Print images are grayish

[Dana26511287uc2r]

Twice in the last year when someone else has been helping me edit images for a customer, when the images are printed to canvas or larger print, the images have a definite grayish or washed out tone.  The images look fine on the computer screen.  Does anyone have an idea what is being done wrong?  I have never had this problem on my images, but I always export out of Light room, even when editing in PS, I save back to LR and then export.

[Conrad C]

When the images “look fine on screen,” are either of you using soft-proofing to simulate the final print appearance in Photoshop (View > Proof Setup > Custom) or Lightroom Classic (View > Soft Proofing > Show Proof)?

If soft proofing is not being used, the screen display is the full range original, not as it will appear under the smaller range of contrast and color of canvas and matte print media. That could result in surprises at print time.

[NB, colourmanagement net]

Dana, Your issues raise a couple of points in my mind.

1: If you are making judgement on image appearance on-screen, is that monitor screen calibrated and profiles (with a colorimeter like the X-Rite / Calibrite i1Display Pro?) 

2: do you have a good ICC profile. for the printer and media? read more about ICC profiles here. And about why they are needed here 

I use this kit to be 100% sure the screen calibration is accurate and the calibration targets are optimal. 

A note on saving print ready files, I would prefer "save as" rather than export.

First make a copy of your master full size  image file, archive it with the image profile embedded [as Tiff or PSD - Jpeg is unsuitable here because of the inevitable compression].

Make a copy and resize that for the print, sharpen it and send to the printer with the image profile embedded. 

Please feel free to make a test the printer accuracy using this image

-  go here and download the Adobe RGB testimage: https://www.colourmanagement.net/index.php/downloads_listing/

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net :: adobe forum volunteer:: co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management

[Dana26511287uc2r]

I think this may be getting close. I am asking people editing for me to return images in jpeg. If they are saving their images out of Photoshop to jpeg, maybe this is the problem?  Should I have them send as tiff? Then I import them into Lightroom to catalog with the other images for the customer and then export all out of Lightroom as full res jpeg ?

[TheDigitalDog]

Does the JPEGs sent to you have an embedded profile? That's critical. Open in Photoshop and examine the color space reported (lower document dropdown set to show this, or in Info Palette when set to show this). 

[Dana26511287uc2r]

I did check the document at the bottom of the screen and the came across as Adobe SRGB. I’m not even sure where to look up the Info Palette?

Thanks for the ideas.

Dana Johnson

Sent from Mail<> for Windows

[NB, colourmanagement net]

Try this video I discovered googling "Photoshop info pallet"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE7LkoHgj8w

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net :: adobe forum volunteer:: co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management

[NB, colourmanagement net]

Irrespective of colour issues - Jpeg is a compressed format - it should only be used if final size and crop has been set in stone, any further cropping or resizing results in further compression on saving, this is potentially very destructive to image quality. 

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net :: adobe forum volunteer:: co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management