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Printing issues

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mbernhardt

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Nov 20, 2018
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Lightroom Experience
Beginner
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Lightroom Version Number
Lightroom Classic version: 10.3 [ 202105281559-8dc50eb4 ]
Operating System
  1. macOS 11 Big Sur
I have been frustrated for far too long with color management and printing from Lightroom Classic. I just did some minor editing on a snaphot, which included setting the white point. It looked great on screen, which is calibrated. I printed the same file twice on Costco glossy paper, on a Canon Pixma Pro-10 printer. See attached comparison. Note that this is an iPhone photo of 2 prints, so contrast is way off, but you can see the glaring (pun intended) difference in color.

The one on the left was printed using Apple's Preview program, simply setting the paper to glossy. The color balance is correct. The only thing I had to do was increase exposure to correct for the difference between screen and paper.

The one on the right is using Lightroom's Print menu and setting the print management to the Costco glossy paper icc file. It's way too yellow! When I tried "Managed by Printer" it was a lot closer, though still slightly different. For this image, Apple's Preview gave the best print.

In this case it's not much of an issue. But when I try specialty papers and need the appropriate icc files for special photos, I have the same problem and I am tired of wasting endless paper, time, and ink to get it right.

Any ideas why Lightroom color management sucks so much and if there's anything I can do?
 

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If your monitor is calibrated, did you try to see your image in LR using soft-proofing ? If so, how does it look like ?
This could help determine what are the real colors stored in the file and if the problem is in the file or in the printing.
Also, when printing from LR using the ICC profile, did you disable the color management in the printer driver ?
 
I worked out some of this issue, but I have a new problem that is strictly LR issue: I made some minor modifications to the image, including cropping and some minor color changes. But when I go to the print module, what I see is the original, unmodificed image! And that is what prints (accurately)! Why is the print module not showing my changes? I tried quitting and opening again, even rebooting the computer, no difference.
 
Update: I was looking at "Lightroom Templates" in the print module. If I click on 8x10 (I'm using 8 1/2 x 11 paper) I now shows the cropped version, but still unmodified colors. If I click on Maximize size, it shows the modified color. But the actual print is still unmodified color.
 
now shows the cropped version, but still unmodified colors.

For an understanding of which colour spaces are used in which LrC module, see FAQ | Color in Lightroom. Yes, it's frustrating.

However, I have not found colours or sizing change in the print module. Sizing will sometimes change if I toggle 'Zoom to Fill' in the Print Image Settings.

If I click on Maximize size, it shows the modified color.
I can't picture what you are clicking on. Are you talking about the MAC Green maximize button?

Update: I was looking at "Lightroom Templates" in the print module. If I click on 8x10 (I'm using 8 1/2 x 11 paper) I now shows the cropped version
The following is not to be insulting to your skills, just as a double check of the steps needed to make a print from LrC. There are several steps documented in Print Photo's. I find sometimes going back to first principals helps resolve an issue.
But when I try specialty papers and need the appropriate icc files for special photos, I have the same problem and I am tired of wasting endless paper, time, and ink to get it right.
I'm curious if the " Costco glossy paper icc file" is the one Costco provides for printing to their printer or if Costco's provide an ICC profile for their paper for your Canon Pixma Pro-10 printer. An ICC print profile is for a particular paper for a particular printer combination. For example, I just started trying Hahnemuhle paper and had to download the specific ICC profile for their Fineart Baryta paper for my Epson XP-15000 printer. They also provide additional printer settings to use even though I was using LrC colour management.
 
OK, answers to your questions
I agree, color should not visibly change on screen when LR switches to the print module...and since certainly shouldn't change when I switch between sizes in the Template Browser. It is clearly a weird bug in LR.
Regarding the latter, "Maximize Size" is in the Template Browser on the left, in the Print Module
My understanding at this point is that the Costco ICC profile may not be very accurate, and that's why prints are looking better with built-in color management.

But I am having the same problem with Moab Paper and their correct ICC profile, after going through my settings with the Moab technical rep. I guess I will need to burn a bunch of paper and ink and figure out what I need to do to get acurate prints :(
 
I agree, color should not visibly change on screen when LR switches to the print module
Actually, I was suggesting that colour may change. From the link I provided

Lightroom's Print module uses Adobe RGB color space to display image previews and when printing in the draft mode, the Develop module by default displays previews using the ProPhoto RGB color space, which is a large gamut that contains all the colors that digital cameras can capture. Printer devices use CMYK to describe colors.
Because of these varying color spaces, image colors often look different depending on where you view them. To reconcile the color differences before you actually print your Lightroom photos, use the Soft Proofing panel in the Develop module to preview how colors look under various color-managed printing conditions.

Regarding the latter, "Maximize Size" is in the Template Browser on the left, in the Print Module
Ah, I was looking for a button. "Maximize Size" is a template. FWIW, I don't see any change in the colour when I toggle between the 8x10 template and Maximize Template.

I printed the same file twice on Costco glossy paper, on a Canon Pixma Pro-10 printer
I'm in Canada and can't find where to download a Costco paper profile for a Canon Pixma Pro-10 printer. All the profiles I find are for printing on Costco's in-house printers. Where did you get the profile?

But I am having the same problem with Moab Paper and their correct ICC profile, after going through my settings with the Moab technical rep. I guess I will need to burn a bunch of paper and ink and figure out what I need to do to get acurate prints
I see that Moab provides a number of ICC profiles for the Canon Pixma Pro-10. Which Moab paper are you using?

A couple of final suggestions:
  • Have you checked Edit->Preferences->Performance to see how LrC is, or isn't using your Graphics Processor?
  • Is your Graphic's Processor Driver up to date?
  • Have you tried printing from Photoshop?
 
vIt may have been intended for sending images to Costco for printing. I am well aware that printing and screen colors are in different color spaces and can sometimes lookvery different. In the case of this image, soft proofing shows some minor out-of-gamut issues here and there.

I don't remember where I got the Costco profile and it is possible that you are correct about its application.

Regarding your suggestions: No it wasn't enabled. But it is now! I don't think there's any specific driver updating on an iMac since it's a built-in GPU. No, I haven't tried from Photoshop but it's a good idea.
 
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