Export settings for printing at local photo lab

DxO PhotoLab
1

Hi everyone,

I want to send a file to my local photo lab for printing (12” x 18”). The more I read about the various settings, the more confused I get! So here are my questions:

  1. I am in PL9, and using the DXO Wide Gamut for editing. What ICC profile do I select for exporting the image to file? Is this the profile of the photo lab/printer/paper, or the profile embedded in DXO? In the Image/Export screen, you can pull down ICC profile “As shot”, “DXO Wide Gamut” etc. Not sure what to do. I see no mention of ICC profile on the photo lab’s site.
  2. If I export the file to disc, the file sizes are rather large: 73 MB for 16 bit TIFF, 37 MB for 8 bit TIFF, and 18 MB for compressed 8 bit TIFF. Suggestions on what to use?
  3. Leaving resolution at 300 dPI. Makes sense for this print size?
  4. If I want to soft proof on my monitor, do I just click on the Softproof button and it will show results automatically with whatever dropdown ICC profile I pick? Do I select the same ICC profile as selected in the export? I cannot see any difference in the image as I select different ICC profiles.

Photos were shot on a Canon R6, processed from RAW on PL9. I am using a Dell S3225QC OLED monitor.

Thanks for any help!!

Rob

2

Best is to ask your local photo lab what they expect from you (very often a JPEG in sRGB color space).

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3

They may have an ICC profile that they can send you, it might be worth emailing them.

4

Thanks Wolfgang, So you think the TIFF thing is a bit over-blown for a non-professional? That as an everyday user I will not notice the difference? Not trying to counter any advice - I really don’t know. Thanks

5

Thanks LVS, I will give them a call, but I would like to get educated first so I know if they are BS-ing me or not!

6

Yes - but note that (for visual confirmation) your monitor has to be capable of rendering according to the ICC Profile that you select.

Also, to be sure that it’s always the case that What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get, I recommend you have Soft Proofing switched-ON all the time.

  • You can achieve that by configuring your default preset (as applied to all newly encountered images) accordingly.
7

Well personally, I work in the Adobe RGB color space or in ProPhoto RGB or DxO WideGamut, and I print myself on correspondingly high-quality paper (with an Epson P800 and custom printer profiles).

It’s best to ask the print shop directly which color space they work with and test them with a sample before placing a large order.

May I recommend to search for “Keith Cooper, northlight-images” to find trusted and tested printer test images (The best printer test Images - colour and monochrome images) and thus avoid unwanted color casts.

For example, take a look at this image if you don’t want to delve into the technical details.

grafik
grafik974×950 278 KB

8

Ask your local print lab for the colour profile for their printer and use that as your output profile. You can also use that profile for soft proofing.

As an alternative, use sRGB as your output and tell your lab that you are providing sRGB files and their print software should do a pretty good job of converting to their printer profile.

9

Thanks everyone for the help and advice. I called the lab and they said to use sRGB, and JPEG or TIFF. I think they have various levels of print quality, and the “standard” enlargement is what this applies to. They offer various premium levels which I presume might come with a printer/paper specific ICC profile.

I also intend to check out the Keith Cooper site and learn more.

Thanks again,

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