My Photo Printing Workflow

[DrHood]

Hi All,

First, I want to thank the developers of TurboPrint for providing a feature rich printer driver application.

I am an amateur photographer who enjoys printing landscape, flower, macro photos, and family. I started using TurboPrint about six to eight months ago without any prior experience with printing photos. Initially, I was pretty frustrated due to my lack of knowledge about printing photos and inconsistent results. I persevered and eventually, I have established a workflow that I apply to obtain a good image on the first print.

I thought I would share my workflow, and things I have learned, in case it is helpful for people new to printing photos using Gimp and have not figured out a workflow that produces pleasing photos. This post is not intended for individuals who already have established a workflow that produces pleasing prints.

Note: Feedback on the information in this message is welcome, including alternative workflows. After all, there are multiple ways to accomplish and task, and my current approach might be simplified. If there is incorrect information in this message, please do point it out because I always welcome learning new things or refining what I have learned.

General Tips:

1. Don't expect the printed photo to look exactly like it does on the monitor screen. However, the difference between how the image appears on the computer screen versus the printed photo can be minimized to a very acceptable level, see tips b, c, d, e, f and g.
2. When using a raw image editor (e.g., DarkTable) to enhance the look of the photo, and it is ready for printing, export the image in .TIFF, 16 bit, Adobe RGB (compatible) output profile, and dimensions (inches, centimeters, or pixels) that correspond to the photo paper size. This will maximize the information from the raw file for sharpness and color and not use excess disk space for the file size.
3. Use the Softproofing feature in Gimp with a color .icc profile that is specific for your printer and paper. ZEDOnet provides downloadable color .icc profiles for various printers at https://www.zedonet.com/en_download_colorprofiles.phtml
4. Some editing in Gimp can be helpful (e.g., Menu: Colors --> Exposure, Menu: Colors --> Curves, and Menu: Filters --> Enhance --> Sharpen (Unsharp Mask)
5. Try saving photos and printing using a wide color gamut (e.g., Adobe RGB) and see if you like the results.
6. Calibrate the color and brightness of the monitor can also be helpful (e.g., DisplayCal plus Datacolor SpyderX Pro Colorimeter).
7. Using a factory calibrated monitor that supports Adobe RGB for wide color gamut can also be helpful (e.g., BenQ SW240 24.1" 16:10 PhotoVue IPS Monitor or BenQ SW270C Photographer 27" 16:9 HDR IPS Monitor, Lenovo ThinkVision P27u-20 27" 4K IPS Monitor)

Notes for General Tips:

• Applying ALL of the tips ARE NOT required. Tips b, c, d, and e are recommended. Although tips f and g can be beneficial, they are optional (e.g., I currently do not use a factory calibrated monitor).
• Softproofing in Gimp with an .icc profile is recommended because softproofing will simulate what the printed photo will look like when printed. After downloading an .icc profile, applying it in Gimp (e.g. Menu: View --> Color Management --> Proof Colors PLUS Menu: View --> Color Management --> Soft-Proofing Profile --> select the .icc profile you want to apply)
• If you calibrate your monitor, be sure to configure Gimp to use it in Menu: Edit --> Preferences --> System Resources --> Color Management --> Color Managed Display --> Monitor Profile.
• A useful tutorial on how to use DisplayCal is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vCDormXwnk&t=1046s&pp=ygUZZGlzcGxheWNhbCB0dXRvcmlhbCBsaW51eA%3D%3D
• If you calibrate a monitor that supports less than 1 billion shades of color (e.g., 8-bit RGB, which is 16 million), you may want to try exporting and printing as RGB instead of Adobe RGB. I currently have good success with exporting and printing using Adobe RGB and Wide RGB, respectively; however, I cannot say for certain whether my preference for Adobe RGB will work well for you.

My Current System

• OS: Debian (stable) Linux (with flathub libraries for installation of flatpak apps)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
• RAM: 16 Gb
• GPU: AMD RX 580
• Monitor (calibrated with DisplayCal and Datacolor SpyderX Pro): LG 34", model 34UM69G-B, IPS (display type), 250 cd/m2 (brightness), 2560 x 1080 (resolution), 1000:1 (contrast ratio), 6bit+A-FRC, 16.7M (color depth), sRGB 99% (Color Gamut Type)
• Printer: Canon TS9520
• Paper: Canon paper or Red River paper (e.g., metallic paper for landscape photos)

Note for My Current System:

• The color depth of my monitor is not optimal for photo printing because it does not display all of the shades of color that is in a 14-bit raw or tiff file. However, the current workflow described below produces predictable and pleasing prints.
• The specification of your computer system (e.g., graphics card and monitor) may influence how well the workflow below will work for you.

