Printing issues

[Chri5]

Hi everyone. I hope you can help me. When I finish editing my photos and then in turn bring them to a lab to print them, the printed version is a lot darker than what it looks like on screen. I have tried brightening the image and re-printing but it is still just as dark as the first print. Here is an example below



I printed this photo at A1 for personal use.On screen it looks fine to my eyes but the print is extremely dull and under exposed and I mean really dull. As i said, I tried to brighten it and the re-print looks just as dark as the first one.

Can anyone shed any light on the situation. ( Pardon the pun ) Its just I want to start trying to sell some images in shops but if I cant get the print to look correct then I cant really try and sell them.

[ST1]

Chris what software are you using to process your image, does it have the ability to soft proof to a print profile as used by the Lab you're using?

[Donald]

1. Is your monitor calibrated?
2. Did the printer tell you exactly what they need from you in terms of the file (colourspace, etc) and are you delivering that to them?

[Chri5]

Chris what software are you using to process your image, does it have the ability to soft proof to a print profile as used by the Lab you're using?

Hi Peter Thanks for reply. I am currently using CS6 and I will soon upgrade to Creative Cloud. Both have soft proof ability but I am not sure of the process.

[Chri5]

Hi Peter Thanks for reply. I am currently using CS6 and I will soon upgrade to Creative Cloud. Both have soft proof ability but I am not sure of the process.

Hi Donald, Thanks.

My monitor is not calibrated. I have a Dell IPS monitor but I havent got round to getting a calibration device. The printer never mentioned anything like colour space. What should I be bringing to the printer and can you recomend a good calibration device?

[Donald]

I use a Spyder3 (but there are newer versions now). Calibration is an absolute no-brainer. A 'must-do'. Don't even start to think about printing until you've got that in place.

You need to speak with the printer to see exactly what they want you to deliver to them.

Printing is another branch of photography that we need to learn and understand. Before you go off and put a lot of money out on getting big prints made, you maybe need to get to grips with all that there is to learn about making prints. It's absolutely not just a case of process the image on the screen and send it off to the printer.

Is it worth doing? Of course it is. But it is another learning process.

[Chri5]

I use a Spyder3 (but there are newer versions now). Calibration is an absolute no-brainer. A 'must-do'. Don't even start to think about printing until you've got that in place.

You need to speak with the printer to see exactly what they want you to deliver to them.

Printing is another branch of photography that we need to learn and understand. Before you go off and put a lot of money out on getting big prints made, you maybe need to get to grips with all that there is to learn about making prints. It's absolutely not just a case of process the image on the screen and send it off to the printer.

Is it worth doing? Of course it is. But it is another learning process.

Ok thanks. I will do. I will look into buying a calibrator now and I will start researching all I need to know how to print.

[James G]

Hi Chris,
I'm afraid that soft proofing will not help much until you have calibrated your monitor.
I'm guessing, in advance of more information, but your monitor is probably too bright, since you indicate the prints are dull and under exposed compared to the image you have posted.

I'm also guessing that you are new to printing, or do not normally print images yourself. If this is the case then you need to approach printing as a whole new discipline/learning curve.

If so, I'd suggest you take a quick look at the attached link http://spyder.datacolor.com/how-to-guides/

The guides are fairly readable and will give you a quick introduction to colour management and printing in photoshop.

I would not normally suggest this, but I note you live in or near Belfast. Calumet has a branch in the city and do organise tutorial/training days. You might find it useful to have a chat with them.

Ps just seen Donald's further replies, I too use the Spyder system and would back up everything he has advised.

[Chri5]

Thanks james. I will have a look at the spyder link and I never thought of approaching Calumet.

I'm guessing, in advance of more information, but your monitor is probably too bright, since you indicate the prints are dull and under exposed compared to the image you have posted.

Maybe the monitor is to bright but then I did a re-edit and created an even brighter version of the image and it had no change on the re-printed image. Even if the monitor is too bright surely the brightened edit would have appeared brighter? I am only guessing as I am no expert.

