...Order some prints right away...

[Françoise B]

Good morning Damien

Two issues I need help with to properly calibrate the screen before I can start with the Camera Raw class:

Problem 1
I don't have any photo prints from a lab so:
 - Do I now order images as I see them on the not correctly calibrated monitor but with the embedded ICC profile from the lab?
- Since I have to order prints anyway, is matte, semi-gloss or glossy the easiest for comparison with the post-calibrated monitor?

Problem 2
It is incredibly difficult to find a professional lab in Switzerland with a good professional offer. The lab that meets most of the requirements of the print guidelines is Saal Digital.ch but has the following deviation (see screenshot):
1) Color temperature 5000K (D50) (although this corresponds exactly to the light in my workroom). Can I still use this provider?

2) Will I then also have to calibrate my screen to 5000K?

One last question after studying the lab's website:
6) The ICC profiles for soft proofing are the same ICC profiles used when saving the final version for printing. Do I understand this correctly?

Thank you very much for your help in advance!
 

[Damien Symonds]

4 hours ago, Françoise B said:

 - Do I now order images as I see them on the not correctly calibrated monitor

Yes.

4 hours ago, Françoise B said:

but with the embedded ICC profile from the lab?

HELL NO.  Your files must always remain in sRGB.

4 hours ago, Françoise B said:

- Since I have to order prints anyway, is matte, semi-gloss or glossy the easiest for comparison with the post-calibrated monitor?

Semi-gloss.  Sometimes also called Lustre.

4 hours ago, Françoise B said:

Problem 2

It is incredibly difficult to find a professional lab in Switzerland with a good professional offer. The lab that meets most of the requirements of the print guidelines is Saal Digital.ch but has the following deviation (see screenshot):
1) Color temperature 5000K (D50) (although this corresponds exactly to the light in my workroom). Can I still use this provider?

2) Will I then also have to calibrate my screen to 5000K?

Oh, this is SO regrettable

If you use this lab, and are successful in calibrating your screen to match their prints, you need to accept that your online photos will look too blue to everyone else.  This is not the greatest tragedy in the world, but it's not ideal.

4 hours ago, Françoise B said:

One last question after studying the lab's website:

6) The ICC profiles for soft proofing are the same ICC profiles used when saving the final version for printing. Do I understand this correctly?

Thank you very much for your help in advance!
 

Soft-proofing can only be done AFTER you are successfully calibrated.  You must ignore this part for now.

[Françoise B]

Thank you very much for all the answers. I will try to find a better lab which uses D65....

12 minutes ago, Damien Symonds said:

4 hours ago, Françoise B said:

but with the embedded ICC profile from the lab?

HELL NO.  Your files must always remain in sRGB.

This is still something I do not yet understand completely. So the ICC profile I get from the lab is only for soft proof but I keep my images in sRGB to send to the print lab? Is this what you explain in this article?

[Damien Symonds]

Soft-proofing is explained here: https://www.damiensymonds.net/2010/03/bit-about-soft-proofing.html

But as I said, you can't do it yet, because you haven't calibrated.  So I urge you to put it out of your mind for now.

[Françoise B]

Ok. I am too tired tonight anyway. And first thing tomorrow I try to find a better lab - there must be one in Europe. I just hope I will find it...

Have a good day, good night

 

[Damien Symonds]

I found this thread: https://www.facebook.com/groups/askdamien/posts/3761344393925733/

[Françoise B]

Thank you!

 

[Damien Symonds]

How did you go, @Françoise B?

[Françoise B]

Hello Damien

During my research on the Internet, I came across the blog of a Swiss photographer who recommends a photo printing company (https://www.whitewall.com) on his blog. I was able to order the photos there as you recommend in your instructions (6500K, no correction) and have already received them.

I then calibrated the EIZO CS2740 monitor with the Spyder X according to your instructions. This worked very well and the result is almost perfect. The photos look a bit different in my workroom than on the screen, but that's probably because my ceiling light is +/- 5000K. I can live with that.

I've already read the first 5 modules of the Raw Class for the first time and made notes on them, applied some of them to my photos and today I'm printing out the WB sheet, then I'll continue.

Thank you for your help!