Exporting questions

[Jddolbee]

My general workflow is to work with RAW images and then when PP is complete, to export and preserve the final version as a TIFF file that may get sent out for printing. When doing this, should I be exporting using the ProPhoto RGB color space even though the image will most likely be printed by a print shop using sRGB? Or should I be exporting with sRGB to start with, even though that may limit the final image for other printing choices?

Second question regarding exporting images to make a thumbnail file for copyright submittal. The recommended size for copyright thumbnails is 6''X6'' JEPGs. On the export screens, I set the 6'' for the longest side, but what about the quality slider and the amount of resolution? What is the recommended settings for them to make copyright thumbnails? Or do these not make any difference?

Thanks

jim

 

[Mark Sirota]

If you're saving a full-size TIFF, will you be resizing and sharpening as well before sending out for printing? If so, you'll be passing it through some software before sending it out anyway, so save it in ProPhoto.

In the copyright case, the resolution is irrelevant if you're constraining the dimensions by pixel count. It's just metadata. What are the guidelines for copyright submittal for file size?

 

[sizzlingbadger]

Just to be clear on point 1... If you are sending the TIFF file to the printers then you should ask them what they require as a colour space. It will most likely be sRGB but they may also accept Adobe RGB which is a larger space and can improve your prints slightly, however (in my limited experience) its quite rare to find a printer that does accept anything but sRGB.

 

[Jddolbee]

Regarding the file size for copyright, as best that I can tell, there are 2 requirements: 1) that the image be recognizable, i.e. when viewed that it can be clearly identified. ASMP recommends 6''x6'' jpegs as a minimum, more if required to id image detail, (hence my question as to what the effect of compression quality and resolution would have. With low resolution and high compression the image file will be smaller, but will the viewing of the image for id purposes be significantly affected?

and 2) if images are uploaded they must be in a zip file containing the images to be copyrighted and the total file can be no more than 11.3 MB if uploaded by modem and 4'5 MB if uploaded by highspeed line. Multiple zip files can be sent for the same requistration if required to submit all the images and keep the zips within the size requirements. Again, high compression and low resolution will make the file size for uploading smaller, (more images per zip file) but how much will the "viewability" of the image be affected?

Regarding the saving of tiffs, what I have done so far is to use software provided by an online book company to create photobook layouts using the tiffs as exported from LR2. Resizing is done as part of the layout software, but no additional sharpening is done. When the layout is completed, it is uploaded to the book company for printing and binding.

Most of the photobook printers specifiy that they use sRGB profiles with either tiff or jpeg format (most use jpeg due to file upload size). I guess my real question is as to what the effect would be of sending an image with a ProPhoto RGB profile to a printer using sRGB. I know that sRGB is a more limited space, but is it just a limited subset of ProPhoto in which case it just uses some of the presented data but not all; or is it a different space interpretation resulting is a color shift or loss of color?

Thanks

jim

 

[sizzlingbadger]

A ProPhoto image would look awful rendered in sRGB.... try it, export a ProPhoto image and then view it with something non colour managed that assumes sRGB.

See attached....