OK, you've gotten many recommendations about
profiling, and everyone is correct. Getting print
color to match monitor color without some profiling
is, at best, luck.
I have had, however, very good luck with Epson
printers by calibrating the monitor only, and using
Epson's built in profiles. Not a perfect match, but
very good. Probably good enough for most uses. Of
course, this is only an option with Epson branded
papers recommended for the specific printer. If you
use 3rd party papers all bets are off.
Also, while there is no alternative to profiling your
monitor yourself, it is possible to get custom
profiles for a specific printer / ink / paper
combination without buying the hardware. There are
several companies that will make you a custom profile.
They send you a file, you make a print with your
printer and paper and send them the print, and they
return a profile to you. If you only use one or two
papera, this can be a lot cheaper than investing in
the hardware.
Third, for profiles to work you need to use a software
app that recognizes ICC profiles. Photoshop products
do, as do some others. But many of the less expensive
image programs don't.
Finally, on the subject of printers, if you're serious
about exhibiting your work I strongly recommend an
Epson printer that uses pigment (as opposed to dye)
inks. You'll get dramatically longer print life,
especially if you display your prints exposed to air
and light, rather than mounted under glass. It's
unbelievable how rapidly dye based inks can fade when
exposed to light and atmospheric pollutants,
especially ozone.
=====
Bob Meyer
I don't suffer from insanity... I enjoy every minute of it.
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