Laser printers can sometimes exhibit inconsistencies in color output from print to print or day to day. If you’re struggling to achieve consistent color and can’t find a suitable printer profile for your specific printer and media when using “Photoshop Manages Color,” a helpful alternative to explore is “Printer Manages Color“. When opting for this setting, ensure you meticulously select the correct media type within your printer’s settings to optimize color reproduction.
Screen calibration is also paramount in ensuring accurate color. Even if your Color Laser Printing system is capable, a poorly calibrated monitor will hinder your ability to achieve a true color match between screen and print. For critical color work, it’s essential to evaluate your screen under subdued lighting conditions and assess your prints in good daylight.
For testing your color laser printing setup, it’s beneficial to utilize a standardized test image. You can download the Adobe RGB test image from https://www.colourmanagement.net/index.php/downloads_listing/ to assess color accuracy.
To further verify the accuracy of your screen and printer setup beyond subjective visual assessment, consider exploring tools like the ICC profile verification kit available at: http://www.colourmanagement.net/products/icc-profile-verification-kit.
Unless specifically instructed by your printer manufacturer, such as Brother, and provided with a specific CMYK profile, converting your original files to CMYK is generally not recommended. While some color laser printers are factory-configured to emulate color standards like F39L/ISOcoated V2, it’s important to remember that for applications demanding high color fidelity, a well-profiled inkjet printer typically offers superior accuracy compared to even the best color laser printing solutions.
For most applications beyond basic content proofs, investing in a quality inkjet printer and proper profiling is advisable for achieving accurate and consistent color.
This advice is provided by Neil Barstow, colourmanagement net, Adobe forum volunteer and co-author of ‘getting colour right’. You can find numerous free articles on color management by searching “neil barstow colourmanagement” on Google.
