Where professionals print their photos?

Where professional photographers print their photos? As far as I know
online print services such as Snapfish or Shutterfly don't provide
ICC profiles. Although Costco profiles can be downloaded from Dry
Creek Photo, still none of online sites provide many choices in paper
type or quality of print. Are there professional services where I can
download their ICC profiles and then send them my photos to be printed?
So the burning question is where pros print their photos?

On 19 Jan 2006 20:26:57 -0800, "Hitchkas" wrote:

Where professional photographers print their photos? As far as I know
online print services such as Snapfish or Shutterfly don't provide
ICC profiles. Although Costco profiles can be downloaded from Dry
Creek Photo, still none of online sites provide many choices in paper
type or quality of print. Are there professional services where I can
download their ICC profiles and then send them my photos to be printed?
So the burning question is where pros print their photos?


Try West Coast Imaging, or Calypso Labs. I've dealt
with both, and they're both excellent. I believe there
are downloadable profiles at both sites.

http://www.westcoastimaging.com/

http://www.calypsoinc.com/


rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com

As important as the profiles, check what printing system they use:
Kodak v. Fuji. The prints are very different. Most "wedding labs" use
Kodak paper. The Professional Endura paper is really nice for skin
tones.

Also, some labs won't send color profiles. They will send you a print
and email you a file. You then calibrate your monitor yourself. You
can do the same for any send out service. You have the file and the
print, so you can adjust your monitor by hand. It might not be exact,
but you can get pretty close.

The problem with "where do the professionals print" is the fact that
some lab only print for professionals and if you don't have a tax i.d.
number or such, they won't print for you. They tend to be a little
more expensive than the other labs, but they make up for it in quality
and service.

My advice to you is to send the same set of images to every lab you can
find and see what ones you like the best. It will surprise you the
difference in the quality. I keep a file like that for reference.

"Hitchkas" writes:

Where professional photographers print their photos? As far as I know
online print services such as Snapfish or Shutterfly don't provide
ICC profiles. Although Costco profiles can be downloaded from Dry
Creek Photo, still none of online sites provide many choices in paper
type or quality of print. Are there professional services where I can
download their ICC profiles and then send them my photos to be printed?
So the burning question is where pros print their photos?

You don't need, or even want, to get a profile from your printer; you
simply want your printer to use a color-managed workflow, ideally one
which respects the working-space of your image (if now, you must
convert yourself before submitting the photo for printing).

WHCC.com is set up for professional printing; they specify somewhat
restricively but quite precisely how you need to prep your files, and
make excellent prints from them.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, , http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/
RKBA: http://noguns-nomoney.com/ http://www.dd-b.net/carry/
Pics: http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/ http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/
Dragaera/Steven Brust: http://dragaera.info/

On 19 Jan 2006 21:27:58 -0800, "Pat"
wrote:

As important as the profiles, check what printing system they use:
Kodak v. Fuji. The prints are very different. Most "wedding labs" use
Kodak paper. The Professional Endura paper is really nice for skin
tones.

Also, some labs won't send color profiles. They will send you a print
and email you a file. You then calibrate your monitor yourself. You
can do the same for any send out service. You have the file and the
print, so you can adjust your monitor by hand. It might not be exact,
but you can get pretty close.

The problem with "where do the professionals print" is the fact that
some lab only print for professionals and if you don't have a tax i.d.
number or such, they won't print for you. They tend to be a little
more expensive than the other labs, but they make up for it in quality
and service.

My advice to you is to send the same set of images to every lab you can
find and see what ones you like the best. It will surprise you the
difference in the quality. I keep a file like that for reference.


I'm sorry, but there's a good deal of questionable
advice here.

It's crazy to adjust your monitor to suit this or that lab's
printer. Get a $99 Spyder, profile and calibrate your
monitor, and use color management. It's not that
difficult any more.

Repeat: NEVER adjust your monitor to match a print.
That path leads only to madness and ruin.

Also, WCI and Calypso don't need your tax id number --
I've never ever dealt with a place that did, either, for
anything. All they need or want is your Mastercard or
Visa card number, and an address to send the prints
to when they're done.

Kodak vs. Fuji paper? I've never seen a difference,
and I've used both. Again, with proper color management,
the difference will be, for all practical purposes, nil.

There's nothing wrong with "shopping around" for a good
print service. But no need to overdo it. What matters
most is your own attention to the images themselves
and (dare I repeat myself) *proper color management.*

If you're thinking of having prints made for you, there's
really no way around it. You need to get with the program.

If you're unsure of yourself and concerned about the
cost of wasted prints, start small. Have a couple
of 11x17s made before you go ordering posters
and mural-size prints.


rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com

You don't need, or even want, to get a profile from your printer;

How do you soft proof without a printer profile?

In article .com,
Hitchkas wrote:

Where professional photographers print their photos? As far as I know
online print services such as Snapfish or Shutterfly don't provide
ICC profiles. Although Costco profiles can be downloaded from Dry
Creek Photo, still none of online sites provide many choices in paper
type or quality of print. Are there professional services where I can
download their ICC profiles and then send them my photos to be printed?
So the burning question is where pros print their photos?

It's a secret. We could tell you, but then we'd have to kill you.

Derek Fountain writes:

You don't need, or even want, to get a profile from your printer;

How do you soft proof without a printer profile?

Is that relevant if you're not dealing with low-end 4-color printing?
Seems like the real photo printing methods have enough gamut not to
worry about it.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, , http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/
RKBA: http://noguns-nomoney.com/ http://www.dd-b.net/carry/
Pics: http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/ http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/
Dragaera/Steven Brust: http://dragaera.info/

"David Dyer-Bennet" wrote in message
...
Derek Fountain writes:

You don't need, or even want, to get a profile from your printer;

How do you soft proof without a printer profile?

Is that relevant if you're not dealing with low-end 4-color printing?
Seems like the real photo printing methods have enough gamut not to
worry about it.


There are other issues you might want to adjust and correct for, no?

I mean, gamut is just one of these.



rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com

"rafe b" writes:

"David Dyer-Bennet" wrote in message
...
Derek Fountain writes:

You don't need, or even want, to get a profile from your printer;

How do you soft proof without a printer profile?

Is that relevant if you're not dealing with low-end 4-color printing?
Seems like the real photo printing methods have enough gamut not to
worry about it.


There are other issues you might want to adjust and correct for, no?

I mean, gamut is just one of these.

Everything else is already handled in a color-managed workflow.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, , http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/
RKBA: http://noguns-nomoney.com/ http://www.dd-b.net/carry/
Pics: http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/ http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/
Dragaera/Steven Brust: http://dragaera.info/