Why is the printer printing the image darker than the image itself?

I have a 722C HP printer. Working with any one "Picture It", Picture Publisher" etc., I have to lighten the monitor image a lot to keep the printer from printing the image too dark. Is there a permenant correction I can make in the printer to lighten the printed image?

This question was answered on August 22, 1999. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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This information was found on the web site, of HP printers, and it gave the following explanation to correct the problem specifically with "Picture It" too It seems here that the original image could also be cause of the problem, no permanent solution was suggested But using a few additional software as suggested by HP, would be a help.

The info:

Too Dark

You couldn't wait to develop your pictures of that rainbow in the bright blue sky--but when you did you couldn't tell if it was night or day (and forget about seeing the rainbow).

When your image is that dark, you've got an underexposed picture...which is simply a technical way of saying not enough light entered your camera But before you toss out the picture, take a look at the techniques in this SmartTip: you'll find it's easy to cast your images in a new light.

BEFORE THE SHUTTER

Use a wider aperture to allow more light into your camera

Use a slower shutter speed to allow light into the camera for a longer period of time

Use a slower film; it's more inherently light-sensitive than faster film stocks

Overexpose your film purposely, but don't make your pictures too light Try bracketing--the practice of taking lots of different pictures at different exposure settings in quick succession, to ensure that at least one picture will get the correct amount of lighting

At night, find the light When taking pictures at night, look for reflections or trails of moonlight Place your subjects in the middle of a moonbeam or in front of a well-lit building If you have an HP C20 Digital Camera, use the auto flash feature--it'll automatically go off if there isn't enough light in your scene

Don't focus directly on bright light Your camera will assume there is plenty of light for the whole picture and not let any light into the film as a result When taking pictures of a bright sky or of a person standing on a sunny beach, focus on darker areas such as a cloud, and adjust your exposure to allow more light to reach your camera

HP PhotoSmart Photo Scanner

a.Select the Windows Start button.

b Choose Programs.

c Inside Programs, click on HP PhotoSmart.

d Within PhotoSmart, click Photo Scanner.

e In the HP PhotoSmart Scanner window, you'll see the Tool Palette on the lower left corner.

f The third button adjusts the exposure of your image.

g Click on the Exposure button to display the exposure preview box.

h Any changes you make to the exposure will appear in this box first If you end up making your image even darker, or too dark, you can simply start over.

i Use the three exposure tools: Highlights, Shadows and Midtones to adjust the brightness in your image

Microsoft Picture It! Version 1.0

a Click the Start button.

b Choose Programs.

c Choose Microsoft Picture It!

d Click Prepare It!

e Point to Touchup.

f Click on Brightness/Contrast.

g If you want the brightness and color adjusted automatically, click Smart Task Fix.

h For those who want to experiment, move the colored balls on the Brightness/Contrast tool or enter numbers from negative 100 to 100 in the boxes

Microsoft Picture It! Version 2.0

a Click the Start button.

b Choose Programs.

c Choose Microsoft Picture It!

d Click Paint & Color Effects.

e Click Brightness & Contrast.

f Click Smart Task Fix for automatic adjustments.

g Drag the yellow and blue balls around the circle, or use the numerical sliding scale to adjust the color yourself.

AFTER THE SHUTTER

With smart photos, you can adjust the exposure with your HP PhotoSmart Photo Scanner, Photo Printer, Photo Finishing Software and with Microsoft's Picture It! software.

HP PhotoSmart Photo Finishing Software

a Go to the Start button.

b Click once and go to Programs.

c In Programs, Click on HP PhotoSmart.

d Within HP PhotoSmart, click on Photo Finishing Software.

e Once your picture is open, click the Adjust tab.

f Use the three exposure controls to adjust the Highlights, Midtones and Shadows.

g Use the slider to adjust the sharpness of your image.

h Click the Save tab when done

HP PhotoSmart Photo Printer

a On Windows 95, go to the Start button in the lower left corner.

b Click once, and go up to Settings.

c In Settings, click on Printers.

d Double-click on the HP Printer icon.

e Right click the mouse to display Properties.

f Click Properties (left click) and hit the Color button.

g On the bottom of the screen you can adjust the light by moving the arrow up and down the color line

About the author

Posted by Ken Colburn of Data Doctors on August 22, 1999

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