Skip to main content

Why Did My Photo Print Blurry or Off Color?

Lisa Downing
  • Updated
If your photo printed blurry, pixelated, or with unexpected color shifts, it’s likely caused by one of two common issues: the file was saved as a Progressive JPEG instead of a Baseline Standard Standard JPEG, or the image has a missing or mismatched color profile.
💡 Blurry Prints — Quick Answer

Use Baseline Standard Standard JPEGs for printing. Progressive JPEGs are optimized for web use and can appear soft, fuzzy, or off-tone when printed because the printer may interpret the low-resolution preview layer as the actual image.

Tip: In Adobe Photoshop, Progressive JPEGs are enabled by default. When exporting, select Baseline Standard Standard (or Optimized) under JPEG Options to ensure the highest print quality.

🖼️ What Is a Progressive JPEG?

A Progressive JPEG loads in multiple passes. Online, it first shows a blurry preview that gradually sharpens as the image loads. This looks fine on websites but can confuse print software, which might use that low-resolution layer instead of the full-quality data.

image.jpeg

The result is a soft, pixelated, or low-resolution print — even though the image looked sharp on your screen.

⚠️ Why Progressive JPEGs Print Poorly
  • Low-resolution preview printed: The printer may use the blurry preview layer instead of the full image.
  • Color artifacts or banding: Layered compression can dull colors or create visible distortion.
  • Decoding issues: Some print software misreads progressive encoding and produces inconsistent results.
✅ How to Save for Printing (Baseline Standard JPEG)

To ensure sharp, color-accurate prints, always save files as Baseline Standard (Standard) JPEGs.

In Adobe Photoshop:

  1. Go to File ▸ Export ▸ Save As.
  2. Choose JPEG as the format.
  3. Under JPEG Options, select Baseline Standard Standard (or Optimized).
  4. Click Save.

Baseline Standard JPEGs load from top to bottom in full resolution and are ideal for printing at any size.

🔍 How to Check If Your JPEG Is Progressive or Baseline Standard

On a Mac:

  1. Open the image in Preview.
  2. Go to Tools ▸ Show Inspector (or press Command + I).
  3. Under More Info ▸ General, look for “Progressive: Yes/No.”

On Windows:

  1. Right-click the image file and select Properties.
  2. Under Details, check for “Progressive.” Or open the image in a viewer like IrfanView to see its JPEG type.
💡 Off-Color Prints — Quick Answer

Your image may have printed off color because it doesn’t include an embedded color profile, is untagged, or there’s a profile mismatch (for example, saved in Adobe RGB but printed as sRGB). Without a profile, printers “guess” the color space, often causing dull or inaccurate tones.

🎨 Common Causes of Off-Color Prints
  • Missing embedded profile: No color profile (like sRGB or Adobe RGB) saved with the file.
  • Untagged image: No color information attached — prints appear muted or off-tone.
  • Profile mismatch: File saved in Adobe RGB 1998 but printed as sRGB, causing shifts.
  • Monitor not calibrated: A bright, wide-gamut display makes images appear more vivid than they’ll print.
  • Out-of-gamut colors: Oversaturated tones can’t be reproduced accurately on paper.
  • Wrong color mode: Sending CMYK to an RGB printer (or vice versa) causes shifts.
🧰 How to Fix Color Issues
  1. Work in sRGB for most photo labs unless specified otherwise.
  2. Embed the color profile when saving:
    • Photoshop: File > Save As → check Embed Color Profile.
    • Lightroom Classic: Export → File Settings ▸ Color Space ▸ sRGB.
  3. Convert (don’t assign) to the correct space:Photoshop:Edit > Convert to Profile → Destination: sRGB IEC61966-2.1.
  4. Check your file’s profile:File ▸ File Info or Edit ▸ Color Settings in Photoshop.
  5. Calibrate your monitor monthly using a hardware calibrator (brightness 80–120 cd/m²).
  6. Match color mode: Send RGB (usually sRGB) to RGB lab.
📋 Recommended Print Settings
  • Color space: sRGB IEC61966-2.1
  • Embed profile: Yes
  • Bit depth: 8-bit (unless lab requests 16-bit TIFF)
  • File type: High-quality JPEG
❓ FAQ
My file says “Untagged RGB.” What does that mean?

It means no color profile is embedded. Convert to sRGB and be sure to embed the profile before printing.

I edited in Adobe RGB. Do I have to switch to sRGB?

You can edit in Adobe RGB, but for most labs you should convert to sRGB before export and embed the profile to ensure accurate color.

Why do prints look darker than my screen?

Monitors are often too bright. Calibrate your display and use soft proofing to preview how your image will print.

Can the lab print my wide-gamut colors?

Paper and printer gamuts are narrower than screens. Out-of-gamut colors compress — use soft proofing to preview and adjust.

📞 Still Need Help?

If you’ve confirmed your file type and color profile but still experience print quality issues, our Customer Service team can help.

  • Attach your original file
  • Include your color space (e.g., sRGB or Adobe RGB)
  • List your editing app (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.)
  • Note whether you used color correction

Contact: 800-728-2722
Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time

Related articles

Comments

0 comments

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Powered by Zendesk