professional printing; color difference

[Roel Jansen]

I just received the second batch of my calendar from a professional printing lab and there is a big difference in color between the first and the second print batch. As I don't have much experience with printing I don't know if this is ok or too much of a difference. I really like the color of the first batch (on the left side on the photo) but not of the second (right). I showed these photos to the lab and they say it is within their margin of color deviation.

The same PDF file in CYMK was printed on the same paper. Printed in full color.

Does anyone have experience with color differences between batches of printed products and is this a normal color difference that I can expect for every time I order prints?

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[Thern]

Hi Roel welcome.
A photolab should be more consistent in reproducing your work.
But... as long as they don’t provide calibrated color/paper profiles and/or your monitor isn’t calibrated correctly or not displaying 100% sRGB you can expect varying results.
Since you’re Dutch I’d recommend to use the only printing service in the Netherlands I know of delivering splendid and colorcorrect results ie Profotonet.
Check’m out, they are a wee bit dearer but despite I moved from Belgium to France this year I still use and will keep on using them for my printed work.
Btw despite this I think you’d better stop using a printservice operating at these low standards regarding quality and consistency.

/edit
This is what they state about CMYK

Profotonet werkt met eigen ICC-profielen. Wanneer je bestanden aanlevert in sRGB, AdobeRGB en ProphotoRGB zetten wij deze automatisch om naar ons meest recente profiel. Je hoeft zelf dus in principe niets te doen. Let op! Het insturen van bestanden in CMYK (drukwerkkleuren) kan tot onverwachte resultaten leiden. Wij raden dit dan ook ten sterkste af.

 

[BrianBirch]

I don't know anything about it, but, I would want to know more about their tolerances on color, density, etc. It wouldn't seem that strict tolerances would be quite SO visible.

 

[DripDryMcFleye]

There is quite a difference, as you say and I too, much prefer the left side images. Maybe you could address you complaint to some one higher up the printing house's chain of command? If push comes to shove and you can't get any satisfaction I suppose you could point out that you have posted your experience on a large photography forum but, at least for now, been polite enough not to mention the name of the printer.

 

[Strodav]

This is a very common problem. Most of the time print shops get away with it because the customer is looking for pleasing color in a one time job. Just a recommendation for next time. Make sure your monitor and / or printer are calibrated to srgb as others have mentioned. Take your job to a local print shop that does calendar work, and have them pull a set of proofs you can approve or bring your own prints to match. As long as they are srgb, you should be OK. You can then compare all copies to the agreed upon proofs.

 

[Warren D]

I would infer that the OP either sent the same files or the lab had used files it had from the first printing. In my opinion, the deviation is not acceptable. I would ask them if they did anything to the files prior to printing. If they did, it might be that they applied the same manipulations twice, ie, they already had your files with one correction and applied it a second time thinking the files were ones you had just sent in.

 

[Strodav]

I would infer that the OP either sent the same files or the lab had used files it had from the first printing. In my opinion, the deviation is not acceptable. I would ask them if they did anything to the files prior to printing. If they did, it might be that they applied the same manipulations twice, ie, they already had your files with one correction and applied it a second time thinking the files were ones you had just sent in.

I totally agree with you that yes, the print shop screwed up and should offer to reprint the job for him.

Having worked for a large commercial printer in prepress, the chances of them manipulating the image file is pretty low. If they are a higher volume shop, the samples may have been printed on 2 different machines. Printers need maintenance and calibration, could be one was in need of maintenance. His samples could have been printed on the same machine, but at different times and it had drifted. Could be different operators where one was a bit lax in QC procedures. Could have been 2 different batches of toner or ink where one batch was off. ...

 

[Roel Jansen]

Thanks you all for the replies!

I think you’d better stop using a printservice operating at these low standards regarding quality and consistency

No, I won't use their services in the future. But, for now I hope I can get a refund or new prints for the second batch.

Having worked for a large commercial printer in prepress, the chances of them manipulating the image file is pretty low. If they are a higher volume shop, the samples may have been printed on 2 different machines. Printers need maintenance and calibration, could be one was in need of maintenance. His samples could have been printed on the same machine, but at different times and it had drifted. Could be different operators where one was a bit lax in QC procedures. Could have been 2 different batches of toner or ink where one batch was off.

Yes, the shop indicated that they have multiple machines which could have led to this color difference. However, I think the difference is too much and it is good to hear from you that you agree. Hopefully they will agree to reprint and get the color right.

Make sure your monitor and / or printer are calibrated to srgb as others have mentioned.

Yes, my monitor is calibrated to sRGB and the first print matches well with my monitor's colors. The second printed batch is off. So the problem is indeed with their printing machine calibration or overall color quality.


Thank, again for the replies.

 

[Steve W]

It sounds like you have done all the right things. The images on the right are unacceptable and they should re-do them or refund you. It just sounds like they are trying to palm you off, see what they can get away with.

 

[jeffnles1]

My wife and I get our calendars from a lab here in the US and most years order in batches. We don't have a website and mainly make them for friends, friends of friends and family. I will order enough to cover what I think will be needed and then order another batch if we sell out. I have seen some minor differences from one batch to another but nothing like in the opening post. Most differences I've seen have been in the blacks. Typically, I have the image surrounded with a black border and a brief description in white text centered in the bottom section of the black border. I've seen a couple times when the black border was blacker on one batch than another but it is only noticeable if the two are sitting right next to each other. Looking at either in isolation one would never see it.

Hope you get this straightened out. Calendars are not inexpensive to have printed.