LCD and print mismatch

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Submitted By: cliffdeiner

Joined: Feb 26 2008

Posts:

LCD and print mismatch

Posted: February 27, 2008 - 7:39pm

After following your recommendations on calibrating LCD/monitors, and entering the appropriate settings in the printer dialog, I have been fairly successful at matching LCD and print output.

Yesterday, however, I printed a photo with the sun set low in the sky and there was a ring near the intersection of the sun and shadow (showing as a thin brown semicircluar line) which I did not see on the LCD screen.

I can't recall this happening in any of my other prints.

Hopefully you will have an explanation!

Thanks for your time.

Submitted By: David B. Brooks

Joined: Apr 19 2011

Posts:

Re: LCD and print mismatch

Posted: February 27, 2008 - 8:40pm

The only objective explanation is that the occurrence of a particular image printout revealing something that was not perceived in the LCD screen image, is that a perfect match is not possible, only simulated inasmuch as an LCD and a print are two very distinct and unrelated kinds of media functioning on diametrically opposed principles, a print is seen by means of reflected light and the image is the result of some of the light being absorbed by the ink image; while an LCD display functions on the basis of projecting light through - in other words the medium generates the image as light (backlight) modified by a kind of filter - in other words, one medium is reflected, subtractive color (CMYK) while the other is additive color (RGB). Two different species of beast trying to do the same thing.

So to expect perfect matching is objectively unrealistic as it is only simulated matching and refined by the function of color management. So a subtle aspect of an image may be revealed by one medium and hidden by the other.