[Gimp-user] Gimp Printouts

[Hedley Finger]

Walter S. wrote:
> I could not understand why the print was so much darker than the image on the
> monitor. Having scanned the help files in Gimp, I find the information, that
> this is because the monitor is showing the image in RGB,but the actual
> printout is in CMYK.
> I am wrestling with the logic of this and failing to comprehend why it should
> be. I am hoping that there is a way of resolving this tremendous mis-match.

The monitor is a source of light and has a contrast ratio between pure 
white and black of 200:1 or so.  A printed page can only reflect light 
that is falling on it and has a contrast ratio of about 30:1.  Various 
papers also absorb the inks, so the filtering effect of the ink is not 
as great as it could be.  Also, a rich black (CMYK overprinted) does not 
absorb all light that falls on it but actually reflects some so it more 
like a very dark grey.   (If you turn all the lights in the room off 
late at night you will see that black on the monitor is not quite pure 
black, because some light is still being emitted from 'black' parts of 
the image.)

So your prints will always look duller than on the monitor.  This is 
only apparent to you because you can compare the monitor with paper.  
Photos in magazines look okay to us because we are in no position to 
compare them with the original scene, film transparency, or digital 
photo from which they originated.

Regards,
Hedley

--

Hedley Finger

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