Print Prep: The Workflow That Saved My Business From Mediocre Prints

Print Prep: The Workflow That Saved My Business From Mediocre Prints

I’ve shipped thousands of prints over twenty years, and I can tell you exactly when I started losing money on them: when I stopped treating print preparation as a critical business process. Early in my career, I’d hand off files to labs with minimal thought. Some prints came back perfect. Others looked muddy, colors shifted, blacks turned purple. I blamed the labs. Then I blamed my camera. The truth? I wasn’t preparing files properly, and that cost me credibility and cash.

Print Prep for Photographers: The Workflow That Protects Your Reputation

Print Prep for Photographers: The Workflow That Protects Your Reputation

Print Prep for Photographers: The Workflow That Protects Your Reputation I’ve been sending images to print for twenty years, and I can tell you with absolute certainty: the difference between mediocre prints and gallery-quality work isn’t talent—it’s process. I’ve watched photographers lose clients over a single bad print run, and I’ve built a loyal base partly because my prints are consistently excellent. The secret isn’t magic. It’s preparation. Calibrate Your Monitor (and Actually Maintain It) This is where most photographers fail.