How should I prepare image files for large prints at a lab like Costco?
Asked 6/16/2012
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I want to make a couple of prints as large as practical through a budget photo lab such as Costco. What should I do to prepare my files before uploading or taking them in? Is PNG a good choice, and are there any color-space or cropping issues I should watch for?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
9
I wouldn't bother with PNG; it's a lot of extra card/disk space (or upload time) for no real gain. A high-quality JPEG (11 or 12 in Photoshop, 4x or thereabouts in Paint Shop Pro, 80 to 100 in the GIMP) will do just fine most of the time. It's only when your image consists of a lot of high-contrast geometric detail that you'd really need to worry about lossless formats like PNG or TIFF. If you can't tell the difference on screen at a 50% zoom level, you won't see the difference in a print. (You'd need to save the file as a JPEG, close it, then re-open it in order to see whether there is any damage from compression artifacts.)
You'll also want to see what the printer's preferred colour space is. A lot of printers prefer sRGB, some will work with Adobe RGB, and a very few will accept ProPhoto RGB. You're usually safe with sRGB when printing on photo papers, but for inkjet processes (like canvas printing), you may get better results with aRGB if it's accepted.
Finally, if your printer can supply you with a printer profile, you can use the soft-proofing feature of your image editing software (if it does colour management)—along with a properly calibrated monitor—to adjust your image for the best results obtainable on the printer. The screen and the print both have their own nuanced characteristics, and what looks good on-screen might not translate into good prints (and vice versa) without accounting for their differences. You might find this video by Kevin Kubota more helpful in explaining this than I have been.
Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2719
14y ago
0
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For most photo prints, a high-quality JPEG is the practical choice; PNG usually just makes larger files without visible print benefits. Lossless formats matter more for graphics with hard-edged, high-contrast detail than for normal photos.
Before ordering, check the lab’s preferred color space. Many minilabs expect sRGB; some can handle Adobe RGB. If the lab provides ICC profiles, use them to soft-proof and export appropriately so your print matches the lab’s output more closely.
Also watch for cropping. Some labs trim slightly because there is no bleed in the submitted file, so don’t place critical details right at the edges. If possible, leave a little extra room around the frame or compose with that slight crop in mind.
In short: export a high-quality JPEG, use the lab’s recommended color space/profile, and allow for a small edge crop.
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