How can I judge print brightness from a calibrated monitor?
Asked 3/30/2019
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I edit on a calibrated monitor and send files to a lab rather than printing at home. My display is set around 120 cd/m², but prints can come back darker than expected. Lowering the monitor brightness helps somewhat, though it also affects how contrast and color appear to me. I’ve also noticed that changing the editing workspace background to white makes the image seem darker, which tempts me to brighten it further.
Is using a white background in editing software a reliable way to judge how bright a print will look? More generally, what’s the best practical way to get print brightness right without ordering lots of trial prints?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
5
Has anyone else found that using a white background in their photo editing software is a good way to judge the brightness of the print to come?
No. That is a bad idea.
You need to see the relationship between the elements of your image, not the relationship with the surroundings, which you can not control.
That line of reasoning is the same as put some reflectors behind your monitor, or put the monitor in front of the sunniest of the windows in your home.
My goal, of course, is to stop ordering a gazillion test pictures
Ok. Do not order a zillion test images. Just send some. But you need to. You are assuming the provider has their equipment also calibrated.
Send for example a good black and white portrait (or whatever theme you are working with)
Define what is the middle tone of that image, for example, the cheek. Depending on your profiles, let's assume it is 128,128,128.
Make some variations of your image and put some watermark indicating the adjustment, for example, a gamma adjustment of increments of 0.1. Your original image would be Gamma 1.
Gamma 1.1, Gamma 1.2...
Gamma 0.9, Gamma 0.8...
You can make a gradient of some clear steps, for example, 5 steps from Black to white, or make them 10 or whatever. And make similar variations.
You can do that also with a color image. With a portrait, or with different color gradients.
Then you can decide which variation you can apply methodically to the images you send to that specific provider.
Originally by user37321. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user37321
7y ago
0
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A white editing background is generally not a reliable way to judge print brightness. It changes your perception of the image based on its surroundings, rather than helping you evaluate the tones within the photo itself.
The practical answer is calibration plus testing. Even if your monitor is calibrated, you still need to learn how your lab’s output compares, and that means making some reference prints. Instead of many random test prints, send a small, controlled set of images—especially something with clearly recognizable midtones, such as a black-and-white portrait or other image type you print often. Use those prints to establish how your monitor’s midtones and shadows translate through that lab.
In other words, don’t rely on the workspace background as a shortcut. Judge the image itself, and build a repeatable reference by comparing a few known files to the lab’s prints. Once you know how that lab renders your files, you can edit more confidently and reduce the need for repeated trial orders.
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