How I Prepare My Photos for Professional Printing at a Lab

[@stephenward5133]

Very interesting all the steps that you go through. Worth watching. thanks.

[@bkind89]

Thanks for sharing man!!! So many things I've never thought about!!!

[@Calidenism]

Such a good breakdown of this process! Invaluable stuff, thank you 🙌🏻

[@MichielRenty]

Amazing photo and a great video as always!

[@ericbloomer4808]

Love your videos. Been a big help for me.

[@Zenavesta]

The final prints came out lovely. Really nice photographs

[@Johan-vw2te]

What a Great rundown of your printing process. Whitewall looks like a really good resource and partner. I'll give them a try for my next project. And as usual, great photography. Pictures like these needs to be seen as a print.

[@n15ah92]

Man I´d love to have a Kyle McDougall print hanging in my room. Great video, Kyle!

[@geoffreygiebelhaus9142]

Fantastic timing for this video as I start my first set of prints for sale myself. Especially the Acrylic! A medium I have never printed on yet! \

[@adamsilva4194]

thanks for the info , great watch

[@tommorgan3125]

Excellent video. Is your process and paper choice the same for black and white prints.

[@walcottrulez]

i print postcards with hahnemuhle pearl.

[@KyleMcDougall]

Still waiting to hear from @lennsoderlund4476 and @gorakphoto. You two won the prints. Shoot me an email at [e-mail].

[@Biggles404]

Always refreshing to see your videos videos progressing us as artistic photographers and not reviewing lenses taking taking portraits of ladies saying how sharp the gear is

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thanks, Alasdair.

[@saldun70]

Hey Kyle. Do you do any raw pre-sharpening in LR before you export to PS? From what I've read it seems like front-end sharpening of raw files is a useful addition to workflow. Interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks.

[@KyleMcDougall]

Hey Duncan, yep, I always sharpen every image to a 'neutral' standard. Nothing too heavy, just enough that it looks good.

[@SteveHarrisPhoto]

Interesting correlation between physical size, DPI and file size around 7 minutes in, hadn't quite thought about it like that below. Any thoughts on factory calibrated monitors like the Dell UltraSharp that has its own display manager and loads different profiles based on application?

[@KyleMcDougall]

Hey Steve, unfortunately I don't have any experience with the Dell Ultrasharp. Only this LG and a BenQ before this. Both which I calibrated as shown in the video.

[@Wilsnap]

Great points! Though I admit I'm a little confused why the International Criminal Court is involved in photoshopping.

[@simonberry1977]

Excellent & very timely video for me, after printing items recently and wondering how I could have changed the file.

[@TylerAldrich]

Its so important to find a quality lab rather than just the most affordable one. I can't tell you how much money I spent on prints that just did not come back even close to what they should have been.

[@TonyGillilan]

Very informative. Please consider me for your print giveaway. Thank you

[@thecoreelementsmoto]

Good info. I refurbished an old epson that sat in an attic for 10 years and have been working on making better prints.

[@ReimannPembroke]

This was such a great video! You went in such depth which is really helpful! I've got to get a color calibration tool for my screen sometime soon. Also, I really like the way the Hahnemühle paper looked right off the bat on your screen! I would love to win one of those prints! That is a beautiful shot!

[@chriscorey5164]

Thank you so much for all of that great information. I found it very helpful.

[@Jokayono]

Often I just print without taking all of these variables into account, usually I’m very excited with the result of just having a physical print. With that said it’s very nice of you to show your process of a more curated/precise process of prepping for print :)

[@TheThinFrame]

Amazing video, I would love that print on my wall🎉🎉

[@nathanjohnson5304]

Appreciate the walkthrough of the workflow. I try to resize as little as possible and have the printer vary it's DPI setting to match. I believe most professional printers are capable of much higher than 300 DPI, so for smaller prints, I deliver full resolution for printing at really high (480+) DPI.

[@markwalkerphotography]

Great Video Kyle - Can I ask, what monitors do you use / what would you look for in a monitor; for example 100% sRGB / Adobe RGB. I'm looking for an alternative to the standard BenQ monitors.

[@KyleMcDougall]

Hey Mark, I'm using the LG Ultrafine 5K. I've been very happy with it. It's a glossy screen, which is nice for web stuff. Still works fine for print as well, even though a matt would be better. But it's done the job really well. I'd recommend looking for something that covers AdobeRGB.

[@markwalkerphotography]

Thanks Kyle, I've never considered LG, but will also look into them. Have a great weekend. Regards.

[@AlexanderJBerg]

Excellent tutorial. Would love to win one of these prints!

