What happens after we place an order?

Once an order has been placed, it is up to me to properly prepare the images to the specifications needed for the individual lab that will be handling the post processing work.

Light Meter.  I use this to calibrate
each camera/lens combo, and also
to create perfect exposures in the
camera room.

Now, some may say – “Tim, why don’t you print things yourself?”   Ah, good question.  My answer is this:  I want to spend as much time as I can doing what I do best – creating great images, and designing the end products.  I know a bit about printing, and I also know enough that I would have to hire a full staff, open a much larger shop, or off-site building just to handle print orders.  I also know that there is a multitude of equipment to buy (and provide upkeep for), and then I would have to oversee all of the quality control for those things.  By having a professional lab handle my orders, I am left with more time to spend with clients, creating images that they are going to love, and finished art pieces for their home that are going to be displayed for a lifetime.

White/Grey Card.
Got to keep that white
balance accurate!

Back to the topic – Processing an order.  So, once an order is placed, I have to properly prepare everything for the print lab.  Back up a step.  Before I even get into the camera room, I have to make sure all of my equipment is properly calibrated for the labs that I use, this ensures that all final images (which are to become art prints) have a perfect representation of true color and exposure.

xRite Color Checker.  This allows me to create custom color
profiles at each shoot - ensuring true color accuracy, and
perfect prints each time.

Right, back to the topic – Processing an order.  OKAY – so I’ve got my cameras and monitors calibrated, we did the photo session, I processed the images, the clients came back to review everything and put in an order.  Lets say they ordered a wall collage, a canvas, a pop-out holiday card set, and some ornaments.  Typical order.  So, to get started, I have to make digital copies of each image that is going to be sent to each lab, with the right color profile assigned to that image.  During the color profile assigning part of the task I also size the image with the ideal resolution for the specific product it is going to be printed on.  SO – for the order above, the wall collage could have (3) 5x5s, (2) 11x17s, and a 5x11.  Each image will be sized to the exact dimensions with the proper resolution.  Now – to make things tricky, the canvas could be one of the images from the collage, and then used again for the greeting cards an ornaments...

Spyder4 Elite.  This tool allows me to calibrate my computer
monitors and projector - this way I know that what I am looking
while editing is going to be accurate and true to what my final
printed product is going to be.

This means that for the 3 separate products using the same image I will process that one image 3 separate times (which may mean 3 different color profiles for each lab, as well as different sizing to match the appropriate printing surface) to make it perfect for each product.  And yes – it may be going to 3 different labs!  I use one lab for the metal wall collages, another lab that specializes in canvas gallery wraps, and then yet another lab that has the best press printed cards I have ever seen.  SO, it isn’t just merely taking an order and pushing “send”.  I’m spending some serious time preparing the files for the lab to ensure that everything is going to come back looking PERFECT.