For Best Results Don't Use Jpegs, Use Anyone of the Other Formats

Understanding File Formats

RAW (Raw Image File) – The native format your camera uses • No compression – lossless • 10 - 14 bits per color – 1024 to 16k shades of gray • Unprocessed format that won’t look good unless “developed” • Development settings are stored in a companion file .XMP • Camera specific formats . .NEF –Nikon . .CR2 – Canon . .ARW – Sony . .DNG – Adobe

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) • No compression – lossless • Adobe owned, no update since 1992 • Development settings are stored in the file format • Very large files approaching 100 Meg

PSD (Photoshop file format) • No compression – lossless • Adobe owned • Development settings are stored in the file format • Very large files approaching 100 Meg

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) • Variable compression/Quality levels – Lossy format – data will be lost • Development settings are stored in the file format • Image is processed – limited ability to change later • 8 bits per color – 256 shades of gray • Applies White Balance , Exposure, Color and tone • “Sharpens” the image

For best results don’t use JPEGs, use anyone of the other formats.

Understanding Color Space

From A color Managed Raw Workflow – From Cameras to Final Print by Jeff Schewe and Bruce Fraser of Adobe.

“The Gamut of the various color Spaces shows that there are colors that can be printed on the Epson 2200 (cicra 2002) that falls outside both sRGB and even Adobe RGB. ProPhoto RGB can contain all the colors that a digital camera can capture.”

NOTE: Modern printers can print much larger color spaces then the Epson 2200. ProPhot RGB is the colorspace of choice to capture all the colors your camera can take and the printer can print.

ProPhoto RGB is the largest standardised color space defined for photgraphy.

Set Color Space to ProPhoto RGB or Adobe RGB

• Is is the default colorspace for Lightroom. • In Photoshop the default is sRGB and needs to be changed as shown below: (Edit – Color Settings…)

Set Working Spaces RGB: to ProPhoto RGB

Sending Images from Lightroom

After you have “developed “the picture in LR and are ready to have it printed, follow the directions below: 1. Create a folder called: Export for Printing on your desktop or another location where you remember where it is. 2. In the LR Develop Module, after making your edits to the picture. Right click on the picture and select: Export: Export... You will get the menu below (Optionally you can select File: Export… from the system Menu at the top of the page).

3. Make sure Export To: Hard Drive is selected. 4. In Export Location select Export to Specific Folder, Choose folder (The one you just set up), in this case : Export for Printing 5. File Settings select: Original 6. Post Processing select: After Export: Show in Explorer (Win), Show in Finder (Mac) 7. Select Export from the bottom of the form.

8. Two files will appear in Export for Printing: the Raw file (.NEF, .CR2,…) and .xmp (as shown above) 9. Select both and upload them to us. 10. We will Import both of them and have the full resolution , color depth and the LR changes you made to your RAW file. The perfect environmentr for getting the best print. a. NOTE: If the original is not a RAW file but a PSD or TIFF. We will get that instead (no .xmp) which is OK.

Sending Images from Photoshop

1. Create a folder called: Export for Printing on your desktop or another location where you remember where it is. 2. Make sure the working space is set up for Adobe RGB or preferably ProPhoto RGB (See above). 3. Edit and adjust your picture, when done 4. File: Save As…. 5. Navigate to Export for Printing folder 6. Set up the dialogue as below with your specified file name

7. Select Save 8. The PSD file will appear in the selected directory 9. Select it and upload it to us.

Most Print Labs want JPEGs with the sRGB color space – the lowest quality solution. We request TIFFs, PSD, DNG or Original format in the ProPhoto RGB color space with 8 or 16 bit values.

Yes, the files are bigger and it takes longer to upload them, but the results are well worth it.