Proof a picture for printing

[Mikehit]

This may have an obvious answer, so maybe I am not searching for the right words on the internet.

I am processing a picture to be printed large by a photo lab and I want no check sections for colour rendition and sharpening and make sure I am not overdoing it (or could do more!).
In my mind I envisage finishing all editing then selecting an area of the print and printing that section on my A4 printer at home such that it is printed at the same size that section will be on the final A2 print. I then know whether what I have done is correct for the final output.

Any suggestions?

 

[zim]

For large ie expensive, pick small critical sections and get them printed by your lab using their profiles first. No point in printing to a completely different setup. I also use these as reference files for future prints just to check I have my colour dialed in.

 

[Mikehit]

Thanks for your comment, zim.
I was thinking even before that - quick turnaround on my home printer then the final check would be as you suggest. Also my printer at home has been a bit tweaky recently so I may end up upgrading to an A3 printer and I would still want to print crops on an A4 sheet to minimise costs.

 

[MrFotoFool]

I agree with other member, best to print at your lab even for tests. Not sure where you live (though your use of the term A4 suggests maybe Europe?). Anyway here in the USA you can get 8x10 inch prints very cheap, even at a professional lab. That is how I test mine (just crop out an 8x10 section of the final image).

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Lightroom and photoshop allow you to soft proof to check the color gamut. You need to be sure that you are not trying to print colors that the printer cannot print. Violet is often the biggest offender and appears blue in the printed image.

Upload the printer profile for paper used to your computer and select it in the soft proofing panel. The print company will usually supply what you need.

Its a first step, getting colors and saturation that actually can be printed and have the look you want.

This is a huge subject, google it for tons of tips. You can theoretically view on your monitor exactly what the final print will look like. This assumes your monitor can show the colors.

 

[LDS]

In my mind I envisage finishing all editing then selecting an area of the print and printing that section on my A4 printer at home such that it is printed at the same size that section will be on the final A2 print. I then know whether what I have done is correct for the final output.
Any suggestions?

You should use an "hard proof" process in Photoshop (or the equivalent process in other applications) that lets you simulate one output device on another. You need the correct ICC profiles for both devices.

Just remember this is still a simulation, and a lot depends on the actual capabilities of the output devices used. Still, can be useful to spot some issues before a final proof on the actual output device.

Be careful to set the color management options properly (especially on Windows, to avoid to double-color-manage a print).

 

[Mikehit]

Thanks LDS, and everyone else.
I have upgraded my printer to Canon 8750 and at A3+ should reduce the need to go to printing labs.

Another learning curve underway!

 

[ashleykaryl]

You can certainly softproof if you have the appropriate printer profile, however it comes with the caveat that you should really be working on a professional quality desktop display that is properly calibrated. If you are working on a cheaper or older display that hasn't been hardware calibrated all bets are off.

Needless to say you should be editing images on a calibrated display and at that point a hard proof copy of a small section is simply a cheap test for certainty. Once you know the paper and the lab it shouldn't be necessary that often.