Lightroom color space settings for successful printing

Printing is an art in itself, especially when it comes to digital photography. Choosing the right color space and proper color management is crucial for the quality of your prints. In this guide, you will learn step by step how to optimally configure your Lightroom color space settings so that your images look just as vibrant on paper as they do on the screen.

Key Insights

• The color space of your camera significantly affects the printing result.
• Use Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB for better results.
• Ensure that the color management settings in Lightroom are correctly set.
• Do not rely on the printer's defaults; manually select the correct color space and print profile.

Step-by-Step Guide

Start by checking which color space your camera is using to photograph. The most common color spaces are Adobe RGB and ProPhoto RGB, while sRGB is considered the weakest color space, which can greatly compromise your printing results. If you work with sRGB, you are missing out on many details. Make sure your camera is set to Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB for optimal results.

Once you have checked the camera settings, continue in Lightroom. If you want to start printing, open the print module. Here you will see that the color space option is set to the printer by default, which is not ideal. This can cause the colors in your print to look different than on your screen, as the printer may be printing in sRGB, leading to an uninspired result. Therefore, it is crucial to adjust this option.

Make sure to pay attention to the correct settings in the print dialog. At the bottom of the dialog, you will find the selection for color management. You should not leave the function as “managed by printer,” as this usually leads to unexpected results. Instead, switch to the “other” option to make the desired color space settings.

After you have set the color management, find the appropriate print profile for your printer and the paper you are using. For example, Fogra profiles are the most common, and you will often come across Fogra 27 or Fogra 39. These profiles are a good choice for most printing processes as they are optimized for CMYK printing. Select the corresponding profile and confirm your selection.

Now that you have set the correct print profile, there is another important decision to make: the rendering mode. Here you can choose between “perceptual” and “relative.” For home use, I recommend leaving the setting on “perceptual” if you're unsure. Manual adjustment can be problematic since you can never accurately predict how your printer will interpret the colors. Therefore, “perceptual” is usually the safest choice.

If you are navigating through the print dialog and possibly want to make other adjustments, you can also access this directly through a button to customize further options for the layout and format of your print. It is advisable to create a PDF version of your print beforehand to check the final results. Be sure to review all settings again to ensure you end up with a print that meets your expectations.

One often-overlooked aspect of printing is ensuring that the printer does not make the crucial color adjustments. Rather, you want the printer to work as closely to the colors you see in Lightroom as possible. This maximizes your chances of achieving excellent results and avoiding misprints.

Summary

If you follow these steps and always pay attention to the correct color space settings when printing in Lightroom, you should be able to bring your images to paper in the best quality. Remember that color management is crucial for success.