How to get good PSD reproduction at Digital Photo print shops

J
Posted By
JonMay
Jan 10, 2004
Views
381
Replies
10
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Closed
Greetings

I’ve recently gotten to a stage of proficiency in PShop where I’m creating photo collages, embellishing scanned photos with logos or other vector art, or simply scanning old prints or negatives for reprinting. After burning ’em to CD I scurry down to my local digital print shop so as to have a glossy tangible hardcopy created. Invariably the machine operator will tippy-tap away on buttons and tweak contrast, brightness and color to their liking before hitting ‘print’.

I want to know the best way to have my original intent reproduced. After all I’ve spent a lot of time tweaking curves on my computer and I want to compare my on-screen efforts with the unmolested image(at least by the operator – I assume the machine will reinterpret the file according to its driver’s profile when printing).

If my images are tagged with my working color space, should the output look as I intended (assuming my monitor is calibrated OK) without further intervention by the machine operator?

Do I need to choose a ‘rendering intent’ in the color settings dialogue and save it along with my image (and which intent is most suitable for color photographs?).

Color management makes my head spin so feel free to also correct any misconceptions I might have revealed!

With thanks……….Jon May
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M
Malameel
Jan 10, 2004
Your work’s integrity inevitably will depend on the person handling the machine. If you are serious about accuracy, then you shouldn’t just go to a drug store or similar outfit.

The difference is not your file, but the level of competency you are buying in the service. Of course if you are doing a smaller number of prints, getting yoru own photo printer is even better because you will control every aspect of the workflow, cost cutting, and final output.

I have a few printers at my disposle and I would recomend the Epson Stylus Photo 960 which is about three hundred bucks. Again choosing a printer can reflect your work as well as some printers have unique features (like the Epson prints on CDs, while others may have special inks or whatever.)
GO
Gerry_O_Brien
Jan 10, 2004
I’ve recently begun outputting digital image files at my local Costco, where a 12 x 18 print costs $3.

Since these low-cost, high volume places only calibrate their machines once a day, bring your jobs there first thing in the morning, so they run them early in the day.

I find that late afternoon and evening prints can be way off in color.
L
LenHewitt
Jan 10, 2004
Jon,

Ideally you need the profile for the machine the image is being printed on
L
larry
Jan 10, 2004
If you’re talking about Costco, they are already profiled. Costco had all their digital printers profiled at <http://DryCreekPhoto.com>.

Check the web site to see if a profile exists for your local machine. If not, download the profile kit and follow the instructions.

Larry Berman
D
d._wade_thompson
Jan 10, 2004
I don’t understand how a printer profile done a year or two ago can help at all. I use an Agfa d-lab.2 at work, and paper and chemistry changes over time. We have to adjust our monitor monthly to match our prints.

wade
BB
brent_bertram
Jan 10, 2004
Changing your monitor monthly is not such a bad idea ! I re-profile mine frequently to try to keep up with the inevitable degradation of components.

🙂

Brent
M
marionbabich
Jan 10, 2004
I’m starting to use Costco more and more. As Gerry said they are very resonable. My local Costso will take off the Costco imprint on the back of the prints and put my business on it, at least up to ten letters. Also, I tell them to take off the color corection which is just a click of the mouse, and they have been coming our fantastic. The colors are pretty true to my monitor. My customers especally like their luster paper.

Marion
L
larry
Jan 10, 2004
If you prepare your files properly there should be no color correction. Tell them to turn it off before printing your work.

Actually If my Costco tried to correct my files, they would all have to be reprinted and I’ve had over 3000 prints done there in the past year.

If you haven’t looked into it yet, the exectutive membership gives you 2% back and if you get a Costco Amex card, you get an additional 2% back. If you plan on using them regularly look into both.

Larry Berman
PF
Peter_Figen
Jan 10, 2004
" I don’t understand how a printer profile done a year or two ago can help at all. I use an Agfa d-lab.2 at work, and paper and chemistry changes over time. We have to adjust our monitor monthly to match our prints."

Most digital printers have calibration controls to bring the entire printer/paper/chemistry system to a specific point of calibration repeatably, so if you run the calibration before running the profile target, and the calibration is run at least daily, then a given profile will last as long as the calibration routine is consistant.

You should never adjust your monitor to match your prints. An accurate profile will provide that correction without screwing up your calibration for everything else.

Peter Figen
J
JonMay
Jan 11, 2004
Thanks for your input everyone. I’m actually in Brunei (SE Asia) where the local version of Costco is a chain of Konica stores. A professional camera shop is soon to offer digital repro and that will be owner operated so he should be willing to help in my quest for ‘perfection’.

Jon

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