[@johnRivs]

Correct me if I'm wrong. Once you generate an .icc for your monitor, you apply it at the operating system level. Do any adjustments with Lightroom, for example. Bring it onto Photoshop, more adjustments then load the paper's .icc onto Photoshop?

[@tbostrowski6136]

Hi Kyle, I’m a big fan of your work so I’d love to have one of your prints on our wall. This Union Hotel image looks very much like the something you’d find here in the Canadian prairies. Fingers crossed, all best Ted

[@Obiwill7]

I’ve been enjoying printing on the canon selphy you recommended. But I hope to do larger prints like this.

[@christopherrodriguez7223]

Yes this is a lovely device,

[@mpk33]

Amazing detail in this image, even before you added your stylistic choices, Kyle. Which one of your beasts was responsible for this image? The name of the print type of #3 is virtually my real surname. It always makes my ears prick up when I hear it. 😅

[@KyleMcDougall]

Cheers, Michael. This was actually with a Sony A7RII and Contax Zeiss 35mm lens.

[@davecapote]

Man Id love that print. I swear every video I learn something new from you. I had Shiyun loan and ship me that 65 Mitakon because of your video. Excited to make a video about it too!

[@KyleMcDougall]

I'm sure you'll love the Mitakon Dave!

[@TorBergen]

A lot of great tip 👌🏻. Very helpful and saved for later reference 😇. Thanks for sharing 🙏🏻☺️.

[@ryanthompsoncreative]

Love yer vids! Commenting to be entered to win a print! 🔥

[@FirePhoenixAudio]

Fantastic information. Thank you for sharing.

[@skazhenyj]

Although judging from the video might not be very precise, these prints seem pretty consistent, especially considering only light proofing. The detail seen in those close up shots looks amazing on that large print, surely there's plenty more room for up-scaling when needed (which is always good to know, especially for shooters with smaller formats or under 50+ ultra-giga mp sensors). But most importantly, the image looks great itself. Lovely results, I wish I had such a lab in my country (most are confused when you ask them for a proper profile, and wish to prepare the file yourself).

[@paulmaranan2710]

been following it would be amazing to have your work in my office thank you!!

[@johnRivs]

When you add the 1 inch border, how does it affect the print dimensions? Does the lab give you a 26x18 sheet of paper or a 24x16 one with a scaled down image (including the border, to make it fit)? Does this depend on the lab or is it pretty much universal?

[@jimsmith556]

Same question. Following.

[@PeteEdmunds]

You would get a 26x18 sheet of paper. If they kept the paper at 24x16 but included border it would change the aspect ratio of your image.

[@SteffenMiethke]

This is so important... They never taught us how to prep files in college. Had to find it out on my own, when my 150MP large format scans came out muddy😂 Resize -> Sharpen -> Print Not "give the biggest files to the printer and hope for the best":/

[@jtpettersen378]

Great video! Nice to get some good technical details on prep and proofing. Learned some new things. Thanks! However, I have two questions and a comment. First comment on calibration. I feel I have never gotten good value of doing it, compared to just printing one or two images and observing the difference and then just compensating for it. I have heard its value praised for 20+ years but never felt I missed it. To question one: Regarding colour space. You state you like to work in ProPhoto RGB. But my experience is that most common labs default to sRGB for ease of use. And to be clear, I mean export for print to sRBG but work in higher color spaces if you want to. I also tried using other colour spaces than sRGB and got bad results when sending away prints. Are you using it because you have a clear dialog with Whitewall? Do they not print in sRGB? Question two: You save to TIFF and I also did this with the thought in mind that I want to send as much information as possible in the file to the printer. However, after learning that no normal printer in the world prints higher than 8bit, the 16bit TIFF files feels excessive. And you are leaving the interpretation of the 16bit file down to a 8bit file to the print ripper. Have your considered saving to 8bit JPG with zero compression to also take control of that process. So, the printer is printing the exact same 8bit file you created? Keep up the good work!

[@Antonio-kv1wt]

wanted to print my work as well this helped thanks

[@liveinaweorg]

I took to printing my own images up to A3+ at home but anything bigger than that goes out to a lab. I like the look of Whitewall and will add them to my very short list (now standing at 2 labs). I recently got a BenQSW270C monitor and already own the same calibrator as you. The BenQ is an astonishing monitor and provides hardware calibration. I also love that I can switch from SRGB to AdobeRGB at the press of a button and the same for monochrome. Another thoughtful, helpful and insightful video. Cheers Kyle.

[@Rumplestiltskin7]

Awesome work, would love a print!

