Printing - Best Compromise

[Brownbear]

I'm curious as to how others post process their images for optimal print quality when using websites for photographers (Flicker/500px/Zenfolio/Fine Art America, etc) where your images are available to purchase and outsourced for printing on different types of paper/canvas/metal/fabric etc...

My knowledge of printing is almost nil, hence the question.

First if one uploads their images for optimal web presentation with the goal of selling an image, if that image is printed my understanding is that it will not be of the best quality (tonal range/brightness are a couple of things that I recall) and that the post processing needs will vary depending on the media chosen. Is there any best compromise for the image to be printed on a wide variety of media?

If one uploads their image for printing, its presentation on the web may not be ideal.

I've noticed that one place advises that they prefer the black point of your images to be 0 and white to be 255 but they will accept jpeg images with black at level 12 or below and white at Level 243 or above. Which to the best of my recollection seems to fit with what Manfred shared in one thread, as safe points for blacks and whites when printing. Yet in the example above the preference is for a jpeg with a pure white and black in it.

For example...

Let's say that I decide to upload some images on a website where images are available for sale, offering prints on a variety of media which are printed by outside printers and mailed directly to the purchaser. One is only allowed to have one image available for print, so to the best of my knowledge I couldn't upload 5 different versions of the image and designate each one for a set media. In my research I noticed that one place offers prints on pillows, yet I would guess that just one jpeg is used for printing on all these types of media. Which makes me wonder if the end product might be lacking in quality.

Any words of advice to enlighten me on the topic would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[Manfred M]

While it is not my preferred way of preparing images for printing, I suggest you prepare the images for optimal display on these websites. It is easy enough for the websites to adjust the images so they print well.

They can use the sRGB jpeg and set the appropriate white and black points and can sharpen for the specific paper that they are using.