Blue cast on B&W printed photos: I received a printed book from Blurb which has a mixture of colour and b&w photos. Most of the b&w photos have a blue cast to them that is ugly. The...

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

I received a printed book from Blurb which has a mixture of colour and b&w photos. Most of the b&w photos have a blue cast to them that is ugly. The colour photos look good. I have had b&w books printed by Blurb before (no colour) where all the pictures look great. Interestingly, the cover of this book is b&w and it looks fine.

Has anyone else experienced this and, if so, do you know why it happened? I have contacted blurb but haven't received an answer yet.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Weh a file is converted for colr to black and white or shot in monochrome the image tone can be adjusted just as it is in color printing. Perhaps the lab used the same color correction as the did for your color shots and did not handle the monochromatic images separately?

Back in the film days, we used to choose papers and print developers with warm, neutral, or cold tones or add various toners in processing the paper. Those effects can be easily simulated in digital work by adding varying levels of yellow, red, agents, or colder colors to suit your taste. If you are post-processing each file, you can do that before sending the files through to the lab as long as your monitor is "synchronized" or calibrated with theirs. If you are leaving it up to the lab you need to request neutral or warmer tones. Chances are, a good lab will remake your prints as per your specifications.

If you are outsourcing your printing, you need to set up good communication with you lab and make them aware of you taste as to colr balance and density.

spraguead Loc: Boston, MA

DebAnn wrote:

I received a printed book from Blurb which has a mixture of colour and b&w photos. Most of the b&w photos have a blue cast to them that is ugly. The colour photos look good. I have had b&w books printed by Blurb before (no colour) where all the pictures look great. Interestingly, the cover of this book is b&w and it looks fine.

Has anyone else experienced this and, if so, do you know why it happened? I have contacted blurb but haven't received an answer yet.

If the file supplied is gray scale, the print should be neutral. Anything outside of that would be the printer's issue.

If you made the file black and white, but still had the color setting as RGB or CMYK you would need to carefully calibrate to match the output devise for desired amount of hue.

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

It's interesting that I didn't change the colour settings on my computer. All the B&W photos (and colour ones) were processed by me. I have used Blurb for other books with very good results. It will be interesting to hear what Blurb has to say. Apparently there's a delay due to a large number of orders on hand. I'm wondering if a different location was involved. This book came from the U.S. - Seattle I think since it then went to BC for Canadian processing. I think the other books were printed in Canada.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Color will creep in unless there is only black and gray inks. Those who really love fine B&W prints should start here where printers and inks for conversion are listed:
https://piezography.com/about/the-piezography-process/

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

My experience ordering b&w prints from a local professional lab is kind of limiting. I print more color images than monochromatic ones. The lab I use has never failed to print a b&w image to my taste. I always add a little bit of warmth to my images and I never convert them to gray scale when I order a print.

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

dpullum wrote:

Color will creep in unless there is only black and gray inks. Those who really love fine B&W prints should start here where printers and inks for conversion are listed:
https://piezography.com/about/the-piezography-process/

That's very interesting but doesn't apply to production of coffee-table type books. My own Epson Stylus Photo R3000 produces beautiful B&W prints using 3 different inks. I don't know what Blurb is using but prior jobs have been perfect too.

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

E.L.. Shapiro wrote:

Weh a file is converted for colr to black and whit... (show quote)

YES YES YES......excellent examples.....thanks E.L.....you are the man! This is so important for anyone out-sourcing their work to another party. A really big deal !

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

DebAnn said in part: "Epson Stylus Photo R3000 produces beautiful B&W prints using 3 different inks."
DebAnn Which 3 inks? DebAnn also refered to Blurb..

I looked up the site... Yes, an interesting site for having books printed
https://www.blurb.com

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

dpullum wrote:

DebAnn said in part: "Epson Stylus Photo R3000 produces beautiful B&W prints using 3 different inks."
DebAnn Which 3 inks? DebAnn also refered to Blurb..

I looked up the site... Yes, an interesting site for having books printed
https://www.blurb.com

I use matte black, light black and light light black (on glossy paper, you would change the matte black to photo black, but I only print on matte paper). This printer has 9 different inks. I tell it to print Advanced B&W Photo. Great results. Blurb is the book printing company. I can't control what they do, but usually they do good work.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

B&W is one of the choices of Monochrome Photography

User ID

DebAnn wrote:

I received a printed book from Blurb which has a mixture of colour and b&w photos. Most of the b&w photos have a blue cast to them that is ugly. The colour photos look good. I have had b&w books printed by Blurb before (no colour) where all the pictures look great. Interestingly, the cover of this book is b&w and it looks fine.

Has anyone else experienced this and, if so, do you know why it happened? I have contacted blurb but haven't received an answer yet.

There are two versions of B&W ... actual of just the “B”, cuz the “W” is the paper.

“B” is either true black or process black. With a mix of color and BW images it’s possible you are getting both. True black is 100% black dots. Process black is all four colors of dots all crammed tightly together to look very close to black.

In some print shops the pagination and layout determines which BW images will be process and which will be true black. This can depend on whether there is also color anywhere on the same sheet or side of a sheet ... not to be confused with “a page”. A sheet is 4 pages, a side is two pages.

Acoarst it could be something else but 10 years in a print shop does tend to color my thinking :-/

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

DebAnn wrote:

I use matte black, light black and light light black (on glossy paper, you would change the matte black to photo black, but I only print on matte paper). This printer has 9 different inks. I tell it to print Advanced B&W Photo. Great results. Blurb is the book printing company. I can't control what they do, but usually they do good work.

Thank you,for the education...an OH!--WOW!! printer 9 inks!
$1850 on Amazon

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

dpullum wrote:

Thank you,for the education...an OH!--WOW!! printer 9 inks!
$1850 on Amazon

Wow, I just looked at that Amazon ad and it is the same printer. However, I'm surprised because this model is now quite a few years old and there would have been upgraded models. I certainly didn't pay anything like $1850. My recollection is that it was about $700.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

dpullum wrote:

Color will creep in unless there is only black and gray inks. Those who really love fine B&W prints should start here where printers and inks for conversion are listed:
https://piezography.com/about/the-piezography-process/

Totally agree.
That is immediately what came to mind, put better than I could.
Thank you.