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Cards printed darker than uploaded images (Read 5812 times)
Dolly_156476
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Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Feb 4th, 2012, 7:08pm
 
I recently ordered the only two cards I have in my store, just to check out the quality, etc, and hopefully use them as live samples of my work.  Unfortunately, both cards arrived printed much darker than the images I uploaded.  They look like normal photo prints, like I had tried getting from Walmart with similar results.  I admit I expected more from GCU.  
 
For those of you who have dark-colored images, do you find this happening to you as well?  Is there something I can do on my end with dark images to help them print more closely to their proper colors?  Did I just get a bad batch?  Or do I have to stick to lighter, brighter colors?  Sad
 
**edited to clarify:  The purple love card - could hardly distinguish the purple from the black background, and the white in the chain was yellowish.  The red flower thank you card - again, the white parts were yellowish, and the various reds were very dark.**
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Kendra_143808
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #1 - Feb 4th, 2012, 7:23pm
 
I use a calibrated monitor and I have noticed that myself.  I was very disappointed when I ordered my first batch and as a result I am now making every image a bit lighter before I submit it.  Glossy finish seems to make the colors much more vivid and they look a little lighter also.   I have had some issues with colors not rendering correctly, and I can't seem to find a color profile from GCU to correct this.  
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Cathy_183701
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #2 - Feb 4th, 2012, 7:38pm
 
I have been very happy with my order, I received 10 cards yesterday, the only one that was a bit darker was one that had a darker background on the cover.  I have to say i'm very happy with the quality of GCU'S cards , and so are all of the people that I have shown my cards too. Smiley
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SunAtNight_145914
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #3 - Feb 4th, 2012, 8:51pm
 
I took a quick view with my color corrected monitor. I've never had any color problems with GCU's print. On my monitor the chain does look like the highlights are yellowed - I don't see any white highlights. I suggest that a re-calibration of your monitor might be necessary.
 
I use Adobe RGB 98 color space which is recommended by several of the top photography stock shops. Make sure you strip out any sRGB that is in your workflow. In fact I set up the workflow to automatically strip out other color settings and embed the Adobe RGB 98.
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stacy_136134
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #4 - Feb 4th, 2012, 10:03pm
 
When I first came to GCU I had a color issue also I couldn't get the printed card the same colors as my files and did a lot of research on the printing process (having calibrated my monitor several times).  I found I got the truest colors when I designed using cmyk and converted my file to rgb before submitting.  I never had a problem with a color blowing out or being too bright but changing to look more like cmyk colors.  I had a bright pink that printed orange, etc.  I also found a better color quality on glossy finishes.
 
I know they have changed printers, and I know there is a big debate that rgb printing is not cmyk.....when in fact it does print using the same process and is not a spot color printing for each color, despite using rgb files.
 
..............I'm just saying - I tried cmyk and converted to rgb and found a much closer color match.
 
However - i did go look at your cards and I also see yellow in the "white" areas of the chain so a calibration may help. Huh
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Oma_132016
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #5 - Feb 5th, 2012, 6:02am
 
Hi Dolly,
 
     I'm sorry that you were disappointed with the quality of the colours on your greeting cards. I suggest that you create a more vivid and colourful card, upload and order it and compare the results. Maybe it was just the darkness of these cards. And if not, you can take it up directly with the GCU Staff (they'd be more than willing to help you out.)
 
 But I have to agree with Stacy. I also create my work using CMYK and just save it as an RGB when I'm done. It seems to work just fine for me so far. I've never had any problems.
 
Good Luck.
 
Oma.
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Doreen_137017
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #6 - Feb 5th, 2012, 8:13am
 
I too have a calibrated monitor which is critical to getting accurate and consistent results. Color profile, as also already mentioned, is very critical.
 
If you are not getting better results than Walmart, then definitely some adjustment is needed on your end.  I've seen extraordinary results from my dark cards such as:
 
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/from-our-house-to-yours-876500?pid=876500&am p;gcu=43045123714
 
and
 
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/happy-birthday-fraternal-twin-sister-823096? pid=823096&gcu=43045123714
 
So I'm sure you can get lovely results from your cards with a little tweaking on your end Smiley
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Frank_146127
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #7 - Feb 5th, 2012, 10:55am
 
Quote from stacy_136134 on Feb 4th, 2012, 10:03pm:
When I first came to GCU I had a color issue also I couldn't get the printed card the same colors as my files and did a lot of research on the printing process (having calibrated my monitor several times).  I found I got the truest colors when I designed using cmyk and converted my file to rgb before submitting.  I never had a problem with a color blowing out or being too bright but changing to look more like cmyk colors.  I had a bright pink that printed orange, etc.  I also found a better color quality on glossy finishes.

