[following.eric]

Hey

I recently made good contact with a printer here in the UK. Digitalab out of Newcastle. They have been very helpful sending me pre samples and even sending me free prints from some negatives I wanted checked for quality compared to my local printer. Since they have been very good I want to send some digital files to them to have professionally printed.

They have said with all prints they will automatically check the file and make minor adjustment that they feel are needed from experience. I think thats great since I have had prints come back dark and under exposed/over contrast.

So my question is how do I prepare my files at export from LR. and what do I do with previous saved files from a few years back.

here are the lab specs. and I dont imagine going over 18x12 at this moment. seems plenty big enough for a small apartment.

Files should be supplied in 8-bit mode. We use Noritsu 3701HD printers and a Lightjet 5000 printer and these will only handle 8 bit files.
All prints up to and including 18″x12″ (plus panoramic format prints up to 36″x12″) are printed on our Noritsu machines. Ideally these should be supplied at the required print size at 300dpi.(For good quality we advise at least 200dpi

My normal export is to Jpeg, 100% quality, sRGB and image sizing to resoultion 240.

I usually either crop from the original 4x6 and maintain the 4x6 dimensions or crop to 16x9 for my laptop screen.

The company seems to print most combinations of 4x6 (ie 12x8) and they offer a pano options, but they seem to be more narrow then 16x9 like 20x10.

all print sizes viewable here Photo Prints | Photo Printers | Online Photo Printing | Digitalab

1) should i find a print dimension that matches my export file or should I adjust the dimension in LR to match the one I want printed?
2)I dont think I can print a 16x9 file as I havent found a match they offer, so do I need to resize that before sending them the file?
3)if I need to resize an image should I do it off the original RAW or will I be fine to just import the jpeg, resize and re-export as a new file
4)should I leave the LR export as 240 default or should I manually change it to 300 to match the printer request?

Ideally I want to be able to send a file that is good to go and wont require changes from them, to make it simple. But I also want to have good quality prints.

5)do I need to worry about how I sharpened the photo. All photos have been sharpened for my eyes and on my computer. Do I need to re-import into lightroom and adjust the sharpness?
6)my screen isn't colour calibrated (macbook air) so will I just have to wait and see how they come back to see how the colour looks?
7) at prints smaller than 18x12 should I just not worry and send the files away?

sorry for the million questions but when I see a good quality print in a shop or gallery it only adds to the amazing photograph. Although I am an enthusiast I have seen my shots printed in poor quality and it just disappoints me, because I know how it can look. Unfortunately my local shop cant offer the quality I want and I have to export it elsewhere which means I won't see results until I get it back in the mail.

Any simple easy to do advice to make sure I am sending the technicians at the lab a good jpeg would be much appreciated.

Eric

[DougieD]

I'm not familiar with LR, but I don't think it matters where you set the DPI for the file. So far as I know, if you want to print a 16x9 at 300 DPI, then the image needs to be 4800 x 2700 pixels. If the image is smaller than that you can still have a 16x9 print, but at less than 300 DPI. 18x12 has to be 5400 x 3600 pixels at 300 DPI. It could be even bigger, of course, and you might end up with more than 300 DPI.

That's my understanding. If I'm wrong, someone will let us know...

[following.eric]

I'm not familiar with LR, but I don't think it matters where you set the DPI for the file. So far as I know, if you want to print a 16x9 at 300 DPI, then the image needs to be 4800 x 2700 pixels. If the image is smaller than that you can still have a 16x9 print, but at less than 300 DPI. 18x12 has to be 5400 x 3600 pixels at 300 DPI. It could be even bigger, of course, and you might end up with more than 300 DPI.

That's my understanding. If I'm wrong, someone will let us know...

thanks. I've read other things like this and this is where I get confused. Do I need to export and save with a dpi of 300 and also change the pixels or does that happen automatically.

I've played a little bit with there online service where you import the jpeg and it looks like it will auto alert you if the size requested doesnt match your file and allow you to crop online before continuing.

Since I am new to printing I dont want to get lost in the techinical side, just how I should export the files from Lightroom so I can send it off easiest. Maybe the online service is intuitive enough to pick up most things and then the lab techs will grab things like contrast and blacks for balance. Who knows

[DougieD]

Just export your images at the largest size- in pixels- possible. I don't know how LR does things, but the DPI setting might only matter if you export your image in units of measure (inches, millimetres, etc.) rather than pixels. It might scale the image to reflect the dimensions you enter. If you have a 3000 x 2000 pixel crop that you want printed, make sure the exported image is still 3000 x 2000 pixels when the printer opens the file.

I print my own photos on a Canon Pixma Pro 100. I use GIMP and RawTherapee and don't pay any attention to the DPI setting. If I have a 3k x 2k crop I want to print at 10 x 6.7 inches (appx.), that will be 300 DPI. If I want it bigger than 10x6.7 then it will be less than 300 DPI unless I scale-up the image.

[leekil]

I suggest exporting as an 8-bit TIFF, rather than JPEG, to get the best quality, especially if you are printing larger. As long as they can handle that file size.

