output are in reasonable agreement. I know that CYMK and RGB are
=>different color systems.
=>
=>Thanks

Problem with that is that you can't tell if your monitor is actually
displaying the colours in the pattern correctly, since you have only your
eyes to go by. It makes no difference what the software is outputting to the
screen, if the phosphors are off, you can't tell. Same goes for the printer
(whose colours will also vary with the paper used, BTW.) To calibrate a
monitor you need an external comparator -- your eyes alone aren't good
enough, since your brain automatically compensates for most any actual colour
distortions. And in any case, colour calibration is a black art. :-) Once
your monitor and printer are calibrated this way, you can use software to to
adjust colours reliably, however.

The quick and dirty way to calibrate your monitor and printer colours is to
scan a real photograph (not a digital image!) that looks right to your eyes,
and compare both display and printer output with it. Scanner, display, and
printer should be independently adjustable. The result will not be 100%
accurate, as your computer is likely in a room lit by tungsten or fluorescent
lights, which change the apparent colour of any coloured object. But it
likely will be close enough for your your purposes. It's easier to adjust the
monitor than the printer in my experience, so be prepared fro some
frustration.

Alternatively, you could use a colour card as used by photo processors to
calibrate their machines. These can be bought at good photo stores. Buy or
borrow one, scan it, and check both display and printer output against it.

However, if you are considering submitting your images for publication, it's
best to get advice from the publisher - they know exactly what they want, and
what software will produce it.

HTH&GL
 
Pepebuho,
If you want a color chart to check to see how well your printer is
printing or how well your scanner is capable to producing colors compared to
what you see on your monitor, there is a color chart at:
www.misterinkjet.com/test_print.htm
I hope this helps.
Don D
 
Don said:
If you want a color chart to check to see how well your printer is
printing or how well your scanner is capable to producing colors compared to
what you see on your monitor, there is a color chart at:
www.misterinkjet.com/test_print.htm
Click to expand...

I've seen that one but it's not very good.

Here's a better source:

http://members.shaw.ca/hargravep/profile.htm

Check out the combined small image at the bottom of the page. Also this
next site for good info and a standard test image:

http://www.normankoren.com/makingfineprints1A.html

And there are plenty of other sites with information and test images. Do
a search on Google.
 
On Mon, 04 Aug 2003 02:14:48 -0400, Bill wrote:

=>And there are plenty of other sites with information and test images.

And how, pray tell, can you tell whether your monitor displays a test image
from a website correctly? Or that your printer prints it correctly? And of
course, you can't scan a test image delivered as a file. :-)

If you don't have a correctly printed hardcopy of the test image, you cannot
tell whether your monitor displays it correctly or not. An electronic test
image is just another file. The best you can do is adjust your monitor so
that it shows the number of colour differences in the test image that you
should see - but that doesn't mean that the colours are correct. A moment's
thought will show why. And if you have reasonably good colour discrimination,
you will surely have noticed that your TV can show the correct number of
different colours and yet produce an appallingly incorrect pallette.

You can however match printer output to monitor display. But you don't need a
test image from a website for that. Any image with a wide range of bright and
subtle colours will do nicely. If monitor display and printer output are
matched, and you can adjust images on screen so that they look correct (to
your eyes, anyhow), then you will print images as well as can be expected.

And then there's colour blindness, which I understand is now known to be not
an either-or but a more-or-less affliction.... Bummer.
 
If the colors in the test images are, or include, pure red, green, and blue
then you have a shot of coming close because those shouldn't be subject to
color shifting. Likewise, if you adjust you display so that there is no
color tint to any shades of gray you'll be getting close.

Many people may not realize that the white and grays they see have a color
bias, of course. That's probably the biggest obstacle.
 
Here is another way (perhaps)...

You can buy Pantone (TM) colour samples (or if they are too expensive just
sheets of paper that claim to be a particular Pantone colour).

This web site does a conversion from Pantone code to RGB so what you do is
print some squares of colour and cut a hole in them. Overlay them on the
Pantone sample to compare the colour.

http://www.authorgraphic.co.uk/pantone.htm

Probably as accurate as your Pantone samples.
 
Wolf said:
On Mon, 04 Aug 2003 02:14:48 -0400, Bill wrote:

=>And there are plenty of other sites with information and test images.

And how, pray tell, can you tell whether your monitor displays a test image
from a website correctly? Or that your printer prints it correctly? And of
course, you can't scan a test image delivered as a file. :-)
Click to expand...

The idea is to match your monitor and printer, and use a test image to
see the colour variations.
If you don't have a correctly printed hardcopy of the test image, you cannot
tell whether your monitor displays it correctly or not.
Click to expand...

That's true, and anyone truly serious about digital photography and
colour purity in their prints should have calibrated their monitor.
 
On Tue, 05 Aug 2003 17:55:53 GMT, CWatters wrote:

=>Here is another way (perhaps)...

I think you've given a workable method. :-)
 
The test images I'm describing are specially constructed, like the ones on
the links I supplied: strips running from (0,0,0) to (255,0,0) by 25, and so
forth.
 
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