Printing Adobe RGB profiled images

[GaryMarsh]

All comments most welcome!

I know that there is a big debate about saving files with ICC colour profiles attached to them such as Adobe Pro RGB and sRGB etc.., but what I would like to find out for myself is if there are any professional printing services out there that can actually print images that would benefit from having the larger colour space such as Adobe RGB and then have them print off some images with the smaller but more universal sRGB profile so that I could compare them to see if there really is any difference in quality between the different colour gamuts then I can put my mind at rest over this burning issue.

Regards
Gary

[DanK]

On this side of the pond, Bay Photo accepts both, but they say they prefer sRGB.

[Macmahon]

Gary

Send an email to Keith Cooper at Northlight Images in Leicester. If he won't do the prints for you, he may be able to point to someone who has a capable printer and uses printing software that will convert from AdobeRGB.
The thing is that the printer uses its own colour profile - not sRGB or Adobe RGB. The printer software converts from whatever colour space the image is tagged with to the printer's profile. Why some (many? most?) so-called 'labs' can't convert from AdobeRGB defeats me. I personally think that they ask for sRGB because they're aiming at a lowest common denominator audience, believing (rightly?) that most punters don't know the difference.

FWIW poor colour management is why I gave up on out-sourcing printing, and now do all my printing myself.

Cheers

Tim

[GaryMarsh]

Hi Dan,
Thanks for your comments unfortunately on this side of the big pond most print shops only accept sRGB and I have been told that if I have them printed with the RGB profile attached they could end up looking rather muted in colour.

[GaryMarsh]

Hi Tim,
I will get in touch with Keith when I get a minute and see what advice he can give me. Many thanks for that!