All;
I run Fedora 31 and primarily darktable, I have run through the color correction using a spyder color measurement device and the tools at system settings → color correction, as a result the colors of my prints are usually spot on per what I see on the screen.
However brightness is a different story. In most cases I can adjust the print images exposure / brightness to look like I want it with my monitor’s brightness set to 1 (normally it’s on a setting of 70), but even then the prints often look darker than I wanted.
Anyone have any proper methods / processes for managing the brightness of prints and photo labs?
Thanks
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I’d try using Display Cal for the calibration, as it includes steps for adjusting brightness.
Prints will always be a touch darker because they’re reflected light instead of projected light, like your monitor is.
I found this a real problem when I used to print, and I’ve never seen a proper process explained. Like you I found getting the right colours was doable, but print brightness was another matter.
I found black maps to black, white maps to white, fine so far, but the middle needed adjusting. With my monitor set how I thought it ought to be for general editing, I edited photos until I was happy with on-screen appearance. Then as part of preparing to send to the lab, I would apply a Levels adjustment to the finished pic. This amounted to changing the middle value by an amount that seemed to work i.e. I was pleased with the print when it came back. The amount was of the order of .1 I think. I considered it a constant for a given paper at a given lab. To determine the amount I sent off various versions of a few photos with a range of middle Levels values, e.g. 1, 1.05, 1.1, 1.15 and from the results chose my “standard”. This process worked fairly well. The spyder test image is also useful. Hmmm why is Aurelien Pierre’s name coming to mind…!
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I haven’t put this to the test yet, but in a recent video from Aurélien PIERRE he mentions matching the brightness of the white frame around the photo in your processing software to the perceived brightness of the white wall (I’m going to need a piece of foam core) behind your monitor.
worth further investigation for sure.
I’m glad you managed to get colours to look right. I calibrated 2 monitors and a laptop with my spyder and they all look …well similar, but different. 
Anyway, that aside. Your issue with brightness it’s an easily solved one. As @RawConvert mentioned below, a lab adjustement of the mid-greys making the lighter will help bring the print closer to what you see on the screen.
Long story short, as @paperdigits said, prints have a tendency to look darker, and that is because they do not create an image by shining light outward, like monitors do, they rely on outside light being reflected, so that in itself makes their brightness depend on the brightness of the room you are in. Furthermore, the nature of the medium, like paper, or canvas you print on will vary in contrast ratio and ability to be bright. So not only will they have darker mid tones, but they vary in how much darker. I personally prefer matte prints, since they look closer to a nice flat contrast edit to me, and as long as I edit the image to look relatively flat, but with sufficient local contrast (detail enhancement) the picture will look satisfactory. Some people prefer glossy because it makes colours pop more, which is fair, but definitely needs more shadow brightening if you aim to produce something that looks more like your screen.
I guess when you venture into printing you mix the digital world, which you can more easily somewhat control, with the analog world which is notoriously, well, organic to put it mildly haha. It’s an adventure. Gotta find the right tweak that works for the printing place and the paper choice you go for.
Reminds me I need to print more.
P.S.
If you have a good workflow for calibrating and getting the colours to match print well; not saying you have to do this; but if you could share it, I for one would be very thankful 