At times, your prints may turn out darker than expected, even when the images look bright on your screen. This article explains why this happens and how to avoid it.
Screen vs. Print
Prints appear darker than on-screen images due to the difference in how light interacts with screens and paper. Screens emit light directly, making the image look brighter, while prints reflect light. High screen brightness can exaggerate this effect, masking the true contrast and tonal range, which leads to darker prints.
Checking your Histogram
The histogram is key to understanding an image's light and dark tones. The histogram shows how light or dark different areas of an image are, helping you assess highlight and shadow details for a balanced print.
How to read the histogram:
The horizontal axis shows dark areas on the left, mid-tones in the middle, and light areas on the right.
The vertical axis shows how much of each tone is in the image.
Peaks represent high frequency, and valleys represent low frequency. Meaning there is more or less of a specific tone.
A white triangle in the top corners indicates "Clipping," where tones are lost because they’re too dark (left) or too light (right). Click it or press J to see the affected areas highlighted in the image.
Adjusting the Tone Curve
Another option is adjusting the Tone Curve, which lets you fine-tune specific areas, like shadows, midtones, and highlights, for a more customized adjustment. Ensuring your image translates well to print, with balanced contrast and brightness.
In Lightroom, access it via the Tone Curve panel, and in Photoshop, go to Image > Adjustments > Curves.
By checking the histogram and the tone curve when editing your images you can ensure your prints reflect your artistic vision and match the quality of your digital images. Understanding the reasons behind prints turning out too dark can help you prepare your files for print and avoid this issue in the future.