# Trouble with printing true colors...



## Sydney13 (Feb 16, 2008)

Hi,

I am running Photoshop and Quark Express to make various graphics projects. The problem I have is when choosing colors and getting my printer to print them true. The printer is a Dell laser.

So, for example. If I had a document where I had chosen several different colors, the printer will decide to choose a default color instead of the color on the screen. eg. a nice bright green will come out medium green.

I have done some reading about it and both in Photoshop and Quark it tells me that the printer will only recognize a certain number of colors. 

What I am trying to find out is how do I figure out what colors my printer will print?

I hope that makes sense.


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## v-six (Sep 12, 2004)

Still have the manual to the printer? What model is it?


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

You're using a home-office grade printer. I'd suggest purchasing a professional printing system.


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## Sydney13 (Feb 16, 2008)

It's a Dell Laser 3110cn. I do have a manual but there is nothing in it about this problem. It will print photos fine, but will only print a certain amount of specific colors.

ebackhus -- It would be nice to have the money to do that. But I don't.


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## zuluclayman (Dec 16, 2005)

Often the problem is that your monitor is not showing the colours correctly. You might need to calibrate your monitor so it is showing the true colours (or as close to as you will get) of what you have done in Photoshop. You can download Adobe Gamma from the Adobe site and use it to set your monitor up properly. If you have bright colours around you (walls, posters etc.) they may be throwing a colour cast onto your monitor and affecting how you see the colours. As ebackhaus says your printer is not high quality image printing but should get a little closer to true colour than you are describing in your post.


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## KoosHopeloos (Nov 3, 2004)

@ Sydney13: Have you checked your color settings? Do you design in CMYK and 'print' in RGB or vice versa?


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## Sydney13 (Feb 16, 2008)

Thanks for your replies, folks.

I already have Adobe Gamma loaded and checked it to make sure it was all OK. I've been designing and printing in CMYK so that isn't the answer either. 

The other thing I have noticed is that Quark and Photoshop will not print the same colors either. So, for example, c40%/m1%/y1% would print differently. I don't understand what is going on!


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