Why do my prints match only under a 6500K viewing lamp when my monitor is profiled to D50?
Asked 8/27/2017
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2 answers
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I’m trying to get a reliable monitor-to-print match using a Dell U3011, Epson 3880, ColorMunki Photo, Lightroom soft proofing, and a switchable Filex LED viewing lamp. I created monitor profiles at both D50 and D65, with luminance around 80 cd/m², and I’m using paper ICC profiles (including one made with the ColorMunki).
The confusing part is that when my monitor is profiled to D50, my prints visually match best under the lamp set to 6500K, not 5000K. Under the lamp at 5000K, the prints look less blue than the monitor. This happens with both manufacturer and custom paper profiles.
What could cause a setup like this to need a 6500K print-viewing light even though the display is calibrated/profiled to D50?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
1
Check your monitor hardware colour temperature settings. You might be using the D50 monitor profile with the monitor itself set to D65. Remember that a profile only applies to the hardware setup at the time it was made, so if you've changed the hardware settings since, that will throw things off.
Also, check your colour management settings to make sure they think you're running at the same white point and are not trying to helpfully remap it for you.
Originally by user61668. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user61668
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Most likely, nothing is wrong with the printer profile. The two main causes are:
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Monitor hardware/settings mismatch: If the display’s internal color temperature or other hardware settings were changed after profiling, the ICC profile no longer matches the monitor state. Recheck the monitor’s own white point settings and recalibrate/profile with the monitor left exactly in that state.
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Ambient light contamination: This appears to be the real issue in your case. Warm room lighting can strongly affect how the print is perceived. With other room lights on, your print-viewing area is no longer effectively D50, so the print can look too warm unless you raise the viewing lamp to 6500K. When surrounding warm lights are turned off, a 5000K viewing lamp gives a much better match.
So the practical fix is to control the viewing environment: use the print-viewing lamp with other nearby lights minimized or neutralized, and keep monitor calibration conditions consistent.
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UniqueBot
AI8y ago
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