Getting images printed

BillN_33

BillN_33

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Bill
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I'd like to get some images printed using an on-line service - mainly B & W but also colour - a few questions that I need help with

1). They have been edited in LR
2). What size do I upload them - original dimensions and full Mbte size - i.e. quite big files, both ways ..... or what?
3). Do I need to save them in LR in a particularly way to get the best results
4). Printed size - I want to put a bank of about 20 together framed on a wall in my study - maybe changing them every few months
5). Any recommendations on which company to use

Thanks in advance for any help that you can give me
 
BillN_33 said:
I'd like to get some images printed using an on-line service - mainly B & W but also colour - a few questions that I need help with

1). They have been edited in LR
2). What size do I upload them - original dimensions and full Mbte size - i.e. quite big files, both ways ..... or what?
3). Do I need to save them in LR in a particularly way to get the best results
4). Printed size - I want to put a bank of about 20 together framed on a wall in my study - maybe changing them every few months
5). Any recommendations on which company to use

Thanks in advance for any help that you can give me
Click to expand...
As I do not use LR and IIRC even when I did I finalised my images in PS, I can't address your specific questions.

However, I create my images based on 300dpi at the pixel dimensions to suit the print size I intend to get printed.

As for who to get them printed by..... @Tradecanvasprint who I have use both for prints and canvasses :)
 
Assuming your images are large enough to print at the size you want, I would send the largest file size you can. Forget dpi as it is irrelevant until you actually print something. The print shop will deal with that.

The print shop will usually specify the file type but most will accept both tif or jpg.
 
BillN_33 said:
I'd like to get some images printed using an on-line service - mainly B & W but also colour - a few questions that I need help with

1). They have been edited in LR
2). What size do I upload them - original dimensions and full Mbte size - i.e. quite big files, both ways ..... or what?
3). Do I need to save them in LR in a particularly way to get the best results
4). Printed size - I want to put a bank of about 20 together framed on a wall in my study - maybe changing them every few months
5). Any recommendations on which company to use

Thanks in advance for any help that you can give me
Click to expand...

Export at 300ppi, using the longest edge print dimension, as suggested.
Check file types accepted. Everyone will take jpg, many, but not all, will take tifs.
Make sure you export in a colour space the printer can manage.
If you have a calibrated screen that can help, otherwise pay special attention to 'exposure' and setting black & white points.
Printer - have a look at Tradecanvas - they do more than just canvases, and there's a TP10 discount.

*edit* if outputting in jpg, don't compress more than necessary, or indeed at all.
 
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Thanks Guys, really helpful

In the past I've just sent small files to my daughter who I think just uploaded them from her iPhone, the B & W prints were good/quite good but I felt the colour ones were not that good
 
BillN_33 said:
I'd like to get some images printed using an on-line service - mainly B & W but also colour - a few questions that I need help with

1). They have been edited in LR
2). What size do I upload them - original dimensions and full Mbte size - i.e. quite big files, both ways ..... or what?
3). Do I need to save them in LR in a particularly way to get the best results
4). Printed size - I want to put a bank of about 20 together framed on a wall in my study - maybe changing them every few months
5). Any recommendations on which company to use

Thanks in advance for any help that you can give me
Click to expand...
2. Export to full size.
3. Tiff if you are printing really big sizes, else jpeg is fine. Check sharpness at 100% size.
5. I print through Boots.
 
As mentioned above, export full size jpgs SRGB colour space - don't worry about the dpi settings. In LR, you might want to change the output sharpening to suit glossy or matte paper depending on what paper you will be printing on, though I've found this doesn't make any noticable difference in my experience unless printing really large (A1 or more), and looking at the prints with a magnifying glass.

I used to use DS Colour labs for all prints up to 18x12 as they are very reasonable priced and the print quality is great for the price paid. However, I now have a Canon Pro-300 printer at home so print anything up to A3+ at home now.

I had some sample prints produced by https://www.tradecanvasprint.co.uk/ @Tradecanvasprint last year, and I was very impressed with the quality of print, paper and colour accuracy. Great choice of papers as well to suit different types of print.
 
Various points have been covered above.

No point in occasioning bigger uploads than needed - this is the rationale behind sizing to the actual print @ 300ppi. Then I'd suggest an sRGB uncompressed jpg.

An issue can be how light / dark the print is, which will likely relate to how light / dark you run your display - this ball is in your park.

It's usually worth soft proofing for any given process / paper - this acts as a virtual test run. Whether mono or colour, pay attention to how the contrast looks. You might then want to make suitable adjustments before saving out print copies of each image.

Harman do a nice job on mono prints.

DSCL are very good value for C-type colour.

Take the postage hit to get some test images printed. Then once you're in the groove, batch your prints to economise.
 
BillN_33 said:
I'd like to get some images printed using an on-line service - mainly B & W but also colour - a few questions that I need help with

1). They have been edited in LR
2). What size do I upload them - original dimensions and full Mbte size - i.e. quite big files, both ways ..... or what?
3). Do I need to save them in LR in a particularly way to get the best results
4). Printed size - I want to put a bank of about 20 together framed on a wall in my study - maybe changing them every few months
5). Any recommendations on which company to use

Thanks in advance for any help that you can give me
Click to expand...
  1. Not a problem, I usually set an export preset for the print companies that I use (see settings below).
  2. It depends, either full resolution, or sized at the print size at 300dpi (or whatever the print shop requires).
  3. For my print export presets I save at the highest quality jpeg, and apply export sharpening for print.
  4. You need to start here, have you sorted frames/mounts etc? Or do you want canvas etc? I find it best to start from the end goal and work backwards to get the print size.
  5. I either use DSCL (mainly for smaller prints) or my local lab, OneVision Imaging, as I can pick up larger prints from them, without paying for postage/entrusting my print to a courier. However, I really recommend doing test prints at various companies to get a feel not just for the print quality, but also the upload/ordering/delivery process. Given that you have a few prints to do you could do the first few as tests, then the rest as a bulk order when you have found a preferred printer, which will probably work out cheaper.
 
Craikeybaby said:
  1. Not a problem, I usually set an export preset for the print companies that I use (see settings below).
  2. It depends, either full resolution, or sized at the print size at 300dpi (or whatever the print shop requires).
  3. For my print export presets I save at the highest quality jpeg, and apply export sharpening for print.
  4. You need to start here, have you sorted frames/mounts etc? Or do you want canvas etc? I find it best to start from the end goal and work backwards to get the print size.
  5. I either use DSCL (mainly for smaller prints) or my local lab, OneVision Imaging, as I can pick up larger prints from them, without paying for postage/entrusting my print to a courier. However, I really recommend doing test prints at various companies to get a feel not just for the print quality, but also the upload/ordering/delivery process. Given that you have a few prints to do you could do the first few as tests, then the rest as a bulk order when you have found a preferred printer, which will probably work out cheaper.
Click to expand...

Thanks Lewis

'However, I really recommend doing test prints at various companies to get a feel not just for the print quality, but also the upload/ordering/delivery process. Given that you have a few prints to do you could do the first few as tests, then the rest as a bulk order when you have found a preferred printer, which will probably work out cheaper"

That's what I have done - upload 50 images for 6 x 4 prints, when the postage cost nearly as much as the 50 prints
 
BillN_33 said:
Thanks Lewis

'However, I really recommend doing test prints at various companies to get a feel not just for the print quality, but also the upload/ordering/delivery process. Given that you have a few prints to do you could do the first few as tests, then the rest as a bulk order when you have found a preferred printer, which will probably work out cheaper"

That's what I have done - upload 50 images for 6 x 4 prints, when the postage cost nearly as much as the 50 prints
Click to expand...
I missed the banking together/muli-framing requirement of what you wish to print

If you're after 6x4 inch prints perhaps and on the surmise that you edit & size your images as I mentioned in a previous post, try the Cewe print terminal @ Boots in Winchester?

Saves on postage and you get them there and then.

PS I couldn't readily see the print in store prices but the order online + collect in store is £0.17 per 6×4 print.
 
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Box Brownie said:
I missed the banking together/muli-framing requirement of what you wish to print

If you're after 6x4 inch prints perhaps and on the surmise that you edit & size your images as I mentioned in a previous post, try the Cewe print terminal @ Boots in Winchester?

Saves on postage and you get them there and then.

PS I couldn't readily see the print in store prices but the order online + collect in store is £0.17 per 6×4 print.
Click to expand...

Thanks

Just used Google - yep there is a store in Winchester with the instant print facility, I'll give them a go for "test prints" before deciding which I want to print bigger
 
Snapfish UK - ordered on-line on the 10th arrived this morning, the 13th - (although on original order I chose the cheapest postage which they said would be delivered by the 15th)

50 prints 6 x 4

£6 plus £3.99p postage = under £10 for 50 6 x4 prints - 20 pence each (and there is a voucher for 30% off my next order)

Colours are good as are B & W prints - very pleased

(I, however, made a basic mistake - when I uploaded the files the system produced a list which indicated the "best size" for each shot - I over-rid this and ticked the 6 x 4 box for every image, but a few of the shots were cropped to 1 x 1 and 7 x 5 - consequently the images on several photos have been 'chopped" - so next time I'll be very careful and look at their suggestion image by image)
 
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