[@sstahl4006]

About to purchase my first 6x7 film camera. Looking forward to using your techniques when I print my first image.

[@MarkNF1]

Very useful video, thank you. A question. Have you already sharpened the image for the screen or are the Highpass and Unsharp Mask steps you show in the video all the sharpening you do? Thanks.

[@octaviasharpphotography]

thank you for this video. very informative and can't wait to use this information in my printing.

[@peteb5461]

Brilliant video, I have been worried sick about getting some of my first medium format scanned film prints done but this is going to help massively so thank you very much :) Keep. up the amazing work dude!

[@dan-le-brun]

What timing! I've just got a few A3 frames to hang images from my project from around the hills of the Welsh valleys, to live with them on the walls for a while and help with the selection process for hopefully a book at the end. I'll try your method for the first prints. Thanks Kyle.

[@AMannamedJudy]

A lot of great information, I haven’t printed anything yet and this is very helpful.

[@garethbartlett]

Such a stunning image. I’ve fairly recently got into home dev which has been great if I ever want quick turnarounds but don’t trust myself for the good stuff! Such useful info here. Thanks.

[@hawkcole2395]

I'm currently looking at getting into medium format and was wondering if I should go with a mamiya press or a Yashica a tlr? Any feedback would be great thank you

[@garyclennan2993]

Perfect level of detail with the information provided. Much appreciated! What do you look out for when adjusting the radius?

[@AndrewShutter]

Love this. Super informative and really makes the printing process seem a lot less daunting. Can’t wait to try some of these tips!

[@Tenskwatawa4U]

By way of contrast I was processing and printing at home when I was in middle and high school (in the late fifties through mid sixties), but now I let the labs do that.

[@gordonwill6885]

Great information Kyle, not having printed any of my photos yet, this is such a useful resource.. bw gordon

[@landocycle]

In regards to calibrating your monitor: that device you’re using is a colorimeter. They have colour filters inside them that can change over time, they also can give inconsistent results depending on the type of display. Your best bet is to use a spectroradiometer which is the most accurate. In CalMan, you can use run a test with both meters - because the spectro is super accurate, it can build you a profile for the colorimeter for that particular display. From there you can run the calibration with just the colorimeter. I would never trust a colorimeter on its own, though.

[@jacobdipietro375]

Love your work and thank you for this video. Very informative, definitely my next step to start printing my work.

[@texasbesterrapper8072]

hi there ;)

[@bobcunningham5288]

Thank you for such a detailed explanation of your process. Printing is something I don't do often enough, so I am somewhat intimidated by the best way to proceed. This has helped a lot!

[@RubenRobles]

Thanks so much for sharing your process! Especially the photoshop workflow and sort proofing with ICC profiles! I just ordered some prints after prepping them using this process. Once I see the results, I will order at least one on some fine art paper!

[@KyleMcDougall]

Glad you found it helpful, Ruben!

[@doctorfrances2276]

Great video! Educational and interesting. What color space do you have on your monitor when you are editing for print? Adobe RGB, dci-p3, sRGB? Do you think it is mandatory?

[@KyleMcDougall]

The LG is P3.

[@doctorfrances2276]

@@KyleMcDougall Thanks

[@lucapace8136]

stunning video and print. big ups. been gnarly watching your development through the years mate.

[@richdachtera8525]

Great Video! Interested in the different papers, especially how they handle color vs B&W!

[@M9rkAnthony112]

Appreciate you putting out this video 🙌🏽🙌🏽. I was curious what the process was to print out photos the right way.

[@just_a_guy]

ive really been meaning to print my own work. its seems daunting and I never wanted to print work that desert look good at all and I wouldn't want to print anymore. ever sense you posted a video a while back about the importance of printing, its been on my mind. here's a sign that I really ought to get rollin. thanks for showing us how to print our work in the best way! also I think you can rent calibrators so that makes it easier to do that.

[@mattdavis5058]

it's so worth it. I had the same concerns, so I ordered some super cheap Walmart prints (like a couple bucks each for 8x10). That gave me some of the reward of seeing your work on your wall, and made me really want to get higher quality prints that I do now :)

[@KyleMcDougall]

Like Matt said, definitely worth it. Your photos deserve to be viewed off the screen.

[@just_a_guy]

@@KyleMcDougall “your photos deserve to be viewed off the screen” that’s great right there

[@klaasvankreis]

Great to see you recommend my favorite lab. I have been working with them for probably 15 years and never had anything but perfect results. And that print is absolutely gorgeous.

[@thevisionaryelitist]

Well Klaas, let’s hope you never have need to question an issue and reach out to customer service. A problem? Even if their error - No care given. “We are correct” attitude.

