Getting Your Image Ready for Print: What Actually Matters

Getting Your Image Ready for Print: What Actually Matters

Getting Your Image Ready for Print: What Actually Matters

There’s a big difference between an image that looks great on your screen and one that holds up as a print. It’s something most photographers learn the hard way (myself included), what looked like a “banger” on the monitor comes back too dark, too flat, or with colours that are not supposed to be there.

Getting your image print ready isn’t complicated, but it does require a bit more intention than just hitting export. Here’s what you need to know before sending your work off to the printer.

Why Preparing for Print Matters

Screens are backlit, bright, and forgiving. Prints aren’t.

When you print an image, you’re dealing with reflected light, paper texture, ink limits, and colour spaces that behave very differently from your monitor. If you don’t account for that, your final result can feel dull or inaccurate compared to what you saw during editing. So many times in the past, I've been so excited to pick up my new prints only to be let down by not doing a few of these simple steps. 

A well-prepared file ensures:

  • Accurate colours
  • Proper brightness and contrast
  • Sharp, detailed output
  • No unexpected cropping

Calibrate Your Screen (This Is a Big One)

Before you even think about exporting, your screen needs to be trustworthy.

If your monitor is too bright (which most are by default), you’ll naturally edit your images darker to compensate. The result? Prints that come out muddy and underexposed.

Ideally, use a hardware calibrator. If you don’t have one, at the very least:

  • Turn your brightness down (I use 50-60% brightness)
  • Avoid editing in a pitch black room, also avoid a well lit room with the sun blasting in the windows. Really helps to see and control the darker areas of your image.
  • Be consistent with your environment.

It’s not glamorous, but it’s one of the biggest differences between “close enough” and “nailed it.”

Colour Profiles: sRGB vs Adobe RGB

This is where things can get confusing, but it doesn’t need to be.

  • sRGB → Safe, widely supported, and what most labs expect
  • Adobe RGB → Wider colour gamut, but only useful if your entire workflow supports it

If you’re unsure, stick with sRGB. It’s the most reliable option and avoids unexpected colour shifts when printing.

Some professional print labs will provide specific ICC profiles, if they do, use them. That’s the most accurate way to preview how your image will print.

Soft Proofing (Highly Recommended)

If you’re using Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop, soft proofing is worth turning on.

This simulates how your image will look when printed on a specific paper type.

What you might notice:

  • Slight loss of contrast
  • Muted colours
  • Shift in brightness

From there, you can make subtle adjustments specifically for print, this is where your image really starts to translate properly. 

Crop to the Right Aspect Ratio

This is one that catches a lot of people out.

If your image doesn’t match the print size ratio, something will get chopped, usually not in your favour.

Common print ratios:

  • 2:3    →   4x6, 8x12, 16x24
  • 1:1.4 →   A sized papers
  • 4:5    →   8x10, 16x20
  • 1:1    →   Square prints

Before exporting, crop your image intentionally to match your final print size. That way, you stay in control of the composition and don't have any nasty surprises waiting for you.

Straighten Horizons & Fix Perspective

This is a small detail that makes a massive difference in print.

A slightly crooked horizon might go unnoticed on a phone, but once it’s printed large and hanging on a wall it sticks out immediately.

Before exporting:

  • Double-check your horizon lines (especially seascapes)
  • Use guides or grid overlays to get it spot on
  • Fix any obvious perspective issues if needed

It’s one of those super simple finishing touches that can be easily forgotten.

Resolution & Image Size

For high-quality prints, when exporting aim for:

  • 300 DPI (PPI) as a general standard
  • Resize your image to the actual print dimensions if possible

Example:
If you’re printing at 16x24 inches, export your file at 16x24 inches at 300 PPI.

That said, modern printers are pretty forgiving—anything above ~240 PPI will usually still look sharp.

Clean Up Your Image (Don’t Skip This)

This step is easy to overlook, but prints will expose everything. Even what you did last summer.

Before exporting, zoom in and properly scan your image:

  • Sensor dust spots in skies, Lightroom has this feature built in now, but it does miss some spots every now and then.
  • Water droplets or marks
  • Random distractions in the frame
  • Chromatic aberration or edge fringing

What you barely notice on a screen can become very obvious in a large print. Take a couple of extra minutes to clean it up, it’s always worth it.

Sharpening for Print

Sharpening for screen and sharpening for print are not the same.

When exporting:

  • Use output sharpening for print (matte or glossy depending on your paper)
  • Don’t overdo it, just enough to bring back detail lost during printing

Lightroom and has this built in, and it does a solid job without much guesswork.

Export Settings (Simple & Reliable)

Here’s a clean baseline you can use:

  • File type: TIFF 
  • Colour space: sRGB
  • Quality: 100
  • Resolution: 300 DPI
  • Output sharpening: For Print (Standard)

If your lab provides specific settings, follow those over anything else. But these settings are pretty much my go to.

Paper Choice Matters More Than You Think

Your image will look very different depending on what it’s printed on.

  • Glossy → More contrast, more punch
  • Matte / Fine Art → Softer, more subtle, less glare

It depends on your image and the look you’re going for. Landscapes often work best on matte or fine art papers, especially if you’re chasing a more natural feel. Once framed the glass will always give it a glossy end result without loosing the sharpness.

Printing on Acrylic (For That Extra Pop)

Acrylic prints are a completely different beast, and when done right, they look incredible.

Instead of ink sitting on paper, your image is printed and mounted behind a sheet of clear acrylic (often with a white backing). This gives it a glossy, almost 3d look with serious depth and contrast.

A few things to keep in mind:

  • Brightness matters more
    Acrylic tends to deepen shadows and boost contrast. If your image is already a bit dark, it’ll look even darker in print, so consider lifting your shadows/blacks slightly before exporting.
  • Colours will pop harder
    Saturation and contrast feel more intense on acrylic. This works great for dramatic scenes, but can be too much if your edit is already pushed. Watch the blues as they can easily take over an image.
  • Reflections are real
    The glossy surface reflects light, so think about where the print will be displayed.
  • Sharpness really shows
    Acrylic is unforgiving in a good way, if your file is sharp, it’ll look insanely crisp. If it’s soft, you’ll notice.
  • Clean files only
    Dust spots, sensor marks, or banding will stand out more than they would on matte paper. Zoom in and double-check everything before exporting.

Acrylic is perfect for high impact images, think bold light, strong contrast, and clean compositions. It's an expensive lesson on acrylic if you mess up.

Final Thought

Printing your work is where photography really comes full circle.

It’s easy to get caught up chasing shots and editing for social media, but seeing your image physically in front of you, on paper or framed, with texture and depth, is a completely different experience. There's nothing like seeing your hard work actually in front of you. I find it's also a great way to keep track of your progress over the years. Looking back at old images I used to be so happy with seeing how you've progressed as an artist. That's what it's all about!

Take a bit of extra time to prep your files properly. Once you dial in your workflow, it becomes second nature and your prints will consistently come back looking exactly how you intended. 

If you’re curious how all of this translates into a finished piece, you can take a look through my print collection on the site. It’s a good way to see how different images and styles come to life once they leave the screen and hit paper (or acrylic).

And if you’ve ever felt stuck somewhere between your RAW file and a final print, that’s exactly what I work through in my 1 on 1 Lightroom and Photoshop sessions, helping you build a workflow that gets your images all the way to a finished piece you’re proud to hang.