Lightroom - cropping looks great on laptop but printing is impossible

[wolfytom]

I have recently been having lots of fun with Lightroom in preparing photos for challenges on DPR.

But having recently uploaded to Truprint I'm discovering that the crops I've carried out, combined with the fact that I've saved all pics at 1600 px on the longest side (for the challenge rules) mean there are some very strange results when I do the Print Preview on Truprint.

You'll be able to tell I'm very new to this.

I guess I should have locked the Aspect Ratio when cropping but what else am I doing wrong?

I want to order 10x8's but there is also a lot lost on this size photo. 6x4 retains a lot more of the photo.

Can you help a novice?

 

[Tom Axford]

It's a bit more work, but I generally find it is worthwhile re-processing images for printing because often different cropping, and maybe different processing in other respects also, is needed. If you want to keep both versions in Lightroom, simply create a virtual copy (one of the options in the drop-down menu under "Photo"). Lightroom doesn't waste space by duplicating the image, but simply keeps the second set of processing and cropping instructions, as well as the first.

Crop to the dimensions needed for the print and when exporting the jpeg file, I usually adjust the size to give the required print size at 300 ppi and also choose the sharpening level for printing.

 

[wolfytom]

What a fantastic answer - everything I needed to know!

I really appreciate your help. Thanks so much.

 

[Sailor Blue]

It's a bit more work, but I generally find it is worthwhile re-processing images for printing because often different cropping, and maybe different processing in other respects also, is needed. If you want to keep both versions in Lightroom, simply create a virtual copy (one of the options in the drop-down menu under "Photo"). Lightroom doesn't waste space by duplicating the image, but simply keeps the second set of processing and cropping instructions, as well as the first.

Crop to the dimensions needed for the print and when exporting the jpeg file, I usually adjust the size to give the required print size at 300 ppi and also choose the sharpening level for printing.

I do pretty much the same but I adjust to 240 dpi since I am using an Epson printer.

The native resolution of Epson printers is a multiple of 240 dpi. For Canon printers it is a multiple of 300 dpi.

If you are doing your own printing you might get a tiny bit better print by using your post processing software to set the dpi to these values but truthfully the printer's own software has gotten so good that you probably won't see any difference if you just let the printer set the dpi.

Only if you are printing very large prints (say 16"x20" or larger) are you better off using post processing software to increase the size of the image prior to printing. OnOne's Perfect Photo Suite's Resize is one of the best to use.

Most high quality commercial printers have software to increase the size of your prints that is better than any post processing software amateurs have and it is setup to work with their specific professional printing equipment. If you send your print to a high quality commercial printer contact them and discuss whether you should increase the size if your images or not and if so what software and dpi to use. They will also provide you with printer paper profiles so you can soft proof your images before sending them to the printer.

 

[rmlewis]

It's a bit more work, but I generally find it is worthwhile re-processing images for printing because often different cropping, and maybe different processing in other respects also, is needed. If you want to keep both versions in Lightroom, simply create a virtual copy (one of the options in the drop-down menu under "Photo"). Lightroom doesn't waste space by duplicating the image, but simply keeps the second set of processing and cropping instructions, as well as the first.

In Lightroom 5, in the develop module, you will see a tick box on the bottom of the screen called "Soft Proofing" If you tick this it will simulate the look of the print for the appropriate paper profile. On the RHS menu a processing box with a "Create Proof Copy" option bar will appear - This effectively creates the virtual copy with the profile name.

Not sure if it was in LR4 but hope this makes it easier to create a print proof

 

[wolfytom]

Thanks everyone - invaluable help.

Would I be better off sending them to a smaller, specialist online print firm or are Truprint ok?