Scenario:
My HP wide gamut monitor is calibrated with an I1 spectro. My Z3200 has its own spectro of course. All my prints are inspected under my Solux lamp. Everything works! I get great matching between prints and screen. My paper is Red River Palo Duro Satin.
Problem:
Customers are not happy with their pictures (mostly senior pictures) when viewed at their house. Flesh tones are too saturated as are the reds in general. After some detective work I determined the issue appears to be with the cheap very warm LED lighting used in their house. I bought some of the same generic LED bulbs (Ace Hardware house brand) and I can replicate the problem.
My only current fix is to lower the overall saturation in PS by 10 to 20 percent which looks very pale on my screen BUT the prints do look better under these cheap LEDs.
Any thoughts/ideas?
thanks
Jim
Education is a key element in running a custom print shop, IMO. One of the first questions I ask a client is what type/level of lighting the prints will be displayed in. AND, I always "deliver" the print job here at my little studio, where their prints are displayed on a large gray magnetic panel on the wall, illuminated by a 7 fixture Solux track light with 4700 k bulbs. I also have a little Fiilex gooseneck lamp that can cycle output at 3200, 4000, 5000, and 6500k. I'll often take one of their prints and show how it looks at the various temps, illustrating that how
they choose to light the work I've done will have an impact on how it "appears." There are times when knowing that they have unusual lighting, I'll target the output for that lighting. As a practical matter, that becomes problematic in a hurry when one is trying to price the work in a way that justifies the labor and skill involved, yet keep the price per print somewhere in the range of "rational" for the client. The more sophisticated client "gets this." Those that don't get a recommendation to give Costco a try. And I mean that sincerely, and not cynically.
Illustrative Anecdote: I belong to a local camera club where the membership ranges from neophyte to some pretty advanced folk. I teach basic color management mini-seminars from time to time. I also provide a "gift to the club" of making a nice print to give each recipient of the "photo of the month" award. Our club meeting room has fluorescent lighting that has a distinct and nasty green cast to it. After the first couple of presentations of very nice prints, I became discouraged by how horrid they looked in our club meeting room. So, I bought an easel, a smaller grey magnetic panel (25" square) and a Solux fixture that clamps on to the easel providing nice 4700k output. The prints look brilliant! It often becomes a great object lesson for our members to see a properly made, properly illuminated print - and then viewing it under the room's ambient lighting!
Rand