9 Years Ago

Optimize For Print - Or Not?

Recently I got prints of a couple of photos to put on my wall. (I didn't get them from FAA, but that's irrelevant.) This time around I used 'soft proofing' with ICC profiles to optimize for printing. Based on what I saw in soft proofing, I boosted the contrast, brightness, some of the colors, actually quite a bit. And the resulting prints were exactly what I hoped for.

I already knew that you typically want to boost contrast for printing, but this time I pushed it until the image looks a little fake-y on screen. I also pushed the saturation beyond the point I'd normally go.

Now, I have a conflict in my mind. When posting images on FAA should I optimize them for printing, or just to look good on a typical display?

Reply Order

Post Reply

Jeffery Johnson

9 Years Ago

Well let us see if you push all that and it looks really bad on a potential customers monitor then you won't have to worry over them printing as they most likely won't purchase prints.

Mike Savad

9 Years Ago

it depends on their screen and your vision of what it should look like. chances are, it will look better anyway, because all screens have color cast. if you push your contrast too hard, it may lose detail in shadow and highlight. and if you over saturate, it may band the sky, or go out of gamut, or blow out the sides. make the image look good on the screen, because even a paper choice will effect the finished thing.

---Mike Savad

Jim Hughes

9 Years Ago

I guess I already knew the answer - we really have no choice but to try to make it look good on screen and let the print be whatever it's going to be. But now it bothers me, because I know how much better I could make the print look with a bit of tuning.

If this were really a 'fine art' site we'd be able to upload one image for viewing on the site - sized for the screen, and optimally sharpened - and another full-size image optimized for printing. And they'd give us the ICC profiles for their printers and paper. But, that's not going to happen.

Chuck Staley

9 Years Ago

All you have to do is call the printer and ask for that. They are quite nice Southern folk and will help you with a smile.

At least that is how it has always been for me.

Need Help? 800-332-8884

The frame shop will more than likely answer, then ask for the printing department.

This discussion is closed.