Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 2 for Digital Photographers Only

Chapter 10. FROM GOOD TO GREAT PRINTING WITH PRINT

In the previous chapter, I covered everything you really need to know in order to use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to create a good print from a digital image file. To refine your printing and get a better print, you have to make a lot of prints. I know of no other way to do this. Image printing is truly a craft, not just a set of "right choices" in a digital imaging program. It is about practicing with the program, learning the tools, and making the program conform to your expectations.

In this chapter, I help you make better prints by encouraging you to better learn the craft of printing through Lightroom. I am taking that further, though, and promising great prints. Of course, having a great subject or interpretation of that subject is up to you and can't be controlled by Lightroom. A great print, though, is one that truly expresses what your image and subject mean to you and that affects the viewer as well. I believe great prints are possible for anyone, but I repeat that this takes some time and effort to master.

Monitor versus Print

There is a pervasive, and I believe very misleading, idea that the best prints match the monitor. This idea can lead you in wrong directions as you strive for a great print. It is true that you should be able to get a good print that accurately interprets the colors and tonalities on your monitor, as shown ...