[following.eric]

I suggest exporting as an 8-bit TIFF, rather than JPEG, to get the best quality, especially if you are printing larger. As long as they can handle that file size.

for smaller than 18x12 they want jpeg. For larger they will except tiff.

[PDL]

when I was using LR to print JPEG's to a specific printer, I would print to a file and in the color management section select the appropriate printer profile so the JPEG file has the proper color profile. You should be able to get custom printer profiles from your vendor, if not, find another vendor.
You should be able to set the color profile in an exported profile too. That is why I use Capture One over LR these days, CO's control over color fidelity eats Adobe's lunch.

[stevebrot]

So my question is how do I prepare my files at export from LR. and what do I do with previous saved files from a few years back.

The simple answer is to ask the print service you are using. The better ones will be able to offer you concrete advice and/or requirements. Here is a short list of important stuff as it relates to your LR export:

• DPI is not pertinent to much and may be ignored
• TIFF (16-bit) vs. JPEG (8-bit)...more data is better. If your print service needs to massage your file, 16 bits (more) is even more better.
• Colorspace? If they support other than sRGB, one may get better results with a wider or focused gamut. Ideally, they might provide ICC profiles for their paper choices and printers that would allow you to tailor your image to their process using Lightroom's "soft proof" feature.* If they don't, export to sRGB working from a soft-proofed virtual copy.
• Minimum pixel dimensions for a given print size. This is important. Going big from a "small" image required either a lower print resolution or upsampling, neither of which gives results as good as if a larger file was sent in the first place.

I hope this helps.


Steve

* "Soft Proof" is a feature of the LR develop module that is both under-documented and incredibly useful. It allows one to avoid artifact, dark prints, and off colors associated with coercing the wide-gamut image used by LR to the narrower gamut typical of most printer/paper combinations. On my home printer, I typically nail both darkness and color on the first try using ICC profiles from the paper vendors with the soft proof feature. I learned the details of how this works from Martin Evening's excellent LR book, which I strongly recommend even for experienced users. On Amazon... https://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Photoshop-Lightroom-Book-Photographers/dp/01339...ntaxforums-20&

[following.eric]

The simple answer is to ask the print service you are using. The better ones will be able to offer you concrete advice and/or requirements. Here is a short list of important stuff as it relates to your LR export:

• DPI is not pertinent to much and may be ignored
• TIFF (16-bit) vs. JPEG (8-bit)...more data is better. If your print service needs to massage your file, 16 bits (more) is even more better.
• Colorspace? If they support other than sRGB, one may get better results with a wider or focused gamut. Ideally, they might provide ICC profiles for their paper choices and printers that would allow you to tailor your image to their process using Lightroom's "soft proof" feature.* If they don't, export to sRGB working from a soft-proofed virtual copy.
• Minimum pixel dimensions for a given print size. This is important. Going big from a "small" image required either a lower print resolution or upsampling, neither of which gives results as good as if a larger file was sent in the first place.

I hope this helps.


Steve

* "Soft Proof" is a feature of the LR develop module that is both under-documented and incredibly useful. It allows one to avoid artifact, dark prints, and off colors associated with coercing the wide-gamut image used by LR to the narrower gamut typical of most printer/paper combinations. On my home printer, I typically nail both darkness and color on the first try using ICC profiles from the paper vendors with the soft proof feature. I learned the details of how this works from Martin Evening's excellent LR book, which I strongly recommend even for experienced users. On Amazon... https://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Photoshop-Lightroom-Book-Photographers/dp/01339...ntaxforums-20&

thanks steve for the Info. I wanted to get some info from the forum before I bombarded the receptionist at the lab with a billion questions of information I don't even understand yet.

From I got from the website is that they prefer 8-bit files since the printers for smaller images use 8-bit. Larger prints they except tiff.

If there a website or guide that recommends the largest one file can go from a certain resolution? I don't plan on printing any larger than your typical movie poster size, if anything it will be smaller for a house and apartment. So I am sure my k70 will have enough pixels, I am guessing send the largest, highest resolution to print, even if it's for a small print?

thanks for the soft proofing, I will look into that. I have a quick play on the computer but I don't see any difference from soft proofing or not, only changes the background from grey to black. Maybe on export. But I will read up on it a bit more.

Eventually I want to get a colour calibrated screen and calibrater but if I can get good prints and similar colour to what my macbook sees then I will be happy to hold off for the time being on the screen.

thanks again

[pschlute]

thanks for the soft proofing, I will look into that. I have a quick play on the computer but I don't see any difference from soft proofing or not, only changes the background from grey to black. Maybe on export. But I will read up on it a bit more.

Eventually I want to get a colour calibrated screen and calibrater but if I can get good prints and similar colour to what my macbook sees then I will be happy to hold off for the time being on the screen.

You have your answer. If soft proofing shows you will get a darker background which you dont want, then adjust the picture untill it gives you what you do want....then send it to the lab and see if what comes back is right.