I know they have changed printers, and I know there is a big debate that rgb printing is not cmyk.....when in fact it does print using the same process and is not a spot color printing for each color, despite using rgb files.

..............I'm just saying - I tried cmyk and converted to rgb and found a much closer color match.


However - i did go look at your cards and I also see yellow in the "white" areas of the chain so a calibration may help. Huh

 
That sounds interesting Stacey. I had a lot of hassle on Zazzle with their printed product being too dark. Like you I had a Calibrated monitor and printed RGB but to no avail.Unlike GCU, I found Zazzle's support to be lacking and any suggestion of  colour profiles etc fell on deaf ears. I got some great help from their forums (like I do here) and one member in particular, went to the trouble of comparing his  set up to mine and found them identical.His printed fine and mine did not Huh
 
Maybe the good people at GCU will post the ultimate set up guide for printing success (pretty please kiss) ?
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Doreen_137017
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #8 - Feb 5th, 2012, 11:16am
 
Quote from Dolly_156476 on Feb 4th, 2012, 7:08pm:
I recently ordered the only two cards I have in my store, just to check out the quality, etc, and hopefully use them as live samples of my work.  Unfortunately, both cards arrived printed much darker than the images I uploaded.  They look like normal photo prints, like I had tried getting from Walmart with similar results.  I admit I expected more from GCU.  

For those of you who have dark-colored images, do you find this happening to you as well?  Is there something I can do on my end with dark images to help them print more closely to their proper colors?  Did I just get a bad batch?  Or do I have to stick to lighter, brighter colors?  Sad

**edited to clarify:  The purple love card - could hardly distinguish the purple from the black background, and the white in the chain was yellowish.  The red flower thank you card - again, the white parts were yellowish, and the various reds were very dark.**

 
Just to add another set of eyes with a calibrated monitor -  I too see no white at all in either card.  The white is yellow.  So if you are seeing these on your screen as white, then the suggestion to calibrate is excellent advice.
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Rosalie_136698
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #9 - Feb 5th, 2012, 4:28pm
 
Dolly, on my monitor I am also seeing the yellow in the chain.  I upload all my cards jpg and have had no problem with the printing.   Rosie Cards
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Norma_133903
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #10 - Feb 5th, 2012, 10:22pm
 
Have you printed these onto quality card yourself? It will show you quickly what they look like in print, and you can see any changes that you make immediately.
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Melinda_and_Eric_135775
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #11 - Feb 6th, 2012, 12:07pm
 
I ordered several of my cards - they too were dark. Have changed the images. Smiley
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sarah_156107
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #12 - Feb 8th, 2012, 7:25am
 
thanks for letting me know, i will create all my cards a little lighter. too late for my other cards!  cry
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Dolly_156476
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #13 - Feb 11th, 2012, 9:52pm
 
Thank you all for the good advice and recommendations.  I'll look into callibrating my monitor and changing my artwork.  Just a little disheartened from this since I have artwork on several sites, but I know now how to fix things up to print correctly (hopefuly).  
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Randall_140313
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Re: Cards printed darker than uploaded images
Reply #14 - Feb 17th, 2012, 3:13pm
 
Well looking at your two images Dolly, I do see the white on the edges of the flower in your first card, but like Doreen the highlights of the chain appear to be yellow other than down at the bottom of the card where it could pass for white or at least light yellow.  
I have my monitor calibrated to the lab where I have most of my work printed, but don't think that is possible to do at GCU.  the only thing you can do is like you have done already, order some cards and guesstimate adjustments accordingly when you submit your images to the card create editor.
Photography is fairly easy, but I feel for those scanning artwork and submitting.  Seems like that would be a challenge trying to adjust scanner settings then adjusting for submission keeping true to the original work.
Seems like you are on the right track.  
Nice to know these things up front.
Best always, Randy
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