Since launching Lightroom 1.0 in 2007, Adobe continues to add features that make it easier for photographers to make prints—either on their own in-studio inkjet printers or through labs. For example, the recently announced beta version of Photoshop Lightroom 4.0 includes the ability to "soft proof" images on screen before you print them. Plus, without leaving Lightroom, you can lay out photo books and export them for printing directly to Blurb.com. Files can also be exported to PDF files for any other use.
Still, photographer and digital-imaging consultant Andrew Darlow believes that many of his colleagues aren't yet aware that many "power-printing" features already exist in Lightroom 3. At PDN PhotoPlus Expo in New York last October, Andrew presented the workshop: "Lightroom Power Printing Tips." At the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) conference in February in Las Vegas, he will present a Master Class entitled "Lab Printing with Lightroom: Color Management and Step-by-Step Workflow."
We recently interviewed Andrew about why he thinks more photographers could benefit from learning to print through Lightroom.
EF: Why did you decide to develop Lightroom printing workshops?
AD: I love working in Lightroom. It has become my main digital asset management system. A lot of people don't realize that the printing features in Lightroom are very robust. People think it's confusing or not as powerful as printing through Photoshop. But in my opinion, it's easier. As I started printing more of my work through Lightroom, I realized I was saving hundreds of hours. It was only natural for me to want to share what I have learned.
EF: What are some of the key benefits of printing through Lightroom?
AD: Printing in Lightroom is not that much different from Photoshop, but certain features can really save time, materials, and file-storage space. For example, you can set up templates for the specific sizes and types of print products you plan to make, whether in your home or studio printing on an inkjet printer, or through a lab. Once each template is set up, you can lock in the paper size, profile, paper, and placement of the picture on the page. You can even dial in a certain level of sharpness. The next time you fulfill orders for similar print packages, just drop the new pictures into your template, configure your printer driver, and hit print (or export to the saved settings you’ve created for your lab).
Printing multiple pictures through Lightroom is a dream compared to Photoshop. For example, if I want to make 5 x 7-inch prints from a shoot (even if I do no pre-cropping), it generally takes just a few minutes to make cropping adjustments to 100 to 200 images. And, once you crop an image in Lightroom, you can easily get back to your original (or you can re-crop with ease). Photoshop requires you to save multiple versions to retain the uncropped file.
Plus, in Lightroom, you can print directly from RAW files. In Photoshop, you need to use processed files, such as 8 or 16-bit TIFF or PSD files, which can be significantly larger than RAW files that are generally just 5 to 25-megabytes in size.
The Print Module in "Contact Sheet" mode with four photos from the catalog selected. This contact sheet can then be printed from original RAW files, or exported to a JPEG file for printing at a lab or for displaying on a website. Photos © Andrew Darlow, Hair by Pirri Hair Team.
That being said, I have been printing with Photoshop for many years, and I still teach people how to print with Photoshop, because it works very well. And there are many who prefer not to use Lightroom or other applications with similar functionality, including Apple Aperture.
EF: Have you tried the new softproofing feature in the public beta of Lightroom 4.0?
AD: Yes, and I like it a lot. Softproofing can be great starting point for checking if your profile is relatively accurate - or really whacked out. It also lets you see the difference in rendering intents. But personally, I think there is much more value in using Lightroom to make “hard proofs” in the form of “digital test strips."That means printing the same photo multiple times (or a portion of a photo multiple times), making small changes in exposure, sharpness, saturation, etc., and then comparing the photos to each other to find the best one. Lightroom’s “Virtual Copies” option allows copies to be made inside of the application with only a tiny increase in disk space.
The softproof function in Lightroom 4 Beta's Develop Module. Rendering Intents can be chosen for Perceptual and Relative Colorimetric, and a Proof copy (similar to a Virtual Copy) can be made so that edits with the softproof on can be compared with the image prior to viewing with softproofing. Photo © Andrew Darlow
EF: How will the content of your WPPI Master Class differ from your PhotoPlus session?
AD: At PhotoPlus Expo, the content was geared primarily for photographers who send work to the inkjet printers connected to their computers. Most of the photographers at WPPI specialize in weddings, portraits, families, high school seniors, etc. Because many of them process and print hundreds of photos per shoot, they generally send their prints to labs.
In both workshops, I emphasize the importance of using a calibrated monitor and controlling your lighting. At the WPPI session, I'll cover the proofing and printing process for a range of lab products, including proof books, digital c-prints, canvas prints, and press-printed products.
EF: Would it help if labs taught their customers how to print from Lightroom?
AD: Yes. Any lab that can help teach their customers how to get better results will benefit. While many labs offer to do color corrections for their customers, I believe it's better for photographers to maintain control over their color and request for the lab to do no corrections.
And today, many photographers are choosing to send images to more than one lab for output. For example, a photographer might prefer the style of canvas prints offered by one lab and the greeting cards offered by another. It's unrealistic for two different labs to do auto corrections on image files and have both sets of prints come out with similar colors. By running a few tests (a process I demonstrate in my workshops), it’s easy to make adjustments so that color is very accurate compared with a calibrated and profiled monitor.
Also, if a photographer accepts online print orders from a customer in a faraway country, it might be more cost-effective to have the prints produced and shipped from a lab closer to the customer. This is common with some online gallery platforms, including www.zenfolio.com.
EF: What's the best way for photographers who can't attend your Master Class at WPPI to learn more about the power-printing features in Lightroom?
AD: I would first download Lightroom (Lightroom 3 for live work, and Lightroom 4 beta for testing). Then do a search for Lightroom links to see what video training is available. In a post on my Imaging Buffet website, I have included many general Lightroom links. I also share a lot of tips on ImagingBuffet.com and do private consulting to help people get the most from Lightroom. This includes helping create custom profiles and presets.
Andrew Darlow in front of a few of his pigment ink prints on canvas and paper at a solo exhibition of his work entitled “GRANDmarks.”
Andrew Darlow (www.andrewdarlow.com) is a photographer and digital imaging consultant based in New Jersey. He has contributed to numerous books on the topics of digital photography and printing, and his articles and photography have been featured in many magazines, including Photo District News, PDN Gear Guide, Popular Photography, Professional Photographer and Rangefinder Magazine.
He conducts seminars at photo-related conferences around the world, and has presented workshops for organizations such as the Advertising Photographers of America (APA), The Center for Fine Art Photography, and the International Center of Photography (ICP).
