[Mr Hyde]

I recently sent a few shots out to a photo lab to have them printed and they came back a bit darker than I expected. I have calibrated my monitor to my printer and when I print them myself I usually get prints that nearly match what I see on the monitor but how do I compensate for the printing lab? Is there something I should be doing different? Should I just know from experience that I should adjust the brightness more than normal when I plan on sending them for printing? Any guidance in this would be appriciated.

thanks

[PDL]

I use Costco to print images larger than 8x10. Two things to remember, turn off the default "auto fix" feature and download printer profiles as necessary.

The printer "default auto fix" stupid settings have screwed up a few images, but I learned quickly to not rely on the settings that any software packages "auto fix" so called features use. Since you are using a calibrated monitor - get the printer drivers - if you can - and use them to your advantage.

With Costco - their 20x30 prints do not allow for printer profiles - but you can turn off the "auto fix".

The Elitist - formerly known as PDL

[christinelandon]

Scott, I'd also recommend talking to the techs at your photo lab about their system and what it wants in the color management and other file settings you save before handing over the files for printing. Often, lab prints can be improved (read: printed closer to what you saw on screen) by making a few settings changes to your files. For instance, a lot of labs assume an sRGB colorspace, which will often print a bit darker than an Adobe 1998 colorspace. If you know what the lab uses, it's a lot easier to get your files looking good with settings compatible with the lab's workflow.

[Mr Hyde]

Thanks alot for the replies. I guess I'm going to have to call the lab and find out. I tried looking on their web page and its not listed anywhere.