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How to Print Pictures That Look The Same as What You See on Your Monitor
COLOR MANAGEMENT
There are entire books on this subject, so we can only cover the basics, but if you make a few adjustments here and there, the following should help you print better pictures.
The thing to know starting out is that your digital camera, monitor and printer are independent of one another. Each "talks" its own separate foreign language, so it's hard to hard for them to understand each other. We're going to try to give them a common language each can understand. If you want the theory and reasons behind each of these, then read one of the books.
Camera
On most digital cameras, there is a function or menu option that lets you choose the "color space" or "color mode" as either sRGB or Adobe RGB (Adobe RGB 1998.) The default is probably sRGB. If it is, change it to Adobe RGB. RGB stands for red, green, blue.
Monitor
Most likely, your monitor needs to be calibrated. Calibration keeps your monitor in a consistent state so it displays colors in the same way, day-in, day-out. (All monitors experience color shifts now and again.) This is true whether your monitor is a CRT (like older TVs) or an LCD (flat screen.) With calibration software, your monitor's colors will be correctly set and an ICC profile will be created so applications such as Adobe Photoshop will display colors as they are intended. There are several applications including "Spider" that provide the software and tools needed to calibrate your monitor and create a profile, whether your monitor has front-panel controls or not. For more information about the software and the whole process, go to:
Photoshop
If you process your images with Photoshop or Elements, open up the color settings dialogue and change the Settings menu to North America Prepress 2. (See below.)
Make sure in the Working Space bars, RGB is set to Adobe RGB (1998). Now your camera and Photoshop are in sync.
When you've made sure these are the settings, click "OK" and then go ahead and make changes and corrections to your image as you normally do using Photoshop or Elements.
When you've finished manipulating your image, it's time to print it. Click on "Print" in the menu and you should see a dialogue box similar to the one below.
Note that the "Document" should be Adobe RGB (1998). (It will be if it was set in the color management box.) For "Color Handling," set it to Photoshop Manages Colors. You do this so the printer won't take over and do it using its language.
Now look at "Printer Profile." This may or may not be applicable depending on your printer. Your printer came with software called a printer driver. When you bought your printer, it no doubt included a CD and the instructions said, install this first. The driver software for most of today's photo printers include profiles specific to that printer and the paper you are using. If so, you can select the profile in the Printer Profile Box. In the example below, the printer is an Epson Sylus Photo R2400. The paper in the printer is premium glossy, so that's the matching profile that's been selected. Even if your printer did not come with profiles, check the manufacturer's website support/download section. Most manufacturers constantly update drivers and profiles and you may be able to download an update.
For "Rendering Intent" select Relative Colorimetric. This setting provides the truest colors. However, this is subject to debate. The Perceptual setting softens colors a bit and may be preferable for flesh tones. There are arguments on both sides, so you may want to experiment and set it to your personal preference.
You don't really have to change anything else. If the image is too big for the paper, you can change the default settings in the "Scaled Print Size" box.
When you're ready, click on "Print..."
Now your printer's dialogue box will pop up. And it's your chance to get a great print or blow the entire works. The box below is for the Epson R2400 using Adobe CS3 and a Mac with a Leopard operating system. The box you see may be different depending on your operating system and the brand of printer you have, but it should have the same essentials.
You will want to use "advanced" settings instead of standard or default. You will want to select the paper you have in the printer, in this case premium glossy. And you want to have any color settings set to ADOBE. With the latest Epson driver, the Color Settings has been set to Adobe RGB. In earlier versions it gave the choice, "Let Photoshop Manage Colors."
With other drivers and models there may be a choice of "let printer determine colors," "printer sRGB," "no color management," "printer default," etc. Whatever the settings state, don't set the control so that the printer manages the color. That would put you back to ground zero. Make sure your printer is set so your Photoshop or Elements is managing the color, not the printer.
Now you can hit "print" and watch a beautiful color print come forth with the same colors you see on your monitor.
Here are some links you may find helpful:
Discover the Adobe Print Resource Center
Model and Property Releases
If you are taking a picture of a person and you plan to sell the photograph, post it on the web, use it in any way for commercial gain or recognition, use it for advertising or promotion, or display it in a public gallery, then you need to have the subject sign a model release. A good rule of thumb: If in doubt whether or not you need a model release, you need one.
You can download a sample model release here.
If you are taking a picture of a street scene in which various passerby may be recognizable in your photo, and you plan to sell the photo or use it commercially, you need a release from each person or you can post a large sign outside the range of your picture advising people that you are taking commercial photographs, that if they continue on they may appear in the picture and that if they do so, they waive any and all privacy rights.
Consent is also required when you photograph someone's property and plan to use the photo for any kind of commercial or public display purpose. There was a case where a photographer saw a nice yard and photographed it without permission. The house in the background was out of focus. Using Photoshop, he placed a product in the foreground and this became part of a package. When the homeowner saw the package on a store shelf, he sued the product manufacturer and the photographer. The court ruled that the photographer had to pay a large cash settlement and the manufacturer had to pay the homeowner a percent of the profit on each product sold. If you are taking a picture of someone's property for any "outside" purpose, obtain permission and a signed property release. Again, if in doubt, it's best to play it safe and get a signed release.
You can download a sample property release here.
