New rig - Prints not matching screen

[Adele]

I've recently upgrade my entire rig, and am having some difficulty getting the colors I want.  Assistance/comments would be greatly appreciated!

Moved from XP on a Dell to OSX on a Mac Pro (8-core/12 GB RAM).  Monitor is now NEC 2690 WUXi2, calibrated with NEC Spectraview II software and using the X-Rite puck sold by NEC specifically for their monitors.  Calibration at D65, gamma 2.2, intensity 140 and contrast ratio Monitor Default.  Previously used a Dell 19" flatpanel calibrated with Spyder 2 Pro.  My images are maintained on a specific, internal HD, and were copied from the old machine.  

Screen looks good, problem is that the prints are dark.  Not outrageously dark, but dark and missing the detail in the shadows.  Also the entire color palette is darker in the prints.  On the old rig, the prints were lighter and matched the colors on the screen.  Printer is same Epson 1800, printing on Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster (same as previously).  Am using profile SPR1800PrmLstrPhoto.icc.  I have not made any adjustments to the images on the new machine.  Am printing from LR2.3.

Would greatly appreciate info on why the print difference, and what I should do to adjust.  Apologize for what is probably a pretty basic question, but we all need to start somewhere!
Many thanks, Adele

[Mark D Segal]

There are a number of possibilities which come to mind. (1) In migrating from one platform to the other, you would have had to now use the OSX version of Lightroom (were you printing from LR3 before too?). Have you checked that all your program preferences and print settings have conveyed identically from the PC to the MAC version and that LR is indeed picking up the correct profile for printing? (2) If you are comparing the images on the new display with what is emerging from the printer, is it possible that the new display may be giving you a much brighter image than the old one was (recall there is no softproofing in LR so you are depending more on how closely the luminosity of the display mimics the reflected light and paper white of the print), indicating that the problem would be the possibly higher luminosity of the new display. (3) Or have you compared prints of the same image from both systems wihout any differentiating adjustments and the new print is darker than the same thing from the PC system? This would indicate the problem isn't perceptual viz a viz the display, but more likely a settings and/or profile issue. I believe the same image with the same adjustments and the same profile going to the same printer should deliver the same result whether it is Mac or PC.

[Adele]

There are a number of possibilities which come to mind. (1) In migrating from one platform to the other, you would have had to now use the OSX version of Lightroom (were you printing from LR3 before too?). Have you checked that all your program preferences and print settings have conveyed identically from the PC to the MAC version and that LR is indeed picking up the correct profile for printing? (2) If you are comparing the images on the new display with what is emerging from the printer, is it possible that the new display may be giving you a much brighter image than the old one was (recall there is no softproofing in LR so you are depending more on how closely the luminosity of the display mimics the reflected light and paper white of the print), indicating that the problem would be the possibly higher luminosity of the new display. (3) Or have you compared prints of the same image from both systems wihout any differentiating adjustments and the new print is darker than the same thing from the PC system? This would indicate the problem isn't perceptual viz a viz the display, but more likely a settings and/or profile issue. I believe the same image with the same adjustments and the same profile going to the same printer should deliver the same result whether it is Mac or PC.

Hi Mark,
Here are the answers:
1.  I used the LR 2 CD, which is dual platform, to install LR on the Mac, and then upgraded to CS2.3 via the web.  
2.  Have not checked all the program and print settings to make sure they are identical, but will do that and make sure they are.  LR is referencing the same profile for printing. The new monitor is definitely brighter than the old one.  It was calibrated to 140.  Should I bring this down?  I guess I don't really understand how this affects the print.  The old monitor could not adjust the luminosity calibration via software, so I have no idea what it was.  But the new one is definitely brighter than the old.
3.  Yes, I compared an image which was printed on the old system to one on the new (same image, paper, etc.) with no adjustments to image - it was just as copied from the old drive.  Print was noticeably darker.
In addition to checking the settings, what else should I try?
Many thanks, Adele

PS Do you know the difference between the Epson profile SPR1800PtmLstrPhoto.icc and Epson profile SPR1800PrmLstrPhotoRPM.icc?  ("RPM" added)

[Doyle Yoder]

Printer Driver v6.12
Intel-based Macs with OS X (v10.5 - 10.5.x), PowerPC Macs with OS X (v10.5 - 10.5.x)
epson12490.dmg - 16.4MB - posted on 12/18/07

With the date on this printer driver it is highly unlikely that this driver is truly updated for leopard and the printing path that LR2 or PSCS4 are using. This results in double profiling. The easiest solution is to use the ColorSync Utility workaround.

And, make sure the printer is set as the default printer. Make sure that the printer is properly registered in the ColorSync Utility.

Here is a good read on this whole issue. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp...essage=31085537

Do some searching as this is a well known issue with old printers and drivers.

Doyle

[Adele]

Thanks for the info, Doyle.  I didn't realize this was a widespread issue.   I've checked through that the thread.  On first glance I think my set up is as Jesse described, but I need to check through everything carefully.  It's getting pretty late now so I'll do it first thing in the morning.   Best, Adele

[Mark D Segal]

Hi Mark,
Here are the answers:
1.  I used the LR 2 CD, which is dual platform, to install LR on the Mac, and then upgraded to CS2.3 via the web.  
2.  Have not checked all the program and print settings to make sure they are identical, but will do that and make sure they are.  LR is referencing the same profile for printing. The new monitor is definitely brighter than the old one.  It was calibrated to 140.  Should I bring this down?  I guess I don't really understand how this affects the print.  The old monitor could not adjust the luminosity calibration via software, so I have no idea what it was.  But the new one is definitely brighter than the old.
3.  Yes, I compared an image which was printed on the old system to one on the new (same image, paper, etc.) with no adjustments to image - it was just as copied from the old drive.  Print was noticeably darker.
In addition to checking the settings, what else should I try?
Many thanks, Adele

PS Do you know the difference between the Epson profile SPR1800PtmLstrPhoto.icc and Epson profile SPR1800PrmLstrPhotoRPM.icc?  ("RPM" added)

Adele, I don't know the difference between those profiles, but it looks as if Doyle has put his finger on the button for you.

Mark