Originally posted by PentaxScott Thanks for the advice. Ill look into getting the monitor color calibrated, although initially I was will to go through the slight differences to find a decent printer. My problem is that the shot that I posted here was printed by WalMart about 4 (!?!?!) stops darker than what I see on my screen. Thats not a minor thing...thats huge! I didnt think the difference would be that pronounced.
I have been using lightroom to do most of the color corrections and then using the export feature, exporting them to Jpeg using AdobeRGB colorspace. I downloaded Lightroom 2 Beta but dont see this feature. How to I attach printer profiles to a JPEG for printing? Are there other software programs that do something similar?
If you are going to get into printing large (11x12 and larger) images at home, then you will defintatly need to calibrate your monitor and perhaps your printer too. I got a notice via email about a new device called colormunki
ColorMunki a device that will both profile your monitor and create color profiles for your printer. I have not heard good or bad about it and it does cost about 500 USD - our of my range at the moment. Anyway - color calibration of your monitor is a must, learning how to color proof is essential too - if you are a stickler. Check out some of the tips here:
Jerry Courvoisier digital photography go to the tutorial links and look at color proofing and color management.
Now as for Lightroom Beta 2.
First, you do not export the image - you print it.
Second, (actually first but what he heck) - go to the Costco site, get the information about which printer models are available at the store you are going to.
Load the printer ICC files into the appropriate folder so Lightroom can see them (it is in the documentation for lightroom so I will not repeat it here.
In Lightroom go to the PRINT module and select your image (I will assume that by getting to the print, all modifications have been done)
Set your image up for printing (size, borders, text etc.)
When you select your printer, select the print job menu item.
Print to a JPEG file.
Color Management is set to the Costco printer profile.
Print the file --- note: no export - print.
Go to the Costco site - upload your image at
full resolution - select the size for the image (I have printed 8x10, 8x12, 12x18.
Pick the number of prints.
Now before you get to the commit and pay part - you will notice that there is a dialogue box that says something along the lines "If you are a professional photographer and do not want etc etc etc.
Click the change or edit button.s
The default is to let the printer "autofix" - de-select that box, the JPEG you have has the printer profile embedded in it, so never let "autofix" run.
Finish up your order and the following day go get your pictures.
I thought my K10D was a pretty nice camera, until I got my 12x18 image back using this method..... The K10D is a fantastic camera. That picture is like night and day compared to a monitor - I don't care who makes the monitor. An image at 300 dpi is better than any monitor at 96 dpi or even 120 dpi. The hard copy image is so sharp that it is almost painfull to look at.
Edit: If you decide to ignore the above and just export images to be printed at Costco - even if you choose to use the "Autofix" - export the images as sRGB. The Costco defaults are sRGB, no way do the understand AdobeRGB or ProRGB or any other RGB. Most other places use sRGB too, or at least the ones I have checked out. When you print images at the poster size (20x30) the printers are in Maryland (3,000 miles from me) and they only understand sRGB. I have only one print at that size and it was from my *ist Ds - it is beautiful. (Aroaki/Mt. Cook 1 -
PENTAX Photo Gallery)
The Elitist - formerly known as PDL