Prints and printer calibration

[jinky]

Yes, yes I admit it! despite  such as Tringle saying I need to calibrate I have never got around to it. Until recently I have found that my screen / print output on my Canon Pixma 5200 have been fine. However on taking up the offer of some free prints from Colormailer they are all a little dark I have a jacobs voucher to use and am thinking of buying a Spyder 3 express or 2 - not sure which is best but a few questions:

Once calibrated will it make a difference to prints ordered? Surely everyone looking at my pictures on here or flickr sees a different picture depending upon their own calibration / or not and each printing company likewise will produce different results?

Are Colormailer perhaps a little on the dark side as other prints with Snapfish and Photobox have been fine - therefore do I need to calibrate at all?

How easy are these devices to use / set up - I`ve read so many stories of people losing their balance (screen that is) altogether and ditching them - is it really worth it?

Sorry for such basic questions but it`s where I am at with this one

[ABERS]

I shun away from all things technical unless it's absolutely necessary. So this may be wrong but it works for me.

I bought a Huey a couple of years ago and find it fine for calibrating my screen, and for a duffer like me it's a piece of cake to use. As I understand it though, what's on the screen, and what comes out of the printer are nothing to do with the screen being calibrated.

You need to ensure that the paper used is profiled within/for the printer. When I print using the paper profile, it's as near as damn is to swearing what I see on the screen. You can spend a fortune buying the profiling gear, but I just download the paper manufacturers' profiles for the paper I use, mainly the Permajet range.

Of course this can only apply if you do your own printing, what happens at an outside printer I have no idea!

[oRGie]

Jonathon pointed out a very important bit of printer/calibration lore in another thread- brightness has nothing to do with colour calibration!

So maybe your screen is just too bright.

As for online printer profiles, I havent used them, but dont online printers offer a profile for their printers/paper combo ?

[Jonathan]

Here's another pearl of wisdom (tm) on printer calibration......if your screen looks fine and your prints look fine then never EVER hold a print up to your screen.  You are heading for a whole world of hurt

If your preferred lab always prints things a little dark then why not brighten up the file you send them?  If it's consistent then it's child's play to add a step to your lab prep action to add a controlled amount of "brightness" (probably via a curves adjustment).  If it's not consistent you need a new lab.

[jinky]

Cheers for that all - makes sense to just lighten up for printing when I use  colormailer and should probably stick with photobox that seems spot on thus far.