Light room color issues

[wendyt_ca]

I have been using light room for a bit to edit all of my pictures and it has been working great. But I have noticed on pretty well any pictures of people edited and some other photos when I send them off to be printed at a store when I pick them up the colors are off? Does anyone know why or how to fix this?

They look great on multiple computers but certain colors especially skin tones develop way off.

 

[ukstitch]

Have you done any sort of colour calibration on the screens of the computers your viewing the pictures on?

You can do this with a device such as a Spyder, Colormunki or several others. Basically it looks at the colours coming from your screen and works out if they are "correct" or not - if they aren't then it tells the computer how to make them correct.

For example, my laptop screen has quite a strong blue tint to it - I don't notice too much until I use my spyder to "fix" my screen but once I do it's very noticeable.

The problem is, that if your screen is not calibrated then you will see the colours wrong. For example, you might see a skin tone darker than they actually are. This will then cause you to correct the colours of your picture to be the colour you want. So - you'd lighten that skin tone to make it look correct.

When you then send that picture off to print, the printers will use the colour codes you send. Their printers should be correct, meaning that the colour you made look correct on your uncalibrated screen will print too light.

On top of this, different papers and inks will show colours slightly differently to each other and indeed different to a screen. For this problem, Lightroom 4 offers a mode called soft proofing. This allows you to select a paper / ink to simulate and it will try its hardest to show you how your picture will look once printed. This doesn't make as much as a difference as an uncalibrated screen, but it's still there.

So - if I've got a picture that I want absolutely right, I will therefore do the following:

1 - Calibrate my screen to make sure the colours are accurate
2 - Edit the master image inside lightroom to get the colours I want
3 - Create a proof copy of the picture for the required paper/ink
4 - Correct the colours of the proof copy to match the edited master image

 

[photo_chick]

I have been using light room for a bit to edit all of my pictures and it has been working great. But I have noticed on pretty well any pictures of people edited and some other photos when I send them off to be printed at a store when I pick them up the colors are off? Does anyone know why or how to fix this?

They look great on multiple computers but certain colors especially skin tones develop way off.

Where are you getting them printed?

 

[wendyt_ca]

Where are you getting them printed?

I have tried several places. First Costco (which was what I thought the problem was). Then Walmart (again figured that was the problem). Then I switched to a professional photography store in my area called blacks. And still Same issue.

Thanks UK stitch I will try that and see if it helps at all!

 

[jimim]

Have you done any sort of colour calibration on the screens of the computers your viewing the pictures on?

You can do this with a device such as a Spyder, Colormunki or several others. Basically it looks at the colours coming from your screen and works out if they are "correct" or not - if they aren't then it tells the computer how to make them correct.

For example, my laptop screen has quite a strong blue tint to it - I don't notice too much until I use my spyder to "fix" my screen but once I do it's very noticeable.

The problem is, that if your screen is not calibrated then you will see the colours wrong. For example, you might see a skin tone darker than they actually are. This will then cause you to correct the colours of your picture to be the colour you want. So - you'd lighten that skin tone to make it look correct.

When you then send that picture off to print, the printers will use the colour codes you send. Their printers should be correct, meaning that the colour you made look correct on your uncalibrated screen will print too light.

On top of this, different papers and inks will show colours slightly differently to each other and indeed different to a screen. For this problem, Lightroom 4 offers a mode called soft proofing. This allows you to select a paper / ink to simulate and it will try its hardest to show you how your picture will look once printed. This doesn't make as much as a difference as an uncalibrated screen, but it's still there.

So - if I've got a picture that I want absolutely right, I will therefore do the following:

1 - Calibrate my screen to make sure the colours are accurate
2 - Edit the master image inside lightroom to get the colours I want
3 - Create a proof copy of the picture for the required paper/ink
4 - Correct the colours of the proof copy to match the edited master image

Great post. To add what little I have:

1. Some places like Walgreen who I think is the best in my area if u need someone not online, tell them to turn off color correction! Even if u r calibrated most places use their own correction which over saturates, jacks up contrast, and tries to balance white a bit. At least in my area. Most people r coming in right off Their camera so I think a lot of these places "try" to help.

2. The soft proofing option in Lightroom now is kinda cool. Places like mpix and whcc (who I only use) will send u profiles to soft proof in Lightroom for some of those paper.

3. Mpix even sends a sample image with diff pics on it nada black white color swatch so u can match after u calibrate. Whcc will let u do a few test images also they will send with ur own pics.

4. Lighting. It's amazing how light changes ur screen if under cans in ur house or a lamp. I tend to edit in total darkness. I like to. But when I need to really line colors up I bought one of the lights crafters use from Joanne fabric. I bought one that was like 50 only and it's awesome. It's great for a true color match of screen and image if u don't have daylight coming into ur home at that time but also that always isn't good cause ur final print will be viewed under cans and with lamp light so editing under those lights on ur screen could be better at times. Matters what u r going for.

Just my option on this, but like others have said u need to calibrate. I love the xrite color monkey or eye1 pro. They more money but the best money u will spend. No matter how good ur pic is taken if u edit and it doesn't match then what's the point?

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Furgus]

What color space are you shooting in and what color space are you exporting too? I shoot in Adobe and export to sRGB. Have had 0 issues with printing when sending them off.

