3 Replies Latest reply: Dec 7, 2010 4:52 PM by Deep Woods RSS

    Printing with Epson

    Deep Woods Community Member

      Curious to know what I am missing and if their are any forums you would recommend I go to for further advice.

       

      Using a Windows Vista operating system I'm attempting to print using PSE on an Epson R1800. Everything checks out fine with the printer and monitor because when I print rendered images using the Window Photo Gallery I get an almost identical match to what I see on screen. I would prefer to use the extra controls in PSE though.

       

      PSE is set up in the Adobe RGB colour space. Settings I have tried in the PSE printer driver are both to let the Printer Manage Colour and Photoshop Manage Colour. Neither produce accurate results. The Printer Profile I choose is an exact match to the Epson paper I am using - Luster. Rendering intent is Relative Colormetric.

       

      Settings in the Epson Printer Driver are Best Photo - ICM - No Color Adjustment checked.

       

      Printed images appear too dark and somewhat saturated.

       

      I'm addressing this issue here since my assumption is the settings I have chosen in PSE are causing the problems. As mentioned above, when I don't use PSE results are much more accurate. I have even tried all the same settings in CS5, but with no improvement. I've tried a number of other settings in the Epson printer driver, but things just seem to get worse.

       

      Thank you for your consideration.

       

      Deep Woods

        • 1. Re: Printing with Epson
          hatstead Community Member
          • Suggest sRGB color space
          • Suggest that you let PSE manage color, or, Printer manage color - - -not both.
          • 2. Re: Printing with Epson
            rbpetex Community Member

            Also, be sure that the Epson printer-paper profiles are downloaded when you select Photoshop Elements Manages Colors. They should be because when you downloaded the printer driver the printer-paper profiles also loaded. You can check by going into File Menu/Print/More Options/Color Management. You should see several items listed in the Color Management pull-down menu. Look for Epson PhotoStylus R1800 Premium Glossy, Epson PhotoStylus R1800 Premium Semigloss, and so on. If you don't see any selections with Epson in the name, then you need to download the profiles. They're available on Epson's website. In short, when you select Photoshop Elements Manages Colors, you have to be sure that you select the correct profile in Element's Print options as well as in the Printer's paper options. Hope this makes sense. Let us know how it comes out.

            • 3. Re: Printing with Epson
              Deep Woods Community Member

              I followed all suggestions and here is my results...

               

              I've printed from 3 sources:

               

              1. Windows Photo Gallery (The utility installed with Vista).

              2. PSE 8

              3. CS5

               

              The most accurate results thus far comes from Windows Photo Gallery. The printed image is identical to the image displayed on the monitor, both in brightness and colour. If this utility allowed me to adjust the position of an image on the page, my problem would be solved.

               

              A very close second place is the image printed from PSE 8. Colours are pretty accurate. The image is printing slightly darker and probably as a result of this, colours look a little too saturated. Settings that work in the PSE printer driver are "PSE Manages Colour" - "Relative Colorimetric" - and I choose the paper profile of the paper I'm using. In the Epson printer driver, "ICM" - "No Colour Adjustment" checked.

               

              The worst results comes from CS5. Both in the CS5 printer driver and in the Epson printer driver I tried a wide range of combinations, first using "Photoshop Manages Colour" and than using "Printer Manages Colour" I've even tried changing the colour settings from sRGB to Adobe RGB to PhotoRGB. The best results thus far comes when I choose "Printer Manages Colour". I turn "ICM" off in the Epson printer driver and use "Colour Controls" with the saturation cranked completely over to the right side. Doing this gets me closer to accuracy, but I'm left with washed out skin tones and a slightly green colour cast.

               

              My primary question is why does CS5 not give me the same results as PSE 8 when I choose the same settings in each program and why would the Windows Photo Gallery give me the best results of all?

               

              Thank you for your time.

               

              Deep Woods