A caibrated profiled screen is a good idea. beyond that it a confusing web of science which if you dont need stay away from. If you can get well exposed correctcly coloured prints without dabbling with profiles that is great....that is my aim anyway

[Oakland Rob]

If there a website or guide that recommends the largest one file can go from a certain resolution? I don't plan on printing any larger than your typical movie poster size, if anything it will be smaller for a house and apartment. So I am sure my k70 will have enough pixels, I am guessing send the largest, highest resolution to print, even if it's for a small print?

I'm not sure what you're asking.

Printers can print at different DPIs/resolutions. Like your office laser printer, which can probably do 300 dpi or 600 dpi. As with a 3000 pixel image vs 6000 pixel image, the one with more pixels per unit (say 8x10 sheet) the sharper image you'd get at a given viewing distance. But that high, dense sharp picture doesn't matter if you're viewing at a larger distance, since you can't see those small pixels anyway. Like the difference between viewing an iPhone on the wall instead of your HDTV. Both could show the same picture, and the iPhone has a higher pixel density, but so what?

So for say a 4000x5000 photo you've gotta think how you're gonna view it. A poster across the room? It could work at maybe say 100 DPI, or 40" by 50". But if it's for say handheld viewing, you might want 300 DPI, or 14" x 16" roughly. Or work backwards from the size of the media: an 8x10 for viewing close at 300 DPI would require 2400x3000 pixel photos.

[Mike L]

................A caibrated profiled screen is a good idea..........................

+1

For accurate soft proofing it is important that you have a properly calibrated monitor and the right the printer profiles. That way if you get some dud prints you have some recourse to get the printers to fix it e.g. I had a photobook come back from the printers with every page too dark and a magenta cast. They started on with excuses about why it might not be their fault until I mentioned I had their printer profiles and that I used a calibrated monitor. They called back to say after checking their printer test swatches from the day my book was produced they had identified a problem with their printer and would reprint my photobook.

[following.eric]

I'm not sure what you're asking.

Printers can print at different DPIs/resolutions. Like your office laser printer, which can probably do 300 dpi or 600 dpi. As with a 3000 pixel image vs 6000 pixel image, the one with more pixels per unit (say 8x10 sheet) the sharper image you'd get at a given viewing distance. But that high, dense sharp picture doesn't matter if you're viewing at a larger distance, since you can't see those small pixels anyway. Like the difference between viewing an iPhone on the wall instead of your HDTV. Both could show the same picture, and the iPhone has a higher pixel density, but so what?

So for say a 4000x5000 photo you've gotta think how you're gonna view it. A poster across the room? It could work at maybe say 100 DPI, or 40" by 50". But if it's for say handheld viewing, you might want 300 DPI, or 14" x 16" roughly. Or work backwards from the size of the media: an 8x10 for viewing close at 300 DPI would require 2400x3000 pixel photos.

I'm glad you're sure what I am asking because I don't always understand what I am reading lol.

I am more after exporting from LR to send to the printers which are 8-bit and need 200dpi to 305dpi.
my default setting when I export is set to 240. so a 6000x4000 file I import into LR, edit and export at Jpeg at 100% quality, sRGB and Res 240 per inch.
I know after export that the jpeg is still 6000x4000.

So when I send a file to the lab, do I need to first choose a size I want to print and the viewing distance, then re-export that same file in LR with changes or should I be fine just sending them the first exported file and their printer or software will sort out the dpi and pixels. I ran test and even if I change the RES to 305, the export file is still 6000x4000. Because their preferred printer setting is 305dpi, Should I just export it at 305 and send the file.

I am sure printing gets very technical, like everything in photography. But Im looking for the best export file to send to the printer for a first time printer.

I hope this helps

---------- Post added 08-04-17 at 02:03 AM ----------

You have your answer. If soft proofing shows you will get a darker background which you dont want, then adjust the picture untill it gives you what you do want....then send it to the lab and see if what comes back is right.

A caibrated profiled screen is a good idea. beyond that it a confusing web of science which if you dont need stay away from. If you can get well exposed correctcly coloured prints without dabbling with profiles that is great....that is my aim anyway

So if I switch to soft proofing and the screen goes white it's a good thing? I changed even a few of the colour profiles like APPLE RGB and even that didn't change anything.

---------- Post added 08-04-17 at 02:15 AM ----------

Also I have found on there website the printer profiles for 4 papers.But are only for the Lightjet printer which they use for 18"x12" or larger prints. For smaller prints they use another printer which they dont have profiles for download.

[TonyW]

A decent lab should provide you with an ICC paper profile for your choice of paper type. Using soft proofing on a colour managed system should yield WYSIWYG with no unpleasant surprises when you get your prints back.

Under these conditions preparing an image for printing from LR should be easy. In th Print module set your print size and also set print resolution to 300 PPI as requested by the lab (note DPI is irrelevant as that is measure of ink volume).

Once satisfied select to Print to File - this will save your image including ICC profile ready to be sent to the lab

[beachgardener]

I suggest exporting as an 8-bit TIFF, rather than JPEG, to get the best quality,

totally agree, if they only accept jpeg go somewhere else, do they provide a colour profile for you to edit from? why capture an image then throw half the pixels away through lossy compression when creating a jpeg? makes no sense.