Before printing, most photos or images should be processed through Photoshop or similar software to enhance the image quality. Commercial and professional fine art prints use state-of-the-art printing methods with high-end printers to produce museum-quality prints so providing the best file to work with is critical. These are the six most important things you can do to prepare your image for a professional print job.

Printer’s note: Don’t be afraid to reach out to a fine art printer to get additional guidance on what adjustments and Photoshop settings will help you achieve the best for the print medium you’d like. 

1. Calibrate Your Monitor

If your photos look good on screen but not when printed, you probably need to calibrate your monitor. Ensuring your monitor displays colors and brightness accurately is crucial for high quality prints.

A monitor brightness setting of gamma 2.2 is the best practice for fine art prints.

Regular calibration helps in achieving prints that match your on-screen image. This article from Digital Camera World compares the best monitor calibrators on the market.

2. Set Color Space and Profile

Commercial printers usually prefer using Adobe RGB 1998 color space because it has a wide color gamut, preserves the data associated with the color, and is compatible with most advanced printing systems. Anytime you’re prepping a photo for a printer, start by ensuring your image has the appropriate color space.

To change color space in Photoshop:

  1. Go to Edit > Convert to Profile
  2. Select Adobe RGB 1998 as the destination space
  3. Make any necessary color adjustments after conversion
Adjust color when editing photos for print.

3. Select Image Size and Resolution

Your aspect ratio, image size, and resolution will impact the size options you have for printing. Regardless of the size of the final print, it’s always best practice to save the image resolution at 300 DPI or better to get the highest-quality resolution.

Set the correct aspect ratio and image size:

  1. Use the Crop tool to set the desired aspect ratio
  2. Go to Image > Image Size
  3. Set the resolution to 300 DPI for high-quality prints
  4. Adjust the dimensions to match your desired print size

4. Use Sharpening (When Needed)

While not always necessary and bad looking if overdone, the sharpening tool in Photoshop is great for enhancing small details in an image. Things like sharpening eyes in portraits or adding definition to background elements can go a long way to make an image pop.

Evaluate your image for opportunities for sharpening and apply the tool where you see fit:

  1. Create a duplicate layer for sharpening
  2. Use Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen or Unsharp Mask
  3. Adjust the amount and radius to enhance details without creating artifacts

5. Adjust Color and Contrast (Curves & Levels)

Use Photoshop to its fullest and take the time to fine-tune the image before submitting it to the printer. Curves and Levels are both powerful tonal adjustment tools in Photoshop, but Curves offers more precise control and flexibility. Similar to sharpening, this is a subjective process that you can take time to experiment with for the best results.

Fine-tune the image:

  1. Use Adjustment Layers Levels to do basic adjustments
  2. Use Adjustment Layers Curves for finer details

6. Utilize Soft-proofing & Noise Adjustment

After manipulating the image to your liking, it’s important to soft-proof your image for a final analysis before sending it on to the printer. You can go back to redo/undo some previous adjustments and evaluate if the image has the right amount of noise.

Soft-proofing your image:

  1. Soft-proof your image using View > Proof Setup to simulate the print output
  2. Create a new layer or convert your image layer to a Smart Object for non-destructive editing.
  3. Apply noise reduction if necessary to smooth out unwanted grain
  4. Conversely, consider adding a small amount of noise to prevent banding in smooth gradients

7. Save for Print

Printers, like Artisan HD, will accept a wide range of image formats including TIFF, JPEG, PSD, or PDF so you can save the image in your preferred format. Consult directly with your printer if there is a format that they prefer and why.

  1. Go to File > Save As
  2. Choose a format with low compression for maximum quality
  3. Ensure “Include ICC Profile” is checked
prepare photos for printing

Prepare Photos for Printing Like a Pro with ArtisanHD

Preparing your images for print may seem like a technical process, but taking these steps ensures that your final print is as vibrant and high-quality as your digital image.

If you have any questions about preparing your images for print or need expert guidance, the professionals at ArtisanHD are here to help. Our team specializes in transforming digital images into stunning, museum-quality prints using the latest in high-definition printing technology.

Ready to bring your images to life? Explore our range of professional-quality print products and create a masterpiece today! Browse our print options now.

Artisan HD employee in printing process