ZingersMom Loc: Fort Wayne, IN

I have had several tell me that I should print and sell my photos. I am not looking to make money, but, if someone wants a print, I want it to be a good one. After calibrating both my monitor and my laptop with Spyder 5 Pro, I sent a photo to mPix to be printed. My customer wanted a 30 X 20 print. When the printed photo arrived, a lot of the color and detail were lost. So, I signed up with mPixpro, sent them 5 photos for 8x10 prints, including a portion of the photo that I was printing for my customer. They all came back with the level of detail that I wanted, but they are much darker than they are appearing on my screen... I'm perplexed. Suggestions? Thoughts? Photo to be printed is included with the post. So, I think I have 2 questions. Could the size of the print be the problem with the level of detail in the print? The other is what I need to do to make sure that what I'm seeing on my screen shows up in prints?

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

Once your monitor is calibrated you need to establish a viewing illumination balanced to your calibrated monitor. You also have to make sure your monitor and the people printing the image use the same Colorspace, usually sRGB. Look up Color Management on the X Rite website for more information.

ZingersMom Loc: Fort Wayne, IN

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean by establishing a viewing illumination or how to do that. As to looking up color management, I have done that, and I am getting the impression that you, and others, are selling X Rite. I have Spyder 5 Pro and am looking for support with that tool.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Turn the brightness down on your screen. When calibrating your monitor, does it give you a luminous option? My ColorMunki gives me the option of 80 lumines, 100, 120. The 120 is brightest. But I use 80 and the brightness of my photos comes out like on screen. Also, you need to oversharpen large images before you print. I always sharpen my images. I shapen for the monitor, i.e. posting or emailing but viewed on a monitor, and I sharpen much more for printing. This is very common and should be included in your workflow.

flyguy Loc: Las Cruces, New Mexico

I concur totally with this advice --- most displays are set way too bright at around 200 candelas per meter squared and for printing a luminance value of between 80 and 120 is best.

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

Almost all Color Managment sets a standard color temp, usually 5000 or 5500K. Once your monitor is set to a specific brightness and is calibrated, you need to create a print viewing illumination with the same color temp and brightness. This is usually a neutral grey sided viewing box,usually illuminated with Macbeth fluorescent tubes (5000K). You need to view your prints with standard brightness and color from the same distance, every time. If you don't use identical lighting every time it is impossible to get repeatable results. Also, don't wear bright colored clothing at your viewing station as it can reflect and change the tint of the prints you are viewing. This is the set up used in high end photo labs and print shops to insure accurate color judgments. IM not "selling" X Rite. Macbeth and X Rite have been the leaders in Color Management for longer than I've been on this earth (70 or more years). X Rite introduced the ProPassport for Color Managment about 7 years ago. Now the Spyder 5 makers offer a copy of this system! Nothing against your product. I just go with the company "in the business" the longest, who develop the largest range of products. Their website has great information on Color Managment anyone can access and learn from.

AlMac Loc: Newcastle Upon Tyne - UK

Here is a good tutorial from Picture Correct entitled How to Prepare Your Photos for Printing.
Hope it helps you.

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/how-to-prepare-your-photos-for-printing/

Alan.

ZingersMom Loc: Fort Wayne, IN

Thank you; Spyder Pro 5 does provide luminous management; I had set it to 120 (their recommendation) when I last calibrated. I just re-calibrated at a lower illumination; it doesn't appear to be enough, but I'm now understanding the impact of this on a printed photo. The sharpening tip is helpful, as well.

ZingersMom Loc: Fort Wayne, IN

Thanks, romanticf16, for the clarification, and my apologies for the X-rite "attack." It was late, and I was out of line. The viewing station sounds a little intimidating...and expensive? I think that my test prints are reasonably accurate for color, but they are way darker than what has been showing up on my screen. That's my primary concern. Your post, as well as others, is leading me to think I need to play with the screen brightness. This has been helpful!

ZingersMom Loc: Fort Wayne, IN

AlMac, that's a really helpful video. I've been working through Lightroom (I learned on Photoshop, so I'm OK with going there). It appears that using PS might be signficiantly helpful.

So appreciative!

AlMac Loc: Newcastle Upon Tyne - UK

Pleased it was useful. I also struggle with Lightroom's print module so I always take my images into photoshop to print.
Had no problems up to now.


Alan.

ZingersMom Loc: Fort Wayne, IN

Once again, thanks to all for your advice. I managed to get the brightness on my lap top to 85, and I used more sharpening. I just received a new set of test photos, and, bingo. I'm getting the color, brightness and detail that I was expecting.

I'm humbled by the wisdom in this forum!