Damien Symonds

Please note how my method kept all their hair. No haircut necessary. I can show you the PSD if you wish.

Yes, it should be "White LED", almost certainly. Ok, so the problem is mainly in the reds and oranges range of the colour spectrum? How are they neutrals, and the blues, greens, browns, etc? Yes, that's my fear. If the bulbs are too warm it can certainly contribute to this. No, the problem isn't the light in which you're calibrating, the problem is the light falling on your prints when you're viewing them. If you turn the lights off and just use the window light, is there any difference?

Hi Wendy, it might be akin to the old "black boxes" problem. Try this: https://www.damiensymonds.net/2015/09/black-boxes-and-other-weird-behaviour.html And yes, try to run CleanMyMac regularly: https://macpaw.com/cleanmymac

Also, very importantly, please tell me about the light that you're in. https://www.damiensymonds.net/2012/01/light-around-your-computer.html

Hi Tara, can you give me all the details of what screen and calibrator you have?

Bingo, here's the most recent one I discussed: https://ask.damiensymonds.net/topic/14792-adjsut-background/

On the subject of your actual question, generally it looks a bit bad if you just put plain black behind people (as you've found out). It seems to be better if you make it a dark grey to black gradient. Hold on, I'll see if I can find examples.

https://www.damiensymonds.net/2010/09/extract-then-copy-vs-copy-then-extract.html https://www.damiensymonds.net/2015/07/blue-or-green-screen-for-background.html

You're kidding me. You cut them out??? How many times have I said not to do that????? *sigh* Show me the SOOR.

Did that work ok?

Ok, see what you think of this Levels layer: R 0/0.35/170 G 0/0.55/150 B 20/0.60/255

Thanks. It's just the iris colour you want, I assume? Not the awful orange sclera as well?

Yes, I can try. Can you post a closeup?

Yes, don't worry

What it always does. Reads the characteristics of the screen and creates a profile (a description file) for Photoshop and other colour-managed programs to use so they can display colours correctly on it. https://www.damiensymonds.net/2010/09/all-about-monitor-calibration.html

That's right.

That's the idea, yes. How's the result?

I'm going to watch more Outlander. I'll look for your report tomorrow.

Darn. Ok, now comes the tricky part. You have to go into your screen's custom colour settings, and fiddle around to see if you can get a better match. Presumably you'll need to lower the green value a bit, to introduce some more pink. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this. This is vague and murky science, I hate it.

Ok, phew. So, did you recalibrate warmer? How's the comparison now?

Oh gee, is that all you've got? Please tell me you've got some other prints too? With more range of colours?

That's right, choose the next warmest setting and give it a shot. Sadly your calibrator gives you no control over magentaness. So we have to cross our fingers and hope that the warming helps. Slap! Do you understand our goal here? We have to make your screen match your prints, so that you can see exactly what your prints are going to look like BEFORE you print them. So that you no longer have prints that you don't like.

No they bloody DON'T!!!!!!!!!!! When are you going to purge this from your head? If the prints are more magenta than your screen, it's not because the prints have too much magenta, it's because the screen doesn't have enough magenta. The prints are what they are. They are your benchmark. (If you say "But I don't like the prints" I'm going to reach through the screen and slap you so damn hard.) NO THEY'RE FUCKING NOT. The prints are the prints. The screen is not orange enough. From this we can deduce that the screen is too cool. So, calibrate again, making it a little warmer.

Earlier you said that the screen is too green compared to the prints. Is that still the case?