Prints of pictures

[Goldcoin79]

Hi all

I would like any opinions you may have on print quality of photos.

I have taken some nice pictures of my daughter and her pony on my D5100 and when I looked at the pictures on the LCD display the colours looked fantastic just how they were. I uploaded them to my ipad and again the colours looked just how I remember them, specifically a rug the pony was wearing which was a baby pink colour. I then ordered some 6x4 prints from a online site called photobox which I was recommended and it also says on the site there prints are quality. When I got them I was disappointed as the colours appear darker and it was particuly noticeable on the pink rug which on the print out appeared a darker pink than what I would call baby pink.

I know there may be a slight differance from what it looks like on an ipad but did not expect it to be that noticeable. How close to the colours you see on an ipad2 would you expect it to be? I have got a number of other pictures printed at the same time but they all seem a bit darker to me. The pictures are good enough to show friends but when compared I would say noticeably darker to what was seen on the camera LCD and ipad.

I am wondering weather the quality of the company I used is not that good. Any input from your experiences will be appreciated and any other company's you recommend to get your prints done through will also be appreciated. I am in the uk so any company's would have to be reasonable to send to the uk.

thanks in advance, James.

 

[Light Guru]

You need to calibrate your monitor.

 

[Goldcoin79]

You can't calibrate an ipad screen as far as I'm aware and I thought the problem may be with the prints as the ipad display colours looks more accurate to what the colours realy looked like than the prints did.

 

[KmH]

Prints are not back lit like electronic displays are. So, prints will never look like what you see on an electronic display.
Another issue could be related to color management (color space) on your end. You can see on an electronic display a close approximation of what a print will look like if you 'soft-proof' using the print device's ICC profile.

Here is a group of tutorials that covers soft-proofing, color management and printing - Tutorials on Color Management & Printing

In the days of film, a lot of this printing, color management, technical stuff was handled by the lab. With digital, it's up to the consumer now.

 

[amolitor]

It's also possible that photobox sucks. I have no idea, I have never heard of them.

You could search the internet for reviews.

In general, low cost printing is going to be at best wildly variable.

 

[KmH]

The OP is in England.

 

[Light Guru]

You can't calibrate an ipad screen as far as I'm aware

Not he same way you can a computer but you actually can calibrate an iPad. The Spyder 3 calibrated has an ipad app that will profile your ipad. Obviously it cannot apply that profile to the ipad OS but it does apply it to the an image an then creates a calibrated version of the image for the ipad.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2011/5/26/datacoloriPad

Prints are not back lit like electronic displays are.

Screen brightness is definitely a factor. That's why when you calibrate your display the first thing it has you do is turn down the brightness.