large prints - what should i do before printing?

[GoldenBokeh]

i looked and looked and couldn't find an answer for this question:

if i want to print a large print (A3, A2, and bigger), what are the considerations of the file type (does it matter if it's a 8 bit jpeg or a 32 bit tiff???) and color profiles? , paper type,
thickness of paper etc'.

is there a step by step procedure that one of you want to share of printing large shots?

sorry for all the questions, I've been sitting on a print i want to make for a while now...

 

[The_Traveler]

it depends on what the lab requirements are.
do they provide color profiles for soft-proofing and will they accept tiffs or even psd?

 

[KmH]

i looked and looked and couldn't find an answer for this question:

if i want to print a large print (A3, A2, and bigger), what are the considerations of the file type (does it matter if it's a 8 bit jpeg or a 32 bit tiff???) and color profiles? , paper type,
thickness of paper etc'.

is there a step by step procedure that one of you want to share of printing large shots?

sorry for all the questions, I've been sitting on a print i want to make for a while now...

Preparing digital images for printing is a sub-set of image editing. If the resolution of your image has to be increased so you can print larger, you would want to consider the variety of resolution interpolation algorithms available to you. However, you also need to factor in that as prints get larger, people view them from further away.

Most images need a bit more sharpening for print, than they need for electronic display. Exactly how much more, and what type, of sharpening would depend on the frequency of edges in the image.

There are no true 32-bit files, and most print labs will require flattened (no layers) 8-bit depth files regardless of file type. You would also want to know the color space (not the same as color profile) the lab requires.

As The_Traveler mentioned you would want to download from the lab the ICC profile information for their printing device that would be making your print. With that data and a soft-proofing capable image editing application you could see a close approximation of what your big print will look like. Since computer displays are back lit and prints are front lit, prints often look different than the same image seen on your computer display. Visit this small group of tutorials - Tutorials on Color Management & Printing

You will need to choose what type of print you want made, be it a chromogenic print (C-print) or an inkjet print.

Chromogenic prints are made using light sensitive paper that has a 3-layer color emulsion on one side. The paper is the chemically developed. For chromogenic prints I prefer Kodak's professional papers - KODAK PROFESSIONAL: Papers and Materials but you will be limited to the papers offered by whichever print lab you use. However, you can find labs that will print your work as a custom job, at a premium price.

For inkjet prints you would want to know if the lab is using aqueous or solvent based inks/dyes. Some inkjet prints are made using UV-cured inks/dyes when prints are made on materials other than paper. Which papers get used for inkjet printing depends on the type of ink/dyes used.

The highest quality inkjet prints are made on special, high resolution inkjet printers that have more than the normal number of ink colors. They are often known as Giclée prints, and tend to be the most expensive prints made.

Lastly, for larger prints one has to consider how the print will be displayed. Will it be framed, have a mat, what type of mount, etc?