Sharp Enough for Print?

[jmtonkin]

Hey all,

I'm relatively new to the printing process, and after a couple failed attempts, I think I figured out what's wrong: I'm not sharpening my prints enough before printing! The following shot will be printed as wallets and an 8x10 for a client. Before printing, I want to make sure I've applied sufficient sharpening. What are your thoughts?

Also, my understanding is that printing ends up a fair amount darker, so I lightened up the edit for print.

Before:

After sharpening:

I also did some touch-ups to the "after" shot, but I'm focused on the sharpening for the sake of this post.

 

[Bryston3bsst]

If the original file is sharp then so will your print, assuming you're using a decent printer and paper. Good paper is vitally important. And your print should not be darker or lighter than you see on your monitor if you have calibrated the monitor and profiled it with your printer.

The above image should look very good in an 8 X 10. Just a suggestion, if I may, I might crop the sides and top of this one just a bit more. Maybe see if you can clean up the dirt patch and weeds by her left hand as well. I'm sorry, I know this isn't a 'critique' post.

Your client should be pleased.

 

[jmtonkin]

If the original file is sharp then so will your print, assuming you're using a decent printer and paper. Good paper is vitally important. And your print should not be darker or lighter than you see on your monitor if you have calibrated the monitor and profiled it with your printer.

The above image should look very good in an 8 X 10. Just a suggestion, if I may, I might crop the sides and top of this one just a bit more. Maybe see if you can clean up the dirt patch and weeds by her left hand as well. I'm sorry, I know this isn't a 'critique' post.

Your client should be pleased.

Here's my concern: I printed a proof book through my print lab, but when the book came back, the images looked soft. When I asked them about it, they told me that I should make sure that I do some sharpening prior to uploading. I've done some reading about printing, and everything says that I should sharpen the file before ordering.

As for the brightness, I soft proofed with the labs color profile, and everything looks darker. My screen is calibrated, by the way, and I recalibrate before every edit session. Again, from what I've read, everything says to brighten before printing.

 

[jmtonkin]

@The_Traveler

I'm slightly confused about what is "funny" in my original post?

 

[Designer]

Again, from what I've read, everything says to brighten before printing.

It might have something to do with the differences in appearance between print (which is front lighted ink on paper), and electronic display (backlighted LED display).

 

[Bryston3bsst]

Here's my concern: I printed a proof book through my print lab, but when the book came back, the images looked soft. When I asked them about it, they told me that I should make sure that I do some sharpening prior to uploading. I've done some reading about printing, and everything says that I should sharpen the file before ordering.

As for the brightness, I soft proofed with the labs color profile, and everything looks darker. My screen is calibrated, by the way, and I recalibrate before every edit session. Again, from what I've read, everything says to brighten before printing.

I've not run into this, but then I print my own. I did have that problem once upon a time but have since corrected it. I edit as always, no extra sharpening or brightening and print them. I do use outside labs for large canvases and I just tell them to make no corrections and the prints come back as I saw them on screen.

But if you've got it worked out with your printing source then I would say rock on.

Now you've got me curious what was funny about your original post too.

 

[jmtonkin]

I've not run into this, but then I print my own. I did have that problem once upon a time but have since corrected it. I edit as always, no extra sharpening or brightening and print them. I do use outside labs for large canvases and I just tell them to make no corrections and the prints come back as I saw them on screen.

I'm wondering if the issue was because I didn't sharpen it, or because I printed a full-size image at 2.5"x3.5" for the proof book. Is that too much compression?

 

[jmtonkin]

For those that print wallets for clients, what is your method? I read that I should resize the files in PS to the appropriate size, and then print them. With my lab, I can just upload the full-size picture and it fits it in the template. Is this the same effect, or should I do it through PS resize?

 

[KmH]

Photographs destined for printing can usually stand somewhat more sharpening than images that will only be displayed electronically.
Real World Image Sharpening with Adobe Photoshop, Camera Raw, and Lightroom (2nd Edition)

 

[jmtonkin]

Photographs destined for printing can usually stand somewhat more sharpening than images that will only be displayed electronically.

That's what I've read before, which is why I'm wondering if this is enough sharpening. I'm afraid to go too far, because I don't want an obviously over-sharpened print.