My Current Workflow

• Import photo (i.e., raw file format) into DarkTable and process to my liking
• Export processed image as TIFF, 16 bit, Adobe RGB (compatible) output profile, and dimensions (inches, centimeters, or pixels) that correspond to the photo paper size
• Open exported image with Gimp (version 2.10.34), the following sub-bullets are done in Gimp.
  • Apply .icc profile to softproof the photo (e.g., Menu: View --> Color Management --> Proof Colors PLUS Menu: View --> Color Management --> Soft-Proofing Profile --> select the .icc profile you want to apply). I then create a duplicate layer of the original image so that I can easily undo the next three steps.
  • Adjust the Color Temperature (e.g., Menu: Colors --> Color Temperature --> Intended Temperature) to match the white balance value in DarkTable. I then create a duplicate layer of the image so that I can easily undo the next step.
  • Increase the Exposure (e.g., Menu: Colors --> Exposure --> Exposure) up to 0.5 IF the exposure of the image is generally even across the entire photo. If the image contains a particular area that is slightly overexposed, I increase brightness with a smaller value (e.g., 0.2-0.3). If the majority of the image is generally bright, or contains significant parts in dark shadow AND other parts that are over exposed, then I skip this step.
  • Adjust contrast with Curves (i.e., Menu: Colors --> Curves). I use the ctrl + left mouse button to add three nodes to the diagonal line (one in the middle, another half-way between lower left corner and middle node to create a new node for making dark areas darker (a.k., Dad node), and another half-way between middle node and upper right corner to create a new node for making bright areas brighter (a.k.a, BAB node). I then use the left mouse button to drag the DAD node down (or diagonal to the right) slightly (small amount is enough typically). I consider moving the BAB node up (or diagonal to the left) slightly to further increase contrast provided that the photo doesn't contain overly bright areas.
  • Increase sharpness Sharpen (Unsharp Mask) and adjust to my liking. For small prints (e.g., 5"x"7" or smaller), this step is often unnecessary.
  • After doing the above, I am now ready to print the photo using TurboPrint. After I click on File --> TurboPrint, I do the following steps:
    • Change Media Type to the type of paper I intend to use
    • Change RGB color space to Wide RGB to match the Adobe RGB output profile I used when I exported the image from DarkTable.
    • Change the Page Size to the applicable option (if needed)
    • Change the Orientation to the applicable option (if needed)
    • Click on 'User Original Image Size' and inspect the width and height to ensure it matches the value that I used when I saved the .tif in DarkTable
    • Click on 'Both' to Center the image in the horizontal and vertical direction
    • Click on TurboPrint Config and in the Color tab, change Reference Light from D65 (daylight) to D50

Notes for My Current Workflow:

• The above workflow steps come without any explicit warranty. You are free to try the above and see if they are helpful for you.
• If you use a factory calibrated professional monitor (e.g., BenQ SW240 24.1" 16:10 PhotoVue IPS Monitor or BenQ SW270C Photographer 27" 16:9 HDR IPS Monitor, Lenovo ThinkVision P27u-20 27" 4K IPS Monitor), then some or all of the above steps in Gimp may not be needed
• To save a little bit of time, I saved a Curve with predefined nodes that increases contrast as a named preset so that I don't have to create a new curve each time I print a photo. After I apply the preset, I adjust the nodes as needed.
• If your monitor does not support Wide RGB color space (e.g., 8-bit RGB, which is 16 million), you may want to try exporting the .tif file with RGB output profile, instead of Adobe RGB, and not use Wide RGB when printing.

My current workflow does not produce photos that appear exactly as they do on the monitor in Gimp or DarkTable. However, the printed image from Gimp do look very nice from the very first print. I might print a 2nd image for a very slight adjustment; however, this 2nd print is often for very minor details that probably need not be adjusted.

I have thought about purchasing a factory calibrated monitor that supports 99+% Adobe RGB color gamut and see if it reduces my current workflow or produces even more color accurate photos. However, I haven't quite decided it is worth the price for me as an amateur photographer.

[swaine61]

I dont know why this hasnt gotten any reply's but I wanted to say thank you. My workflow so far is 80% of yours. Now I can complete. Thank you.

[zedonet]

Hello,

thank you for the workflow description. Most of the description is specific to RAW development and I can comment only on the TurboPrint specific steps.

I am now ready to print the photo using TurboPrint. After I click on File --> TurboPrint, I do the following steps:

Change Media Type to the type of paper I intend to use
Change RGB color space to Wide RGB to match the Adobe RGB output profile I used when I exported the image from DarkTable.
Change the Page Size to the applicable option (if needed)
Change the Orientation to the applicable option (if needed)
Click on 'User Original Image Size' and inspect the width and height to ensure it matches the value that I used when I saved the .tif in DarkTable
Click on 'Both' to Center the image in the horizontal and vertical direction
Click on TurboPrint Config and in the Color tab, change Reference Light from D65 (daylight) to D50

Everything looks correct in this description except

Change RGB color space to Wide RGB to match the Adobe RGB output profile I used when I exported the image from DarkTable.

