Monitor vs Print issues

When I edit a RAW file, it looks great on monitors, but when I print, the photo is completely washed out. When select "Proof Colors" under "View" the photo looks exactly like when I print, very washed out. This only is happening with my camera (Canon 30D). The "Proof Colors" and RAW file are identical when I edit photos from other cameras. Any ideas on what is going on and how to fix it? I'm getting tired of editing 2 versions of every photo, and it's very hard to recover the color (especially reds) in the "Proof Color" version.

What settings, what printer, what paper?

I print at Costco. When I upload an edited raw photo to their server the preview looks like the "proof color" version in photoshop. The only way I have found to fix this is to select "Proof color" prior to editing in photoshop, but then I get an image that has too much contrast and color to use for internet use.

Have you tried another "Professional" printing service?

Bay Photo, etc?

Is your photoshop set to save as adobe RGB? If yes, then I found things would get much more consistent if I set everything to sRGB in photoshop. Also check if your camera is taking the pics in adobe RGB rather than sRGB.

Camera is set to Adobe RGB. I have tried using sRGB and Adobe RGB in photoshop, both have the same result.

As far as printing at other places, I have had good results at Costco. I still have the same quality prints from Costco, I just have to change my RAW image to "Proof Color" before editing. The issue is that I have to edit 2 times (one for print and one for internet viewing), and I would really like to just edit once and have the image look the same.

Sounds like a color profile issue to me.

Make sure all of your images are sRgb, with the sRgb profile embedded. You need to have a calibrated monitor, using something like the Spyder 4 otherwise you don't know if it's your monitor that's correct or the print that's correct.

JMK4 wrote in post #14657306
Camera is set to Adobe RGB. I have tried using sRGB and Adobe RGB in photoshop, both have the same result.

As far as printing at other places, I have had good results at Costco. I still have the same quality prints from Costco, I just have to change my RAW image to "Proof Color" before editing. The issue is that I have to edit 2 times (one for print and one for internet viewing), and I would really like to just edit once and have the image look the same.

Hmm, so the problem comes up when you Proof your photos using the Costco-supplied paper/ink profiles, correct?

So, I don't see how it is an issue with your camera or with Photoshop, since the Costco prints do actually match your Soft Proof, or am I missing something?

As to aRGB or sRGB, I'm not sure if that would affect the Soft Proofing, as long as you converted the image to sRGB before uploading it.

So back to the question of why the Soft Proof is off? Well, it's not exactly off, it's accurate since it matches the print, so why are your "normal" views of the colors off, and what should you do about it?

Just so you know, this is a fudamental use for softproofing. If you know that the outcome will differ from your "normal" view, then yes, you want to "fix" that! Some people put together a Photoshop Action just to do a common tweak before printing, or maybe even a Raw preset.

One thing I'm curious about and don't kow the answer to: would a "bad" monitor profile cause your "normal" display to be off in the colors but still show an "accurate" Soft Proof that would match the prints? I honestly don't know, maybe some of the smart informed people here do!

JMK4 wrote in post #14657306
I have tried using sRGB and Adobe RGB in photoshop, both have the same result.

Where? Color settings?

That won't matter, unless you convert to sRGB.

http://www.getcolorman​aged.com …nagement/pscolo​rsettings/
http://www.getcolorman​aged.com/color-management/saveforweb/