Hi,
My fault for getting a few things wrong in typing, it wasn't the device I used to calibrate that set brightness on monitor at 50. This is what someone recommended I did:
Calibrate Monitor which I did. It automatically saves the profile and when I check colour management it's the default.
They then said to change monitor brightness to 50 that's the advice they gave.
Photo's were edited and then instructions followed from the lab before images are sent to them. I recently did a test with a local lab and that printed fine, they even checked it while I was there before printing as was spot on.
This is why I can't understand when I use Pro Am they are dark. The FAQ have some people having same and the answers are just calibrate and brightness too high and needs to be reduced.
At least now I have got a test print from different lab which was fine I know I am set up ok.
Hi Martin
This above makes no sense to me???
AFAIK the whole purpose of calibration is to create a custom screen profile that accounts for the colour temperature and the individual R G B settings as well in the case we are talking about the brightness. With my screen using a Spyder 4 Elite I set my target brightness of 100cd/m2 and adjust the OSD control such that Spyder reports that I have set it to the required level to achieve the 100cd target. Then it takes all its colour readings and creates the profile.
Therefore to then once calibrated to ignore the OSD setting and simply increase it to 50 makes absolutely no sense...............did the person who recommended this step tell you why it was needed?
Now in regard to ProAm lab you mention I had a quick look and the Fuji DP2 they talk I have from one lab but only for use in soft proofing when making C type prints....................I am still at a loss to understand why they tell customers to PP and attach that profile to submitted images. The only thing I can think of is perhaps they simply run the files without any sort of technician intervention or monitoring and that because you supplied files that, because of your screen being too bright, resulted in dark prints.
So, looking at what you say about the 'local lab' were these images embedded with the ProAm profile or the sRGB "standard"? Secondly though the second lab prints you say are fine....................are they really or are they printed with technician intervention to compensate for the image being too dark.
I think a fair test of ProAm for you is to properly calibrate you screen using what IMO is the way the vast majority of calibrator users do and set the brightness to compliment the room lighting (as mentioned I PP in very subdued light and mine is set to 100cd/m2) and then send them a file and see what the result is like.
Of course you can continue to use the new local lab but I think they are not doing you any favours because you are it seems relying on them to make adjustments and they could be introducing unwelcome artifacts.
For the record I have had Giclee prints made where the lab's only recommendation was to not do the output sharpening step because they controlled that step based on their knowledge of the best setting to suit the paper type selected and whether they were in some cases doing some upscaling for me.
in case I then have to get my 
now off to :sleep:
