Colors Come Out Muted Whenever I Print

[chelsealynnportraits]

Hi I am Chelsea new to this site. I am constantly having troubles with this problem and have researched it many times so now I'm just hoping there is something I'm missing that someone can help me with. Let me go through my process. I shoot in SRGB, then I cull through my images in lightroom and convert them to PSDs as SRGB files. Then I open up the PSD, do my editing and save them as JPGs with the embed color profile as SRGB. Then when I go to print it, just like in the picture attached(you can see the muted one on the left vs the original jpg on the right), it uploads and prints off in muted colors. I have tried many other printers as well. Please Help! Its driving me insane!

[shreds]

First thought:- are the printer and screen calibrated?

[chelsealynnportraits]

The image is a screenshot, both images are on the same screen in the screenshot, so it couldn't be a problem with the screen calibration. The muting happens when I upload to any printing website. I'm guessing the printer calibration is correct. I've tried printing it through many different printers. On the image i'm uploading and printing it through Mpix, which I have been recommended to use by many professional photographers, so I pretty sure they have their calibration right. THanks though

[Richard Lundberg]

There is no difference in the two screenshots.

[Polar01]

Just a couple of items, I do print using a higher end Epson printer, however I do know LR a little, but use Photoshop CC as my main work flow right up to and including printing.
That said to start it does not matter what you set your camera's colour space to, it is when you import your image into LR (or in my case Adobe Camera Raw) for it is here where the colour space is assigned. In both LR and ACR, the default is ProPhoto, that is unless you have changed the default settings to sRGB. Have you done this?
Now as far as I know you cannot convert LR files to PSD's files unless you export them to Photoshop first, opening them in Photoshop where you can then save as a PSD file. Now having done your editing you would save the PSD file with all your layers, then not closing the file I would then go Image>Flatten then File>Save As select jpeg file format then OK. This will then save the file as a jpeg in sRGB colour space. The file resolution should be at least 240ppi, which you would have selected in preferences in LR which would carry over to Photoshop.
Hope this maybe of some help, I know others will post who use both LR and Photoshop.

Cheers: Allan

PS. Welcome to CIC, if you could, would you go back into settings and add where in the world you are as it does help, also your name more friendly that way.

[shreds]

There is no difference in the two screenshots.

Richard, that surprises me, not sure why you say that, as I can see a clear difference between the two and understand what Chelsealynn is driving at.

[Manfred M]

Hi Chelsea Lynn (?) welcome to CiC. To further probe Ian's question; is your computer screen calibrated and profiled? This is a very important step in a colour-manged workflow. The only way that you can ensure that the colours come out looking close to what you are seeing on the screen. This requires an external colour profiling tool like the ones made by X-rite or Datacolor.

The second part of the exercise is that most modern screens cannot be turned down far enough to match the printer output (your screen uses a transmitted light, RGB technology, while a print uses reflected light done with CMYK colours). In my case, I find I have to brighten my on-screen images by 25% to get the prints to look the same as the images on my screen. How did I determine the 25%; by doing test prints.

[royphot]

Hi.
The difference between the two images on the screen is very slight. The left hand one is a touch, and only a touch, lighter than the other. They both look a little bit too light and a bit lacking in contrast on my screen, and if I was going to print, I would darken both and increase the contrast, to make them more punchy.
It is entirely possible that they seem to have the correct density and contrast on your screen, while in actual fact they don't. That is why other posters have recommended that you get your screen calibrated.
Your printing lab will have their system set up correctly and the prints will come out exactly as they, and I, and others, see them, which is a bit washed out (or muted). Because that is what they actually look like.
It has to be said that it is almost impossible to get Prints to look exactly like the On-screen image because of the transmitted light / reflected light difference, but they can get very close indeed if everything in the systems has been set up correctly, calibrated and profiled.
I don't think I have solved your problem, but hope I have, at least, pointed you in the right direction.
Roy

[Andrew1]

Chelsea, a properly calibrated screen and profiled printer is the basis for getting the results you want. Adjustments within the monitor such as brightness and contrast can be set too high or low and effect the final image you see. Without calibration you can get an adequate image on the screen but you need to set it at some convention standards so it appears the same on other monitors and printers. The most prevalent problem encountered is LCD screens being set too bright for the data. Dark prints are usually a monitor problem, not a fault with printer settings.

Calibration is really a basic requirement but you can get close by setting up your screen with http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/ With this properly set up I can get very close to the results I get with a ColorMunki.

You need to attend to the basics first. If you want to see how close you are take a photo file to a reputable printer and have them print a copy with zero adjustments. Most have two adjustment routines. One automatic by the colourmeter/printing software and some additional by the operator. Make sure everything is turned off. Their $5000.00 printer will usually give you a more accurate rendition of the file.

[Richard Lundberg]

Richard, that surprises me, not sure why you say that, as I can see a clear difference between the two and understand what Chelsealynn is driving at.

Please explain the difference you see, as royphot and I apparently have calibrated monitors and color managed browsers. He sees a slight , very slight difference, and have tried ny screen RGB indicator and am unable to find a statistically significant difference. The OPs problem is that she doesn't have an understanding of color management from start to finish and most likely has not calibrated anything.