TurboPrint's "Wide RGB" color space is not the same as "Adobe RGB".

If you have a TurboPrint Studio license, you can add the color space "Adobe RGB" in the TurboPrint Control app, dialog "Profiles"-> tab "Color Spaces". After doing this, you can select "RGB Color Space" = "Adobe RGB" in the TurboPrint print plugin.

If you have a TurboPrint Pro license, I recommend to use "sRGB" instead of "Adobe RGB". You can export your TIFF images in "sRGB" color space from Darktable. Alternatively, you can convert to "sRGB" when loading images into GIMP - this is a functionality that GIMP offers when loading an image that is not sRGB.

[DrHood]

I dont know why this hasnt gotten any reply's but I wanted to say thank you. My workflow so far is 80% of yours. Now I can complete. Thank you.

Glad it helped you determine a workflow that works for you. I am glad to see that you used my post as a starting point and not an end point.

Cheers!

[DrHood]

Hello,

thank you for the workflow description. Most of the description is specific to RAW development and I can comment only on the TurboPrint specific steps.

I am now ready to print the photo using TurboPrint. After I click on File --> TurboPrint, I do the following steps:

Change Media Type to the type of paper I intend to use
Change RGB color space to Wide RGB to match the Adobe RGB output profile I used when I exported the image from DarkTable.
Change the Page Size to the applicable option (if needed)
Change the Orientation to the applicable option (if needed)
Click on 'User Original Image Size' and inspect the width and height to ensure it matches the value that I used when I saved the .tif in DarkTable
Click on 'Both' to Center the image in the horizontal and vertical direction
Click on TurboPrint Config and in the Color tab, change Reference Light from D65 (daylight) to D50

Everything looks correct in this description except

Change RGB color space to Wide RGB to match the Adobe RGB output profile I used when I exported the image from DarkTable.

TurboPrint's "Wide RGB" color space is not the same as "Adobe RGB".

If you have a TurboPrint Studio license, you can add the color space "Adobe RGB" in the TurboPrint Control app, dialog "Profiles"-> tab "Color Spaces". After doing this, you can select "RGB Color Space" = "Adobe RGB" in the TurboPrint print plugin.

If you have a TurboPrint Pro license, I recommend to use "sRGB" instead of "Adobe RGB". You can export your TIFF images in "sRGB" color space from Darktable. Alternatively, you can convert to "sRGB" when loading images into GIMP - this is a functionality that GIMP offers when loading an image that is not sRGB.

Thank you for the reply!

Yes, my workflow applies to raw file development.

Thank you for the clarification that "Wide RGB" color space is not the same as "Adobe RGB".

I tried your recommendation and exported a DarkTable 4.4.2 edited raw image as TIFF (8 bit) in "sRGB" color space, chose 'Keep' color space embedded in the TIFF file when opening in Gimp, and printed with TurboPrint onto Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy II paper in sRGB color space using a Canon Pixma G620 printer. Below are the results.

Code: Select all

Test photo included a cloudless sky (late morning), a sizeable rock with varying tones of orange color, green colored leaf plant, and some shadows. 

A. Least Saturation Level
Export from DarkTable in sRGB and print in TurboPrint using sRGB
Comment: The level of saturation in the sky was acceptable; however, the color saturation of the rock and green leaves were not as pleasing to me compared to the settings used in B.

B. Middle Saturation Level
Export from DarkTable in Adobe RGB and print in TurboPrint using Wide sRGB
Comment: The colors of the sky, rock, and green leaves were just about right for my taste.

C. Highest Saturation Level
Export from DarkTable in sRGB and print in TurboPrint using Wide sRGB
Comment: The blue sky was over saturated, the rock and plant leaves were slightly over saturated. This photo reminded me of the level of over saturation that some cell phones will produce. Of the three, these settings were the least pleasing to me because of the over saturated colors.

Disclaimers:

• In Gimp, the Curves tool is used mostly for adjusting contrast. If the image has well lit areas with mostly a single color (e.g., blue sky), then I will be careful not to overly brighten the bright area with the Curves tool to avoid causing a color shift (e.g., adding a green tone to the blue sky).
• The above test is just for one image and may not apply to other images of other subjects and different lighting.
• The above test applies to the photo paper, printer, and monitor that I use and may not apply to other combinations of photo paper, printer, and monitor.
• An acceptable amount of saturation is purely personal preference. My preference for colors may not appeal to you. For example, you might prefer the color space settings of A or C above for your photos.

I will continue to experiment with DarkTable, Gimp, and TurboPrint color space settings and update this thread as new information is discovered. For example, I am keen on purchasing a calibrated monitor and see how that changes what color space settings I use in my printing workflow.

Cheers!

DrHood