Raw to jpeg

[Mikaela5C7A]

Hello. I'm wondering what are the best settings to use while I'm trying to convert my photos from raw to jpeg without lowering the quality or changing the colour scheme on me. I've had clients come back to me saying photos look amazing, but then when they go to print it comes out fuzzy. Or I've had clients  come and say the colours look off. I want the photos to look good on any device and while being printed as well. Can someone tell me the correct settings I need for this to happen? Or do I need a different software?

[Rob_Cullen]

I will throw in some 'General' suggestions for your questions-

I'm trying to convert my photos from raw to jpeg without lowering the quality

A JPG will, by its nature, be lower quality that the raw. It is reduced to 8bit (256 levels) and Compressed (at various quality levels).

or changing the colour scheme on me.

You need a monitor screen that is calibrated to show 'correct colors'. And JPG files should be exported with the sRGB profile to look good on most devices.

when they go to print it comes out fuzzy.

What are the Pixel Dimensions of the file you supply? Are there sufficient pixels for the required print PPI?

Can someone tell me the correct settings I need for this to happen? Or do I need a different software?

So what software are you using? And what settings are you using? That would be helpful!

[Conrad C]

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@Mikaela5C7A wrote:

I've had clients come back to me saying photos look amazing, but then when they go to print it comes out fuzzy. Or I've had clients  come and say the colours look off. I want the photos to look good on any device and while being printed as well. Can someone tell me the correct settings I need for this to happen? Or do I need a different software?

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The JPEG you export from Lightroom to print somewhere else has to have enough pixels (usually, just set Dimensions to Largest Available Dimensions) and an appropriate color space (sRGB unless the printer tells you otherwise). And exported at a high enough JPEG Quality level, like 80% or higher.

Fuzzy prints can result from the image not having enough pixels for the print size on the printer being used, or not adjusting contrast and sharpening properly for the specific printing process. For example, the same image looks very different printed with matte vs glossy paper, or expensive vs cheap paper, or dye vs pigment ink. 

It’s tricky…paper simply cannot reproduce the same range of tones and colors as a screen. People who print all the time have gained experience in how to adapt an image to the limitations of different printers and papers. To get the best color you can for a certain printer, it’s best to edit a separate version for print while viewing a simulation of print colors on screen, a process called soft-proofing. Creating a separate version is possible in Lightroom, but soft-proofing is not. Soft-proofing is available in Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. And like Rob said the whole process works best on a display that is calibrated, or a least profiled.