[Stagecoach]

Hi Chelsea,

To me there's a very clear difference between the two images, the right is more saturated which is most noticeable in the reds. I do not use a calibrated monitor but a difference is a difference.

Grahame

[royphot]

Hi Grahame and Richard.
The differences between the two images on screen are almost insignificant. That is hardly surprising since there is actually just one screenshot which includes both images. The RH image is the original on her screen, and the LH one is what MPix is displaying back to her, as having been uploaded.
The very slight variation is fairly typical of what you can get from a "Soft Proof" in Ps Have Mpix applied their Print Profile to the uploaded image file.
Roy

[steve welle]

I clearly see a difference between photos in my ipad retina display. I agree with others about calibrating your monitor to improve match with printer output although have no idea why you also get the fading after the files go through your workflow. Just calibrating your monitor does not guarantee a match with printers as color gamut differs for printers and monitors and brightness of monitor won't necessarily match reflected light of print. I have to turn the brightness on my calibrated monitor all the way down to get a decent match between my screen and printer but never an exact match.

You did not mention what version of lightroom you have. Current version has good soft proofing option and you can enter the profile of the particular paper you will print on. Matte paper dulls colors so use gloss or luster for more pop.

[royphot]

Hi Guys.

Please note that she is uploading files to Mpix for Printing.

Roy

[Stagecoach]

Hi Grahame and Richard.
The differences between the two images on screen are almost insignificant. That is hardly surprising since there is actually just one screenshot which includes both images. The RH image is the original on her screen, and the LH one is what MPix is displaying back to her, as having been uploaded.
The very slight variation is fairly typical of what you can get from a "Soft Proof" in Ps Have Mpix applied their Print Profile to the uploaded image file.
Roy

Roy

From the OPs first post it is obvious that she can see a difference between the two images and this is her concern and in her second post clearly states that this concern is with relation to using a printing website.

What the OP has not confirmed yet is whether these muted colours are apparent on the 'hard copy' print received or just on the 'screen' image.

Grahame

[Macmahon]

Hi I am Chelsea new to this site. I am constantly having troubles with this problem and have researched it many times so now I'm just hoping there is something I'm missing that someone can help me with. Let me go through my process. I shoot in SRGB, then I cull through my images in lightroom and convert them to PSDs as SRGB files. Then I open up the PSD, do my editing and save them as JPGs with the embed color profile as SRGB. Then when I go to print it, just like in the picture attached(you can see the muted one on the left vs the original jpg on the right), it uploads and prints off in muted colors. I have tried many other printers as well. Please Help! Its driving me insane!

Hi Chelsea

I know about the print screen frustration. Been there!

There are a number of factors involved as you probably guessed from the replies. There are quite a few places in your workflow that could potentially be causing problems.

You might find this site helpful. Getting print and screen colours right is what it's about. It covers the while workflow from camera settings through to print.

Cheers

Tim

[Richard Lundberg]

Hi Chelsea,

To me there's a very clear difference between the two images, the right is more saturated which is most noticeable in the reds. I do not use a calibrated monitor but a difference is a difference.
Grahame

I am very curious to find out why you don't use a calibrated monitor and yet you venture an opinion on a screen shot composed of two images which were taken from another monitor which was probably also uncalibrated and whose images probably had either different profiles or one of them was untagged. Given that the OP did not provide any information, it's hard for anyone to opine except to say that in a color managed browser and monitor there is little or no difference.

[Stagecoach]

I am very curious to find out why you don't use a calibrated monitor and yet you venture an opinion on a screen shot composed of two images which were taken from another monitor which was probably also uncalibrated and whose images probably had either different profiles or one of them was untagged. Given that the OP did not provide any information, it's hard for anyone to opine except to say that in a color managed browser and monitor there is little or no difference.

Richard,

Are you suggesting that the fact that I do not use a calibrated monitor means that I am not capable to venture an opinion regarding a difference, as noted by the OP, between two image files side by side as posted ? If so I find that rather amusing.

The fact that the images have come from different sources is irrelevant, they have a difference or not as shown in post No 1.

As for your curiosity as to why I do not use a calibrated monitor the reason is very simple, I do not need to.

Grahame

[Shadowman]

The image is a screenshot, both images are on the same screen in the screenshot, so it couldn't be a problem with the screen calibration. The muting happens when I upload to any printing website. I'm guessing the printer calibration is correct. I've tried printing it through many different printers. On the image i'm uploading and printing it through Mpix, which I have been recommended to use by many professional photographers, so I pretty sure they have their calibration right. THanks though

Have you seen this video?

http://www.mpixpro.com/help/help.aspx?id=21#anchor_110

[Stagecoach]

Hi Chealsea,

Can you confirm that the hard copy prints that come from the printers are similar (within your acceptance level) to those displayed when you are in the Mpix website as per the one on the left in your post No 1?

Your first post suggests this, but not certain.

I undertook a test tonight and uploaded a couple of images to Mpix that had been saved as Jpeg SRGB. Comparing them side by side as you did with the original Jpegs in both PSE and Windows Viewer they were identical with respect to colour and contrast, the only difference I could detect was sharpening due to downsizing which I could easily equalise.

Grahame