bleirer

I've been wondering how pros prepare their files for sending to a photo lab, with a couple specific questions, realizing that color management is a whole new world. Assume I am going to allow the lab to do manual color correction.

I start with raw in prophoto rgb in Lightroom and move to 16 bit tiff in prophoto in Photoshop. I save the file to be printed from photoshop. My current way is to run the softproofing profile provided by the photo lab, fix any out of gamut issues, and send to the photo lab as a tiff, still in prophoto. I choose usually the 'wide gamut' print which is 2400 dpi inkjet or sometimes the regular print, which I presume must be wet process.

So first question, does it even matter if i softproof, since i am paying for color correction by a human anyway?

Second, should I convert the image to srgb or Adobe rgb before softproofing and save it that way to send to the printer.

Third, does it matter that the file is sent to the lab as a tiff, or is jpeg going to give equal results at this point?

I've read a few articles and some videos on color management, so assume I know just enough to do it exactly backwards.

Thanks for the help.

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

The absolute best way to get the answers to your questions is to pick a lab and ask them what their requirements are.

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

. Sorry sent the answer twice and could not delete the second one.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Agreed. With 96,000+ subscribers to the main section, you can expect almost as many responses, variations of ideas. But, the only correct response will come from the lab techs where you're planning to print. Or, at least, their posted technical specifications on the lab's website.

bleirer

The lab info is a bit unclear, and I chatted but the person on chat help that particular day wasn't knowledgable in this area. They say they prefer jpeg with srgb or Adobe rgb but also say they take tiff and prophoto but don't guarantee the full prophoto gamut. Ive seen some videos that says modern print equipment can handle a wider gamut than srgb or even Adobe rgb. In this case easy would be jpeg converted to srgb but I'm wondering if I get better prints another way.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Transferring a TIFF may prove to be impractical. The simplest approach is JPEG in sRGB and decide / improve (if needed) from there. My experience with AdoramaPix is the need for a different sharpening setting and small increase in brightness vs my monitor, otherwise wonderful prints from JPEG and sRGB, their preferred format.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I just edit the RAW file, save as highest-resolution JPEG (sRGB) and send to the lab.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Send the same image to several labs and see how they vary......then decide 'who' will print 'what'. They all will have a colour difference that YOU can Take Advantage Of (or not). The file format of a finished image should not matter as far as 'what you see', it will in what you get printed so go with what they want and decide that too.

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

It has to please you first & foremost and they're all different I have found.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

I convert mine to 8 bit sRGB jpg files, and use both White House Custom Color and BayPhoto with excellent results.

photoman43

You need to follow the technical advice from the lab you will be using regarding file type, size, etc. Most labs will send you a printer profile or a series of Jpegs for you to use. If their Jpegs look good on your monitor, then the file you send them should look good to you when you get the print from them. Here is a sample:

https://www.aspencreekphoto.com/faq/articles/file-setup

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

This can be answered many ways and this is why others have said to contact the lab and ask them. But I'm going to assume that you are just taking the image or sending the image to a normal lab that Joe blow would go to rather than a lab that a magazine editor might send his images to. That said:

I start with raw in prophoto rgb in Lightroom and move to 16 bit tiff in prophoto in Photoshop. I save the file to be printed from photoshop.

At most labs you'd save the file as a large jpg in sRGB colorspace. Be sure to crop the image or at the very least consider the aspect ratio of the image for framing if this is your desire. Also, if you want your images to look their best, calibrate your monitor with a colorimeter like ColorMunki or Spyder calibration tool.. Then make sure you don't have your monitor too bright. Take your images to a lab that guarantees you'll like them or money back. I've used Costco and if there's anything I don't like about it, they give me my money back and redo it. They will redo it even after I've made changes to the file and then have them try again. So even if its your fault they do it again.

You really don't need to be concerned with all that proofing etc. If you are printing it yourself and you use "Art" paper then proofing will help you keep your colors in gammet. Printing on matt paper usually has the most problems with colors but it's not a big deal either.

I guess if you are having a lab use a special paper, then ask them for the ICC profile of the paper and printer they use and you can soft proof your image but you still want to send it to them as a sRGB after you've made color adjustments....

Dennis833 Loc: Australia

I always duplicate the file first before soft proofing in PS. That way you can adjust the image to match the original.
Then I convert to the printing profile sharpen and save. There is a lot of information on the net about soft proofing and this very important last step is often left out. I always send Adobe RGB tif files to my printing lab.

bleirer

What would be the downside of sending the file with prophoto if the lab accepted It? It seems like inkjet printers especially have a much bigger colorspace than srgb.

Dennis833 Loc: Australia

It may be just fine but I would check with your lab first. I don't use prophoto myself only because most of my best images end up being printed in calendars and it's better to convert to cmyk from rgb.