Making predictable prints is one of the biggest headaches in digital photography. I often hear digital photographers complain that while their pictures look great onscreen, their prints just don't come out the same. To output prints that look like the image you see on your monitor, you must enter the netherworld of calibration and color management. This is the sort of technological Byzantium Lori Grunin usually navigates in her column on the digital studio, but lately I've been fine-tuning my system while Lori has been out photographing race cars, so we decided to switch up this time.

After hours of working out the kinks in my setup, I wished I'd had one thing when I started: a simple checklist of settings and procedures needed to ensure predictable print output. In an effort to save you both time and frustration in your pursuit of fine printing, I've created that list. If you use a Mac, be forewarned that this checklist is written for a PC-based digital darkroom, although the main points apply to an Apple-based setup as well. It's also Photoshop-centric, since a list of all the variations on settings in different programs would put you to sleep. Even if you're using a PC, there may be slight differences depending on your brand of graphics card, software, and other elements. If you have your own Mac-oriented or other tips, please share them below in TalkBack. And now, without further ado, here's my checklist:

Control ambient light. The light source in the room where you print your photos should be the same when you calibrate your monitor and when you view and edit your photos. Draw the shades to eliminate outside light sources since daylight changes constantly and will thus give you an inconsistent view of your images. However, using daylight-balanced or full-spectrum light bulbs is preferable to artificial lights with a strong color cast, such as fluorescent or standard incandescent lights. Make sure there's no direct light striking your monitor. Purchasing a monitor hood that shields your screen from light on the sides and top is a good idea. ColorGear, CompUshade, Photodon, Ergomart, and Hoodman sell them for $25 to $80. You can even make one by cutting pieces of foamcore or rigid cardboard, taping them together, and attaching them with Velcro to your monitor.

Calibrate your monitor. There are three ways to do this:

• Use the free Adobe Gamma tool on your computer or buy a software-only package such as MonacoEZColor. This is the cheapest and least accurate method. It's better than not calibrating at all, but unless you're on a tight budget, spring for a calibration package that includes a hardware colorimeter.
• Use a package that provides both software and a colorimeter. Monaco, GretagMacbeth, Pantone/Colorvision, and LaCie all make a variety of calibration packages. Fujifilm also sells high-end software packages in its ColourKit line that work with separately purchased hardware. Prices start at about $100 and rise into the ether.
• Buy a monitor that comes with calibration software and a colorimeter. These include Mitsubishi's Multisync and Diamond Pro 19-inch and 22-inch models that come with the Spectraview calibration system, LaCie's Electron 22 Blue IV, Eizo ColorEdge CRT and LCD, and Sony's superlative Artisan. They're expensive, but they provide professional-level calibration.

To view photos for printing, calibrate to a color temperature of 6,500 Kelvin or D65, with a gamma of 2.2 (or 1.8 on a Mac). If you're preparing images to be sent to a commercial printer, 5,000 Kelvin or D50 might be more appropriate. Check with your printer before you calibrate.

Check your display driver. Make sure that it's applying the color profile that your monitor-calibration system has created. It should apply the profile automatically, but as I discovered after a great deal of troubleshooting, that doesn't always happen. In Windows XP, go to Control Panel > Display > Settings > Advanced > Color Management. If the profile that your calibration system created isn't highlighted in the color profile window, go in and select it manually.

Turn off color management in your printer driver. You should manage color through your photo-editing software. To do this in Windows XP, go to Control Panel > Printers and Faxes. Right-click and select Properties, then click Printing Preferences. You can also reach this window when you print with a preview in Photoshop by clicking Print/Properties. The window that you'll end up at shows your printer driver settings. Here's what to do in Epson, Canon, and HP drivers:

• Epson: Check ICM, then under ICC Profiles, check No Color Adjustment.
• Canon: Go to Main/Color Adjustment. Under Manual, uncheck Enable ICM and select Print Type: none.
• HP: Go to Paper Quality/HP Digital Photography. Turn everything off. Go to Effects and uncheck Vivid Photo.

Also make sure the correct paper type and dpi level are selected. It's best to check your settings this way each time you print to make sure that the correct ones are selected.

Select your working color space for editing photos. The easiest way to do this in Photoshop is to go to Edit/Color Settings and select U.S. Prepress Defaults at the top. This will make Adobe 1998 RGB your working color space. Why that's advisable is a topic too vast to explore here, but you can read more about it in one of Lori's past columns. The ColorMatch RGB space is also popular for editing. If you have a camera that supports Adobe RGB, it's best to shoot in that mode. If you're using a photo editor other than Photoshop, look for the color-management settings in your preferences and select Adobe RGB or Colormatch. For Picture Window Pro users, Norman Koren provides detailed information on color management here. Some online photofinishers and labs use printers that work in the sRGB space; if that's the case with your printer, create an sRGB copy to preview.

Softproof. Once you've edited your image, you need to look at a preview of what it will look like when you print it with the specific printer and paper you're using, a process that's called softproofing. In Photoshop, you do this by going to View > Proof Setup > Custom and selecting the profile for your printer and paper type. If you're sending your print to a lab or online photofinisher instead of using a home printer, check with the lab to see if it can provide a downloadable ICC profile for you to use or recommend a color space in which to softproof. Once you download and install the profile, you should be able to select it when softproofing in Photoshop. If you can't find a profile for your home printer and paper type in the Custom drop-down menu, check the printer or paper manufacturer's Web site. Some third-party vendors also provide downloadable profiles.

Try using the Paper White and Gamut Warning settings when you softproof. Paper White will work better with some output devices than with others, but it can be especially useful when you're printing at home on an inkjet. Its purpose is to provide a preview that accounts for the base color of the paper you're using. Do a test and see what gives you the most predictable results. Turning on Gamut Warning will highlight colors that your printer simply can't reproduce exactly as you see them. It won't fix the problem, but it will let you know why color shifts are occurring.

The good news about this checklist is that if you're unhappy with the prints you're making now and you haven't been doing any of the above, it will probably help you make a big improvement in your output. The bad news is that it only scratches the surface of what there is to know about calibration and color management. Next time, I'll tell you about a couple of additional steps that you can take if you're picky like me.

What single tool made the biggest improvement in your prints? What was the biggest hang-up in fine-tuning your digital darkroom? Tell us how you solved the problem in TalkBack.