From photoshop cs3 to my printer, from cs3 to lab. Prints not same 1

[kammphoto]

The problem that I am having, and is also driving me nuts, is as follows. I show a client the picture on the screen. I then print a copy on my HP Photosmart 8450 using prophoto color space. The picture comes out just like the screen. (Screen color calibrated using spider.) The client gives me the order; I then save the picture under srgb, and send the file to a lab for printing. The picture comes back looking a different color then the screen did. The color changes more in the background than on the skin tones. I have also tried saving a copy under prophoto and sent it to the lab with some slightly improved results. The lab stated that there color space is srgb. One more thing that I should mention. I also use Lightroom. If a photo needs work from lightroom I send the file to CS3 for work I then save that file using PSD. I then load the file back into Lightroom, save the file under srgb. That also gives me some improvement but not what I am looking for. I need the lab prints because of the size of the print. I thank everyone in advance for taking the time to reply.

 

[apepp]

...my typical workflow would be:

1. open image, assign scanner or camera profile (if not applicable then I simply ignore any assignment and go to step 3)

2. convert to an editing working space (Adobe 1998 or sRGB)

3. go to step 4 - : )

4. edit until happy and save file (this is the master image)

6. duplicate file

7. enable soft proof options (View > Proof Setup > Custom) to printer profile (yours or one supplied by the lab) make edits. Turning on out of gamut (View > Gamut Warning) is useful. Black Point Compensation turned on. Preserve Color Numbers off. Relative Colorimetric on.

8. once happy, then edit > convert to printer profile.

9. save converted image to jpeg (without embedded profile) and send to lab indicating the printer profile conversion used if needed.

...sRGB is and editing color space, typically when sending to a digital LAB I have converted (edit > convert to profile) to the target printer profile they use, saving without embedded profiles and then informing them the image has already been converted using their up-to-date printer profile, they then just print without any messing about with color conversions etc. Instruct the print lab not to apply any image enhancement or adjustments to your files...

...to add, if they turn out to be not very good quality, I usually hunt down elsewhere...

Andrew

 

[apepp]

...also to add that each printer and paper combination will behave differently. Using highly optimized profiles on a printer other than the one they were made for can result in worse performance than using no profile at all...

Andrew

 

[kammphoto]

Thanks apepp I will give it a try.