Tired of dull prints?

If you are frustrated with images that look bright on screen but dull when printed, watch this video to understand a bit about Color Profiles and Color Numbers. The basics are that when using a Convert command you are preserving the appearance and in order to do that you must convert the Color Numbers. When you use the Assign command you are preserving the original color numbers but the Appearance will change in the assigned profile. ALL CONVERTS AND ASSIGNS should only be done on a flattened file. The instructions in this video will show you why your images may come back from the printer looking dull and how to correct this.

ADDENDUM
The following is not necessary to do but I'm only outlining it to get the point across. You open your image from your camera or Camera Raw and notice it's embedded w/ AdobeRGB profile. You like the way it looks. You softproof by pressing Ctrl Y, then go to View-Proof Setup and check Windows, You notice the colors dulled down in the softproof. Press Ctrl Y to shut off softproofing. You go to Edit-Convert and choose sRGB, it still looks the same as it did in AdobeRGB without softproofing, only now the numbers have changed to preserve that appearance and the embedded profile changed to sRGB, Press Ctrl Y to turn on softproofing, see? No change. Press Ctrl Y to shut off Sofproofing. Now, you go to Edit-Assign and choose AdobeRGB, This preserves the numbers but the appearance has drastically bumped up in saturation, even more so than the original AdobeRGB--but wait--press Ctrl Y to turn softproofing back on again--See? Now it's showing how these numbers will print, it's dulled down but technically it's just interpreting the compensated numbers from the sRGB conversion that will give you the saturation from the original AdobeRGB. Again, I outlined this purely for concept, you would not need to do anything other than that 1st conversion to sRGB if your file is embedded with AdobeRGB. And again, Softproofing using the "Windows" or sRGB IEC61966.21 options are merely giving you a virtual glimpse as to how they will look in print. By "print" I'm referring to custom color houses, like MPix, WHCC, Miller's, Ezprints, etc. I am not referring to your personal consumer type inkjet printers

Visit Mama at:
http://www.photoshopmama.net
Barring my own experiments and test prints, I learned most of what I do know about Color Management 10 years ago by digesting every PDF that the GREAT Andrew Rodney provided for FREE on his Web site:
http://www.digitaldog.net
He's a genius!

Photo by Nora Canfield at
http://www.msdigphotography.com

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• color
• profiles
• dull
• prints
• photoshop
• tutorial
• mama
• shan
• photoshopmama
• instructions
• howto
• graphics software
• computers

[Mpathize]

Hi Shan,

long time no speakie, Q. Is this happening when we output to our home printers or does it only apply to outside labs etc.

I ask this because when i'm printing i turn off the printer driver, tick let PS manage colours ( say srgb from adobe rgb i will also have assigned a profile from my paper supplier..say HW Matt or canvas etc) are you saying if i dont "convert"--then these settings are being ignored by the printer..ignored is prob' the wrong word, i mean not interpreted correct-

[photoshopmama]

@Mpathize All printers have different set ups. Basically, you choose one or the other to manage the color, either photoshop or the printer but not both!

[BradburyGuy]

Does it matter what file type, tif, png, jpg? Is one better than another? What about lzw compression an such?

[photoshopmama]

@BradburyGuy Sort of! For print use only jpg quality 10 or higher or .tif without LZW compression.

[TripleMFilmWork]

Yeah i had some proof prints sent to me from millers an they came our dull. Now I use adoramapix, but still come out dull. Idk what I'm doing wrong! I calibrate, I set them as srgb! Lol it's retarded. I use lightroom 3 to edit my photos, do I need to import them to Photoshop afterwards before I upload them to a lab? Sorry I'm just having a hard time getting these photos to match.

[photoshopmama]

@TripleMFilmWork That might be worth a try! I don't use LightRoom, and I don't use spyder.

[melisabela]

This video helped me a lot. Thanks mama...

[pennycam]

thank you Mama for this tutorial, I may not understand all of the theory but I now get how to send off the right colours for good prints!

You are a marvel

[mrdougeran]

you are awesome! i love how you go over things so nice and slow. i have elements 10 on one of my puters, (can't afford ps on all of them) is there any way of working in a channels mode in elements 10 thanx

[dharuacharya]

OMG. This issue has plagued me for months and I thought I was just crazy. You are a life saver. I love you !!!!! Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you (you get the point). :)

[shrugbutt]

Finally, a tutorialist whose explanations totally clarifys the subject of colour space conversion for sending files to the printer. many thanks 'mama'; wish I'd discovered your tutorials years ago. I am now a dedicated follower !

Hihhly recommended, and many thanks

Jacob Thomson

[kispix]

Awesome tutorial and very clear! I'm also did an action to run for the whole folder when I need to do that for many images.