prints too dark

[jparkert]

hello!  i have the xrite color munki|display for my mac laptop.  i have test prints from 3 labs which all seem too dark to me.  i know my screen will be brighter, but when i look at these prints, they look underexposed.  i base exposure on the histogram and feel like they should be printing brighter.  i initially had my calibration on 100.  if i turn it down to 90, will i just be making my screen match my prints that i feel are too dark?

many thanks!

[Christina Keddie]

The prints aren't too dark.  Your screen is too bright.

If the prints are from a reputable pro lab, and you're confident that they haven't messed up the order, then they're the standard by which you need to measure your screen.  You need to run your calibration (following Damien's instructions), and confirm that calibration by comparing your screen to your prints.

Once your screen is a perfect match to your prints (i.e., once it's showing you exactly the same too-dark images that the lab printed), then you can edit the files in total confidence, knowing that what you see on your screen will be exactly what you get when you order prints.

Right now, you're editing your files to be too dark, because your screen is lying to you, making you think you've got the right brightness.  Once your screen is properly calibrated, you'll see how dark the file is, and you'll edit it to make it the actual right brightness.

[jparkert]

hello!  thank you for the reply.  i did recalibrate this morning, and i turned the lum to 90 and adjusted brightness while calibrating like the instructions.  now when viewing the prints w/the screen, they look better, but still the prints look darker than the screen.  should i turn my lum down again and compare?  and what do i do about the fact that my prints always look a bit green compared to what i'm seeing on screen?  i have tried 3 labs (WHCC, miller's and color, inc), and they all seem a bit green, WHCC the worst, miller's better and color, inc. the closest match.  

[jparkert]

i'm sorry, i also meant to ask...i have one of those little devices on my laptop screen that is supposed to keep it at the right angle for editing.  i'm not always sure it's in the right spot though.  that would make a difference, wouldn't it?

 

[Damien Symonds]

2 hours ago, jparkert said:

hello!  thank you for the reply.  i did recalibrate this morning, and i turned the lum to 90 and adjusted brightness while calibrating like the instructions.  now when viewing the prints w/the screen, they look better, but still the prints look darker than the screen.  should i turn my lum down again and compare?  and what do i do about the fact that my prints always look a bit green compared to what i'm seeing on screen?  i have tried 3 labs (WHCC, miller's and color, inc), and they all seem a bit green, WHCC the worst, miller's better and color, inc. the closest match.  

Please follow my calibration instructions to the letter.

2 hours ago, jparkert said:

i'm sorry, i also meant to ask...i have one of those little devices on my laptop screen that is supposed to keep it at the right angle for editing.  i'm not always sure it's in the right spot though.  that would make a difference, wouldn't it?

It might make a small difference, but probably not as much difference as you're talking about here.

9 hours ago, jparkert said:

when i look at these prints, they look underexposed.

How many prints do you have there with you?

[jparkert]

hello!  yes, i did follow your instructions that you have posted above.  the first time i calibrated, months ago, i started with lum of 100.  i turned it to 90 when i calibrated today b/c my prints looks so much darker than my screen.  i have 3-5 prints from 3 different labs.  they all seem dark and all a bit green although some are more green than others.

[Christina Keddie]

Green?  Are you 100% sure that you sent these files to print with the sRGB color space embedded?  

[jparkert]

hello!  i'm using the dreaded LR, but yes, i feel very certain i sent with sRGB.  i have deleted the exported files that i sent from my computer, but other exported images i have are:  sRGB IEC61966-2.1

the test prints would have been the same.  and it's set to sRGB in the color space when i export from LR.

[Damien Symonds]

ok, can you post a couple of the photos here?

[jparkert]

here are three:

 

[Damien Symonds]

They look ok.

The next thing we need to discuss is the light in your room.

[jparkert]

my light is definitely not the same every time i edit.  i do only edit on my laptop, always in the same room, but sometimes w/window light and occasionally with the overhead lights on if at night.  i read the light article again, and when you say people think the prints are yellow until viewed in white light, my prints still do not look correct viewed in different lights, even outside.  they still don't match these photos above in color and definitely not brightness.  thoughts? 

[Samantha LaRue]

Your prints are correct, even if you don't like - they are correct. Hopefully when you viewed them in different lighting situations you noticed how their color and darkness may have changed a little. But calibrating is going to be extremely difficult if you do not take control of the light in your editing space. Please follow the recommendations that Damien had in that article, and then we can proceed with helping you calibrate. 

[jparkert]

so why don't they look green and dark when i view them on my computer?  not arguing with you, just curious, would like to understand.  

[Christina Keddie]

49 minutes ago, jparkert said:

so why don't they look green and dark when i view them on my computer?  not arguing with you, just curious, would like to understand.  

Because your screen is wrong.  Your prints are correct.  You need to view your prints in good bright white light, and make your screen match those prints exactly.