[@MartinVettel]

Lovely photo☺️ and useful videos, congrats for the 100k🎉

[@mrjohnryan]

Just moved into a new house, id love a print for the new living room🤍

[@glensnyder7924]

Great video. Really useful. Do you ever prep and print in black and white? I am wondering if there are other considerations, or if you would basically use the same settings and workflow.

[@KyleMcDougall]

Hey Glen, I would approach B&W in a similar way. I'll be sharing some of that in the next vid.

[@glensnyder7924]

@@KyleMcDougall Super! I've got some prints being done here in Tokyo, so looking forward to hearing your suggestions.

[@wammyblammy]

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video. I have some photos I've been meaning to print but have been afraid to spend the money on because I didn't know how to go about prepping a photo for sending to a lab. This finally got me to do it and I sent in an order today!

[@Stuesday]

Great resource for learning how to make better prints. I'll be rewatching this one every few months when I go to print more work. Thanks for the awesome vid!

[@jasonbokar7482]

I used to print a lot some years ago (at home) but the ink got so expensive and the printer head clogged. Tried a few labs… nothing great yet. I’ll check out Whitewall!

[@whitewall]

We are happy to print you photography!

[@KyleMcDougall]

I'm sure you'll be very happy with them, Jason.

[@themuzzuk]

Thanks for the video I’m struggling with the whole process

[@mollyanderson449]

Thanks so much for another great video! Printing is such an important step, but for me a challenging one as well. This has been very informative, helpful and inspiring!

[@ChrisVidouras]

Your prints look great Kyle!! Thanks for sharing all the important info!!

[@RandyPollock]

Holding a print is just as much fun as getting the image... (sometimes even more so)

[@oggepogge2038]

You take very good photos.

[@Seth_S-G]

I definitely need to calibrate my screen, also, congrats on 100K!

[@justinbadenhorst14]

Great tips Kyle, as always. (I have the perfect spot in my apartment for that print!)

[@fw6858]

100k!!! So glad for you! You got me back into photography, well deserved!

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thank you!

[@yetanotherbassdude]

Very cool, and I definitely learned a lot from this! Just need to take the plunge and get one of my own images printed up like this now

[@mohammadmohtasham5826]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Love your videos.

[@diegoverges8865]

Una para mi! Thank you for all your sharing teaching, Salud!

[@tsvetomilsemkov2527]

I would love to have a piece of yours in my home, Kyle! Keep up the good work ;)

[@avoidesolation]

Do you print your analog files ? Or are these only digital photography that you print in this way?

[@irishmanlost]

Watched it all, 4 times. Have it saved on my learning list, I print some myself but there are quite a few improvements I can learn from here.

[@manuelrios210]

Greetings from Osaka, Japan! Thanks for the inspiration!

[@albertodattilo7614]

Finally! Can you also make a video on how you prepare files to print a book? Is DSLR scanning good enough for that? Do you get darkroom prints and then scan those? I don’t know, so many questions…

[@robbiemurrie7562]

I’m now rescanning my current project on a flextight x5 and will be using it moving forward. I’m definitely gonna come back to this video when it comes time to print.

[@psajgal]

I've been using a tweaked version of your workflow for a while and it works great!

[@jonathanshoemaker7674]

Beautiful prints and helpful video. Congrats!

[@lewisbloom6396]

Fantastic Video, I lived in LA for 5 years and bought a printer, Canon from Eric Joseph at Freestyle, he set me up with profiled paper, it was Canson, I just loved it....

[@saldun70]

Another interesting video! Beautiful prints, too! :)

[@marshalljvanderhoofphoto]

Great information. I find that a lot of the time it is actually harder to prep a file for sending out rather than printing it yourself.

[@vitalisneufeld]

Thank you, Kyle! I'm always struggling a bit with the sharpening process when it comes to larger prints and gonna try out your method next. The prints and your work looks great! Cheers from Berlin:)

[@Negron.Reuben]

Thanks for putting this video together. I just started creating prints of my paintings and have found the process of translating what I see on my screen to what I get from the printer to be a daunting task. Your workflow makes sense and is a huge help in understanding how I can make my process a little easier. Cheers. 🍻

[@familygonzcartwright]

I like how your shots seem like a blend of Kodachrome photographers from the 50s/60s combined with modern taste with a more "color graded look".

[@zacharyallen5821]

Great info and storytelling. I love printing, but it still intimidates me and I always feel like I'm not quite getting the best version of the image.

[@JohnnyMcMillan]

Great vid as always!