Ack! Dark print help needed.

I'm hoping some of the bright minds here can help me out. I did a search, didn't find anything specifically like this (unless I completely glossed over it).

I sent this pic of to Costco today to get printed: http://www.flickr.com …pster/471633233​8/sizes/l/

I sent it off with two other pics and those other two came back great, but this one lost all of its subtle color definition in the clouds. The brightest areas along the underside of the clouds are visible but above that the only differentiation between the sky and clouds is the lack of stars in the clouds.

I keep my monitor calibrated with a Sypder 3, so I have to at least be reasonably close in what I'm seeing on screen, so I wonder if I'm either hitting a limitation of commercial printers or if maybe I applied the color profile wrong. I used the color profile provided by Costco. Black point compensation was on when I applied the Costco color profile during export from Aperture.

Viewing the on-screen preview at Costco (the guy was nice enough and had time to show me what he saw before printing) was pretty much what printed.

Can anyone provide some advice for getting this bad boy to print right? I've got a few other subtle, dark photos that I'd like to print as well so getting this one right will probably nail down those as well.

Thanks!

I print my own stuff so not sure how Costco works, but you should be able the get the information you need from them to soft proof in Photoshop - it makes a big difference, especially with an image like yours, where it doesn't take much to miss the mark. In Photoshop, click View then the first Proof option, select custom, scroll down and us the profile Costco uses. Your image will then preview how it should look to their printer. A levels or curves adjustment layer should help you get back to how you want the image to look. Press the 'Y' key to toggle the view between the proof/non-proof versions of your image.

Good luck.

I hadn't opened the file in Photoshop yet... at least not with the profile applied. The file I sent off with the profile applied was pretty much what I got back (but a bit more gray). I'll have to see if I can coax more detail out by modifying the original before export.

Or see if any other printers locally will work a bit better "out of the box".

Thanks for the help.

I also have the spyder3 and when I get a print at Costco I tell them to turn off Auto Color Correction. They have it on by default. When I forget to have them turn it off, I notice the difference right away.

Gipetto wrote in post #10680457
I keep my monitor calibrated with a Sypder 3

What luminance value is your monitor set to? The Spyder can't alter that just read and report it, you have to change the brightness manually.

Because.....

Gipetto wrote in post #10680457
Viewing the on-screen preview at Costco (the guy was nice enough and had time to show me what he saw before printing) was pretty much what printed

From this, your monitor is way too bright.

Calibration is a two step process, getting your luminance right (between 90cdm2 and 120cdm2 is typical) and then letting the software correct the colours.

When printing at costco do you print with the full backprint on or off? If it was on resubmit it with the full backprint off.
Here's a little insight if you haven't already known about it. Costco actually color corrects it with their own software so if you color corrected on your end, and you had the full backprint on chances are that your first color correction on the image maybe "effed". Even though you had used the color profile from costco sometimes and not all the time it tends to be different from what your initial calibration on your monitor might be.
+1 to HankScorpio
Recalibrate and then export with your calibration settings in aperture/photoshop then print with the backprint off.
(This is only if you are going into your local Costco photo center and printing from there. Online however, I am not 100% sure whether you can turn it off)

soulevolved wrote in post #10684739
When printing at costco do you print with the full backprint on or off? If it was on resubmit it with the full backprint off.
Here's a little insight if you haven't already known about it. Costco actually color corrects it with their own software so if you color corrected on your end, and you had the full backprint on chances are that your first color correction on the image maybe "effed". Even though you had used the color profile from costco sometimes and not all the time it tends to be different from what your initial calibration on your monitor might be.
+1 to HankScorpio
Recalibrate and then export with your calibration settings in aperture/photoshop then print with the backprint off.
(This is only if you are going into your local Costco photo center and printing from there. Online however, I am not 100% sure whether you can turn it off)

At my Costco when you turn Full Backprinting Off, all it does is tell them not to put their name on the back of the print. I need to tell them to turn off Auto Color Correction.

It could be different for another costco but since our one I know that it is automated.

(cat's out of the bag) I work for costco.