Thanks again.

[Shadowman]

Chris,

I've had similar issues with skintones photographed under overcast skies, no amount of post processing could provide me anything other than muddy looking skin.

What type of paper is this image being printed on?

[Chri5]

Chris,

I've had similar issues with skintones photographed under overcast skies, no amount of post processing could provide me anything other than muddy looking skin.

What type of paper is this image being printed on?

Hi John. the prints are being printed on glossy paper. It really is annoying. I have spent years finally getting my photos to a standard I am proud of and I find out I now have to master the art of printing.

[Donald]

It really is annoying. I have spent years finally getting my photos to a standard I am proud of and I find out I now have to master the art of printing.

No, no! It's just another step in the learning process. And once you get it, you'll be happy, proud and much more knowledgeable about the art and craft of photography than you are today.

[James G]

It's just another step in the learning process. And once you get it, you'll be happy, proud and much more knowledgeable about the art and craft of photography than you are today.

+1 from me.

But be warned.... once you start printing seriously, it opens a completely different way of seeing your images.

By the way... I should have mentioned the CiCs print tutorials on this forum in my first post..... well worth a look!

[Chri5]

Thanks for the info. I will look into this in more detail once I get home from work.

[ST1]

Chris both Donald and James have given you very good advice. I would in addition to those point you towards two books both by the same author Jeff Schewe, you may find them in a library near you should you not want to buy them.

1 The Digital Print (Preparing Images in Lightroom and Photoshop for Printing) ISBN-13 978-0-321-90845-2
2.The Digital Negative (Raw Image Processing in Lightroom, Camera Raw and Photoshop) ISBN-13: 978-0-321-83957-2

[Chri5]

Thanks peter.

Ill maybe buy them

[Manfred M]

Chris - as a person who does a fair bit of printing of images, things are not as straight forward as they seem.

1. For a colour managed workflow, you will need a profiled computer screen and there are many devices on the market to do that. I use a rather ancient x-Rite i1 for my work.

2. While this process gets the colours right, it does not do the screen brightness to print brightness well at all. Here you need to do test prints to figure out how much to lighten your images before sending them off to the printer. As long as you do not touch your screen adjustments after profiling (especially the brightness), this adjustment will be consistent. I simply add a print adjustment layer to my image when I prepare it for printing (top layer) and output my image that way. It will look super light in most instances.

3. You will need to know the printer and paper that you will be using so that you can load those icc profiles into your computer for soft proofing.

4. Most printers default to sRGB colour space. A few will use AdobeRGB. Your image needs to be in the appropriate colour space for the prints to come out looking right.

[Chri5]

Chris - as a person who does a fair bit of printing of images, things are not as straight forward as they seem.

1. For a colour managed workflow, you will need a profiled computer screen and there are many devices on the market to do that. I use a rather ancient x-Rite i1 for my work.

2. While this process gets the colours right, it does not do the screen brightness to print brightness well at all. Here you need to do test prints to figure out how much to lighten your images before sending them off to the printer. As long as you do not touch your screen adjustments after profiling (especially the brightness), this adjustment will be consistent. I simply add a print adjustment layer to my image when I prepare it for printing (top layer) and output my image that way. It will look super light in most instances.

3. You will need to know the printer and paper that you will be using so that you can load those icc profiles into your computer for soft proofing.

4. Most printers default to sRGB colour space. A few will use AdobeRGB. Your image needs to be in the appropriate colour space for the prints to come out looking right.

Thanks Manfred. It sounds a bit complicated but ill work at it and im sure ill get it

[Manfred M]

Thanks Manfred. It sounds a bit complicated but ill work at it and im sure ill get it

It seems a bit complicated until you do it a couple of times and then it really makes sense.

[Donald]

Thanks Manfred. It sounds a bit complicated but ill work at it and I'm sure I'll get it

And you do. I started off a bit terrified and thinking, 'there's no way I'm can get into actually printing'. But you start at the beginning and work through it and all the pieces do fall into place.