As a photographer, there’s something magical about getting something you created printed large scale. Printing photography can be difficult, but follow these tips to get it right the first time!
Step 1. Make final changes from critiques
Before you start getting your photograph ready for print, make the final changes you need to from the critiques session. It’s best to complete your major changes and heavier edits such as toning, content aware fills, cropping, high-end retouching, or dodge and burns before moving on. Once you are happy with your edits, save your photoshop file.
Step 2. Create a copy of your Photoshop file. Then Open Your “Print Only” file.
Create a copy of your original photoshop file. Make sure to rename this new copy as something like “PrintOnly” so you know that this is just for print. If you use Adobe Lightroom to edit, you can do this by right clicking on your image and creating a virtual copy.
Step 3. Flatten your layers
Your newly created, “print only” photoshop file should look exactly like your old one; all your existing layers and edits should have been preserved exact.
1. Select all of your layers.
2. Right click on the layers panel.
3. Click “Flatten Image”
With your layers now flattened into a single image, you can’t make any changes to your previous edits. If you need to change those, go back into your original photoshop file and make the necessary changes.
Step 4. Check your color profile and convert to AdobeRGB 1998.
A color profile is a set of data that tells devices and printers about the colors and the range a certain device can display and produce. Every device – whether it be a screen or printer – handles colors differently, and we are able to use a color profile to ensure our file stays the same across all devices. Think of a color profile like a translation dictionary. It bridges the gap between the color you see on your screen and the color of a various device.
Photographs can have different color profiles so when we go to print it’s important to make sure that we assign our document the correct profile to get the right colors. After toying and playing around with color profiles, AdobeRGB 1998 is the best color profile in terms of how it correctly translates the color data for any printer.
1. Select your background layer (your flattened image)
2. Click Edit -> Assign Profile
3. On the third option, select “AdobeRGB 1998” from the list
4. Hit ok.
If your profile was already set to AdobeRGB 1998, great! It’s also good to double check. Your color shouldn’t have changed that much on the screen, but if you don’t do this step, you’ll end up with discolored images!
Step 5. Lighten the image
Most printers usually print images darker than they appear on your screen. With this in mind, the first and most important thing that you can do is to set your screen brightness. There are three different ways to lighten the image: Adobe Camera Raw Filter, Levels Adjustment Layer, or Curves Adjustment Layers.
Using the Levels Adjustment Layers:
1. Set you screen brightness to around 40-50%. Lean more towards 40%.
2. Add a new levels adjustment layer.
3. Adjust as necessary.
Using the Curves Adjustment Layers:
1. Set you screen brightness to around 40-50%. Lean more towards 40%.
2. Add a new curves adjustment layers.
3. Adjust as necessary.
Using Camera Raw Filter:
1. Create a duplicate background layer (CMD/CNT + J)
2. Click on new layer (typically named Layer 1) then go up to Filter -> Camera Raw Filter
3. Use the slider to increase the Shadows.
Step 5. Sharpen the Image
With any printer, images tend to loose their sharpness. While the image might be sharp and crystal clear on your screen, most times it will look a bit softer when you go to print. While your image won’t be out-of-focus blurry, it will look soft and have a small blur to it.
1. Duplicate your top layer (which should be an image) using CMD+J/CNTL+J.
2. Select the new layer.
3. Go to Filter -> Sharpen -> Unsharp Mask
4. Apply around 50%-70% Amount. A good radius is 2.0 with a threshold of 2.0
5. Apply Mask
Step 7. Flattening, Saving, Exporting
When it comes to printing images, some people like to save three different versions of their print: one with their final major edits (the one you started with at the beginning of this activity), one with the final edits for the printer (the one you just finished) and one that has the final edits for the printer with all layers flattened.
Some print shops, like Quick Ship’N’Copy don’t like layers in Photoshop files, so you need to flatten your layers.
1. Select all of your layers.
2. Right click on the layers panel.
3. Click “Flatten Image”
4. Save the Photoshop File
If you want, you can save a separate Photoshop file with your print layers in it, in addition to a version that has the layers flattened.
After you finished flattening the layers, save your Photoshop file. After saving your photoshop file, let’s export a JPEG just in case the printer can’t print PSD’s.
1. Go to File -> Export -> Export As
2. Ensure that “JPG” is selected in the dropdown box and quality is set to “100%”
3. Check to make sure that you have the right settings for size (if you followed the setup instructions, you should be good)
4. Uncheck Convert to sRGB if selected
5. Check “Embed Color Profile”
6. Export
Almost ready to go!…
When you go to print your conceptual challenge, it’s important that you bring the following files loaded onto an USB Flashdrive or SD Card.
- Print Only Photoshop File
- Exported Print Only JPEG Image
It’s suggested you bring your computer with you so that way if you need make changes or something isn’t loading right you can resave your files or adjust them as needed, without having to come back a second time.
Talk the Talk
Most print shops today are able to print a wide range of file types, including from the Adobe Suite. No matter what you’re printing or where you go, always ask to have them print from the design or photoshop file!
When you print from the design or photoshop file, it’s less risky when it comes to image quality and sharpness because it’s the highest resolution possible. When you print from other file types, especially exported JPEG files, quality can become compromised.
Also, when you go and get the conceptual challenge printed, make sure that you say you need it mounted on foam-core board. Quick Ship’N’Copy knows exactly what this is and how to do it (most print shops do) but you usually have to ask for it especially on photography prints!