digi prints printed optically and skin casts

[debaser]

Okay. I really hope there are some people out there with ideas on this.

I have continually had trouble with having skin tones freak out when printed at a photo lab. there are long orange-brown tones that cover up normal skin tones.

On the comp. and camera they look fine but when printed the cast is there.


note: i must print these images at a lab and do to volume I cannot touch up each picture.

I think the main problem is white ballance but I would still like to see how some of you experienced digital ph. would handle or have handled the situation.

thanks in advance.

matt

[w10d]

I have continually had trouble with having skin tones freak out when printed at a photo lab. there are long orange-brown tones that cover up normal skin tones.

On the comp. and camera they look fine but when printed the cast is there.
matt

I'm a little confused by your description of the problem - Is there a colour cast in other areas of the image? It sounds obvious, but white balance errors should show a warm/cool bias in whites/near whites and grey areas.

What are you (and most importantly, the lab) doing about colour management?

Have you tried including a shot of a colour chart in with the photos the the lab are printing?

[scottbergerphoto]

Before you look for any solutions, you have to start with a calibrated monitor. If your monitor isn't calibrated, you have no idea what your prints will look like. If you have PSE2 or PS you have Adobe Gamma on your Windows Control Panel. That's the first place to start. If you have a calibrated monitor, ignore this post. :D
Scott

[debaser]

Im not even nescessarily using my moniter. So yes im getting it calibrated but that is not the answer for me. I need to do "no" post work on the computer.

Yes we are working on color management. That is the problem.

It seems that if the exposure is off by the slightest it makes skin look rubbery and too tan (blotchy).

I have seen this in many other digital prints by other photographers so I know my question is not too specific.

matt

[w10d]

It seems that if the exposure is off by the slightest it makes skin look rubbery and too tan (blotchy).

I have seen this in many other digital prints by other photographers so I know my question is not too specific.

matt

Sorry if I'm now missing your point, but it's beginning to sound like your problem is just the way unretouched skin looks. Pre-digital you did what you could to avoid this with make-up/lighting/printing, but magazines still had hand retouching done...

[debaser]

this is not magazine work and it is not something I ever had a problem with film. It just seems like digital has a much lower tolerance of being adjusted at film labs.

Is there anyone who works at a lab that is familiar with this.

matt

[CyberDyneSystems]

Can you post a scan so we have some idea what these things look like?

Other wise we are blind men... :wink: