Optimizing photography for print

[raminmd]

Hi all,

Here is the issue we are facing. We have clients who take their own pictures and we incorporate them into designs for printing. Sometimes, the pictures are taken without proper lighting (typically in a home) and they look dull and do not pop. Is there a way to optimize these pictures in Photoshop or any other program in Creative Suite. All these pictures are usually the exterior or interior of homes. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[gordo]

Should be. Can you post an example of a bad photo?

Gordo

 

[raminmd]

Gordo, here is a link to a PDF that was supplied by the client.

https://www.yousendit.com/download/WFJWanZyTERsUi9MYnNUQw

When we print, the pictures look dark and kinda dull. We have a Canon 7000VP and I am wondering if it is a machine issue.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

There are many ways to fix these photos in post processing with Photoshop.

Better than fixing in post, would be for the photographer to take better photos in the first place. Let me guess, the real estate agent does not believe in paying a professional photographer and takes the photos themselves?

That being said, should you attempt "fix" these photos?...Is the real estate agent going to pay you to do this? Is this a value added service that you are going to do for free in order to make your output more competitive against those who do not take the extra steps to account for the lacking photography? The reason that I ask is that I have worked with more than one real estate company as a print client (they are not all the same, however they usually are not that different either).

I presume that you are creating the layout in InDesign before making the PDF and that you have access to the separate source images. Are the photos in raw camera format or rendered into an RGB or CMYK file when they are provided to you?

Do you have somebody on staff with any Photoshop knowledge?


Stephen Marsh

 

[gordo]

Gordo, here is a link to a PDF that was supplied by the client.

https://www.yousendit.com/download/WFJWanZyTERsUi9MYnNUQw

When we print, the pictures look dark and kinda dull. We have a Canon 7000VP and I am wondering if it is a machine issue.

You can help determine if it's your Canon by creating an 11 or 21 step grayscale step wedge (0%-100% in 10% or 5% increments) and converting it to RGB or CMYK (according to what mode you receive the image in) and printing that. You'll see how many tone levels that your printer loses (fills in). Your customer (and you) can also see how the screen display compares to the print out. That will help determine where the problem lies. Then either adjust the screen display, the printer output, or the images so that the print out better represents what the client has in mind. In addition you could also offer to do a print-out of one image that has been adjusted in a variety of ways so that your customer can see what the image should look like on their screen in order to look right in the print out.

What I wouldn't do is try and "fix" the images myself.

best, gordo