Prints fron lightroom to local shop (Edit - need advice)

[IMG_0001]

Hi everyone,

When I print my photos, I usually stay in the small borderless formats and always use one of the many local shops that do quality prints. I don't usually pay much attention to resolution and just provide jpegs at the native image resolution.

Now, I have a few images I'd like to print on larger paper (probably 11X14) and I'd like to keep a white border around the image (wider at the bottom) and use a pinstripe around the image border. Possibly even add text in the bottom margin.

II use Lightroom 4, but never really used its print module. Now, I thought it was the time try it out. I plan to prepare the prints as I'd want them to look (borders, paper size, pinstripe, etc) in the print module and then print jpegs at the expected output dpi, again from print module. Then just give those files to the print shop for bringing them in the physical world.

Is that how its supposed to be done?

Any tips welcomed.

Edit: I also planned 200 dpi to avoid the need to uprez some cropped images. Would that provide adequate printed outputs?

 

[IMG_0001]

No takers...

Also, as I saw that some print shops accept uncompressed TIFF images, I was wondering if providing the print shop with uncompressed TIFFs over jpegs really helps with the output quality.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Take them a file and see what they think.

 

[IMG_0001]

Take them a file and see what they think.

Well, there is a reputable shop very close to my office and I brought them a few files to test print at a smaller size. I wanted to see how the exposure, color, etc would look like and how was 200 dpi going to end up as an output. Te girl there told me they don't accept files that would result in less than 150 dpi.

As for results, I think the print look pretty fine even a 200 dpi. I do need to correct some colors before I make the final prints as seeing the images side by side evidenced some inconsistency in my pp.

I'm still interested in hearing about how others do it and what tweaks may improve the final output.

 

[Jim Saunders]

Generally the more info you can give them the better; even a full-resolution 16-bit tiff will fit on a cheap thumb drive. If you can keep your entire workflow in AdobeRGB do it. If you can calibrate your monitor even better. If your calibrator does prints too then you can close the loop between what your camera sees and what you get from the printer.

Jim

 

[IMG_0001]

Generally the more info you can give them the better; even a full-resolution 16-bit tiff will fit on a cheap thumb drive. If you can keep your entire workflow in AdobeRGB do it. If you can calibrate your monitor even better. If your calibrator does prints too then you can close the loop between what your camera sees and what you get from the printer.

Jim

Thanks, I have a calibrated monitor that is close to full sRGB (IPS) and it appears colors were pretty much as those of the files I provided. As I don't have the most accurate eye for colors, I'm most likely to be the source of any color cast...

Also, I was concerned about letting the printer manage downsizing the images (or upsizing if need arise). I recall reading a few times that imaging programs such as LR, PS, etc, were usually better for resizing than what printers provide. May be its more of a concern for upsizing than down sizing.

 

[Jim Saunders]

I'd inquire about what resolutions your printer of choice supports and go from there. For instance, take a photo in LR, crop it the way you like it etc, open in PS, use image size to set the physical dimensions you want and the resolution you can get from the printer, resize it once. After that your printer shouldn't have to do anything to change the resolution.

Jim

 

[tolusina]

.......

Thanks, I have a calibrated monitor that is close to full sRGB (IPS).....

Excellent having a calibrated monitor.
The next step is an icc or icm (same things really) profile for the printer/ink/paper combination to be used, then, in Lightroom, soft proof using that profile. Your print shop should have a profile file you can install on your editing machine.
In LR's develop module, go to view> soft proofing >show proof. Then, in the right panel, select the appropriate profile in the drop down, check the 'simulate paper and ink' check box.
Take the resulting file to your print shop, ask for a test print with no adjustments on their end, see what the printer puts out.


.

 

[IMG_0001]

.......

Thanks, I have a calibrated monitor that is close to full sRGB (IPS).....

Excellent having a calibrated monitor.
The next step is an icc or icm (same things really) profile for the printer/ink/paper combination to be used, then, in Lightroom, soft proof using that profile. Your print shop should have a profile file you can install on your editing machine.
In LR's develop module, go to view> soft proofing >show proof. Then, in the right panel, select the appropriate profile in the drop down, check the 'simulate paper and ink' check box.
Take the resulting file to your print shop, ask for a test print with no adjustments on their end, see what the printer puts out.


.

Thanks, I wouldn't have thought about asking my print shop for its icm. I will sure do. It will help getting an idea without always paying for test prints.