Originally Posted by
Manfred M
Karm - that depends on the printing service. While I generally do my own work, I do use a commercial service for any print wider than 17". The ones that I have used are custom printers who work hand-in-hand with me to create the print I want.
I deliver "print ready" work to the printer who then makes some test prints, that I can evaluate under suitable lighting conditions. I give my instructions on how to proceed based on what I see on the test prints. I will also consult with the printer on the individual papers being used.
If you are dealing with a high volume commercial printer, I would use a similar approach. Make test prints (I use half of an 8-1/2" x 11" sheet per print). I will do a print that is pretty well the entire scene that has been scaled down as well as a print that is a full sized segment, but only a critical part of the scene (areas of highlights and / or shadows) to ensure that these are reproducing well. I would write down the adjustments I make (I use adjustment layers in Photoshop for doing this). Once I get the print I like, I will record the settings I used and this will be the starting point for my next images (which will go through the same process. Once you have figured out how a specific paper prints, you should be able to apply your adjustments and the prints should come out pretty well bang on, so long as you do not change your computer screen settings and continue with the same printer / paper.
You need to evaluate the prints under the same lighting conditions all the time too. I have a setup at my print station where I do that, so consistency is pretty good. I evaluate with 150 lux of good quality light for "home use" and bump that up to 200 lux for prints that will be displayed in an exhibition, where the lighting tends to be brighter.
I hope that this makes sense. I do my own prints using very much the same process when I work at home. Test prints have been used to evaluate the print quality for as long as I have been printing (over 50 years).