Color management between a camera at home, picture editing software and the printer is very difficult for hobby photographers. It is too costly, and the colors of your laboriously edited photos appear completely different in printing and on the screen.

Try to balance the color difference manually using the printer driver. This takes some effort; the result is however significantly better color reproduction of the prints. Though these control programs vary depending on the manufacturer, all of
them follow the same principle. Proceed as follows:

PRINTING A TEST PHOTO: In your picture editing program, open a photo that shows skin tones as naturally as possible and which also shows light and shadow areas Insert the photo paper that you normally use in the printer and call up the printer driver. You can access it through the options of the 'Print...' command in the picture editing program, mostly using the "Properties" button. Select the setting for the correct paper type and set the print quality to "Optimal photo print". Take a test print-out with these settings.

CORRECTING COLORS AND CONTRAST: When the test print-out is dry, compare it with the colors of the original photo on the monitor-:-is a color cast visible? If yes, open the printer driver again and try to correct the faulty color reproduction directly with the help of the color regulator controls. Most of the time, you need to take several test prints until the colors match. Note the values and save these, if possible.