 

[photo_chick]

I have tried several places. First Costco (which was what I thought the problem was). Then Walmart (again figured that was the problem). Then I switched to a professional photography store in my area called blacks. And still Same issue.

Thanks UK stitch I will try that and see if it helps at all!

If you've tried different places and are getting the same result then it's a pretty safe bet your calibration is pretty wonky. For calibrating to be most effective for print you have to know what you're calibrating to. If you're really serious about getting the calibration right I'd choose a lab that offers their ICC profiles for you.

 

[cpbjgc]

Which province are you in? Unfortunately its hard to find professional photofinishing sometimes. I know around Winnipeg, Walmart is pretty much never good, and there is only one Costco here that does a good job (they actually have long term staff who know about processing with their equipment). Blacks around here can be iffy as well. I usually use a local camera shop for my everyday prints and some enlargements. You may want to consider using MPIX or Shutterfly which both have Canadian labs. I have used both with good results.

I have nothing else to add on calibration (except to say I have never done it). If you do have a consistent colour cast issue, that seems a logical conclusion.

I do most of my processing without any nearby light source, and so far I have had good results. I am probably just lucky on the calibration front.

 

[Shutterbug]

The other thing about calibration. You cant just do it once and leave it. It had been several months since I last calibrated mine. This thread reminded me to do it. Wow mine was really off since my last calibration. I have a Spyder 3 Pro that I use.

 

[jimim]

The other thing about calibration. You cant just do it once and leave it. It had been several months since I last calibrated mine. This thread reminded me to do it. Wow mine was really off since my last calibration.

I usually do mine once a month. It's quick with the xrite calibrators it's pretty easy. I forget too at times.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[photo_chick]

Oh yeah, You have to do calibrate often. I do mine every time I sit down to do a lot of editing. Figure I may as well start out right.

 

[ukstitch]

Oh yeah, You have to do calibrate often. I do mine every time I sit down to do a lot of editing. Figure I may as well start out right.

I've got a spyder 4 pro and that installs a little icon in my mac's menu bar that reminds me every month to do it. But - it also has an ambient light sensor that gives me a suggested white point and screen brightness based on how bright the room is so I always do a couple of "quick" calibrations before any major editing to check I have the correct profile applied for the room brightness and that the profile is still accurate.

 

[wendyt_ca]

If you've tried different places and are getting the same result then it's a pretty safe bet your calibration is pretty wonky. For calibrating to be most effective for print you have to know what you're calibrating to. If you're really serious about getting the calibration right I'd choose a lab that offers their ICC profiles for you.

The only thing is though that it's only pictures I edit and only some. If I don't edit the picture it develops exactly how it appears on my computer screen every time. But I have been doing some portraits and editing them and the color changes. Usually duller.

 

[jimim]

I've got a spyder 4 pro and that installs a little icon in my mac's menu bar that reminds me every month to do it. But - it also has an ambient light sensor that gives me a suggested white point and screen brightness based on how bright the room is so I always do a couple of "quick" calibrations before any major editing to check I have the correct profile applied for the room brightness and that the profile is still accurate.

The xrite eye1 pro also has an ambient light sensor which I use. I like results. Problem with that is the light in the room I use is always diff based on day so that's why I sit under the craft lamp a lot cause then my light is always the same.

I also know with using whcc they told me what to shoot for in my calibration so I didn't even have to use the light sensor. I used their settings when I calibrated and if its day with light from the windows I m good and if night I edit under my lamp which is the same light and I'm good.

But everyone's work flows r diff so there r so many right or diff ways to get to where u need to be.

I deff agree with u and a lot of others that the first step needs to be proper calibration to be 100 percent correct wether edited or unedited photo.

 

[photo_chick]

The only thing is though that it's only pictures I edit and only some. If I don't edit the picture it develops exactly how it appears on my computer screen every time. But I have been doing some portraits and editing them and the color changes. Usually duller.

Well that changes things a little. What color space are you saving your work in? There could be some incompatibility there. Also what type of monitor are you working on?

 

[HPS3]

I use a Spyder 3 Pro which works fine for me. I keep seeing these new monitors coming out with their own calibration software.

How do you go about syncing your monitor to a printer like Adoramapix or Mpix?

 

[photo_chick]

I use a Spyder 3 Pro which works fine for me. I keep seeing these new monitors coming out with their own calibration software.

How do you go about syncing your monitor to a printer like Adoramapix or Mpix?

Just like you would with any lab. Get their ICC profiles, make a couple of reference prints, and go from there.

 

[wendyt_ca]

Just thought I would give everyone an update!

I fixed my color issues!! It wasn't the monitor calibration. Lightroom was saving the color space to Pro PhotoRGB and I changed it to sRGB and voila! I am so happy

 

[photo_chick]

Just thought I would give everyone an update!

I fixed my color issues!! It wasn't the monitor calibration. Lightroom was saving the color space to Pro PhotoRGB and I changed it to sRGB and voila! I am so happy

Colorspace incompatibilities can wonk things up sometimes. Glad you got it straightened out!

 

[DSLRuser]

Calibrate your monitors, then make sure your color space matches what the printer uses. If you use ADOBE RGB in Lightroom, but your printer us sRGB, it is possible for colors to be off.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_space