CCDP-M18

[Damien Symonds]

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Troubleshooting

If you’ve ended up at this page, you must be frustrated, and I don’t blame you. Calibration should be a straightforward process, but for a small unlucky minority, it’s a PITA. Something must be wrong somewhere.

Here are a few things to consider …

• I know I've already said this multiple times, but I must say it again.  The light around your computer is so critical.  Sometimes even changing the location of your computer in the same room is enough to fix problems.
• It's time to ask yourself if your screen is good enough for editing. This is particularly relevant if you have a cheap PC laptop, or all-in-one. Those things just aren’t very good, you know?
• Are you sure you chose the correct “Display Technology”?  If you chose “White LED” but your screen is really “GB-LED” or whatever, that will throw things off.

Even if it isn’t a very good screen, let’s not run out to the computer store straight away …

• Is there another computer in your house you can try calibrating? It would be good to check that the calibrator itself is ok. Heck, even if you have to drive over to your BFF’s house and try calibrating their computer, it’s worth the drive. Have a wine and a gossip while you’re there.
• Is there a desktop screen in your house you can plug in to your computer and try calibrating? If a different screen gave the same bad results, it might point to the problem being in your computer itself.
• It might be your graphics card. Have you checked for updates to your graphics card drivers?

• Contact Calibrite. They’re the experts, after all. Hopefully they’ll be able to identify your glitch and straighten it out.

Please feel free to comment below, or post in Ask Damien, and I'll help you if I can.

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

Would really love some help. I've calibrated my Macbook pro screen three times in a row. The brightness is perfect. But the prints are SO green compared to my screen. Please help! I've looked at them in daylight, yes. 

[Damien Symonds]

Do you mean your screen is very pink?

Or do you mean that your prints really do look green?

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

My prints really do look green. Even the BW ones. I've tried doing the custom xy in your directions and it's just not getting there. 

[Damien Symonds]

Then it's not a calibration issue.

Have you double- and triple-checked that your print files were sRGB?  https://www.damiensymonds.net/art_tscs000.html

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

Yes sir, they are. (Side note, how do I change my account email? I can't see that and I no longer have the email attached here)

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

I'm on a 2023 Macbook Pro, M3 chip. I've tried calibrating my external monitor too and just couldn't get that right and so decided to edit on my Macbook as I was told Mac's have good color reliability. If any of this info helps.... I've moved outside, to different rooms, etc etc. 

[Damien Symonds]

2 minutes ago, jeanbrunsonphotography said:

Yes sir, they are.

Then it's time to get the same photos printed at a different lab, to see if they print differently.

Also, if you could send me one or two of the files, I'd love to take a look. https://spaces.hightail.com/uplink/BellePhotography

3 minutes ago, jeanbrunsonphotography said:

(Side note, how do I change my account email? I can't see that and I no longer have the email attached here)

Can you send me an email with your new email address?

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

Ok so a bit more info. The calibration prints I have from another lab look great. It's just all of my products from Graphi. Which I know is a great lab. Everyone I've contacted that works with them doesn't have this issue. I don't know of another lab in the US that seems like it has great quality and offers the products I need to offer for my clients. 

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

Files sent. 

[Damien Symonds]

36 minutes ago, jeanbrunsonphotography said:

Ok so a bit more info. The calibration prints I have from another lab look great. It's just all of my products from Graphi. Which I know is a great lab. Everyone I've contacted that works with them doesn't have this issue. I don't know of another lab in the US that seems like it has great quality and offers the products I need to offer for my clients. 

Simple.  Never order from Graphi again.

[Damien Symonds]

35 minutes ago, jeanbrunsonphotography said:

Files sent. 

Got them, thanks.  The black-and-white file is perfect, but the colour file is quite green.

1 hour ago, jeanbrunsonphotography said:

(Side note, how do I change my account email? I can't see that and I no longer have the email attached here)

I've changed it, thanks.

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

So I did do some color grading on the color file to give it a green hue. But honestly both of the prints I have of those files look WAY green compared to my screen. Graphi is literally were ALL of my product samples are from *insert cry* . Can you recommend a good lab here in the US? I clicked on a handful from your list and they all looked garbage. 

[Damien Symonds]

No.

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

Hahaha. What does that mean? They're all garbage? (When I had said that it was because you wrote on the lab info page that you didn't recommend it)

[Damien Symonds]

It means no, I literally have no way to recommend a lab in America.

Can you link me to the page on Graphi's website where they discuss their file requirements? (File format, resolution, etc.)

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

You can only see this if you are a client and logged in to your area. I can get you the info you want though. I'm attaching some screenshots of their FAQ page. And the info they have for their wall art is at this link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dEpJSMWl3sDi5khVgdireFuts7TrNrTB/view?usp=sharing

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

Just let me know what other info I can find for you. I don't know if that gave you everything you asked for. 

[Damien Symonds]

17 minutes ago, jeanbrunsonphotography said:

This makes me uneasy.

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

Honestly how can they even say that? What do they do find the white balance of my file and print for that??

[Damien Symonds]

Good questions.

[Damien Symonds]

So they don't provide ICC profiles at all?

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

I can't find anything else. I'm calling my rep in the morning. 

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

On that wall art document the first page has some color settings that aren't the same as what is in my PS. Is that the issue?

[Damien Symonds]

No, because of the first screenshot you gave me.

They (stupidly) recommend Adobe RGB, but accept sRGB.