Help...soft proofing - DPChallenge Forums

12/07/2009 09:31:05 PM · #1

Help....I can drive myself insane with color profiles and soft proofing in CS4...I think I have already.

I am getting ready to do a canvas print of my Manhattan Lights photo. It looks great (to me) if I set the proofing to CMYK, looks ok, but a bit overdone under Monitor, and looks god awful under sRGB. It should ALREADY be in sRGB...the particular file I'm loading at this moment is an 8 bit JPEG.

Why does it vary like this...these are screen captures, to show you what soft proofing shows me.

Here's monitor:

Here's sRGB:

Here's CMYK:

Help! How do you soft proof?

FWIW, my monitor is calibrated using an EyeOne. I have a Dell 3007 monitor, and I'm running Win7, CS4, 64.

Message edited by author 2009-12-07 21:33:08.

12/07/2009 09:36:41 PM · #2

Hi Neil,

Where are you printing the Canvas and what profile do they use for their printer? That is the profile to soft proof with.

Are you sure the image is already in sRGB when in Photoshop? What is your working colourspace? Do you convert to that colourspace automatically when opening a file in photoshop?

What does it look like in the Windows image viewer or in a browser (that is profile aware)?

Message edited by author 2009-12-07 21:37:25.

12/07/2009 09:57:10 PM · #3

It's for Canvas on demand. (Though I am also doing some more prints to WHCC).

I've printed to both before...probably just using Monitor. Canvas On Demand has always come out great, but I think that's also because they personally take care of it.

Actually, so far, I haven't had many problems printing like that...but what's the point of soft proofing then if it looks like this?

12/07/2009 10:09:35 PM · #4

Proofing with the monitor profile only tells you what it will look like on the monitor not how it will look printed.

If you want an idea of how something will look printed you need to proof with the profile of the printer being used to print it.

12/07/2009 10:11:40 PM · #5

Originally posted by cpanaioti:

Well it's in sRGB format, so why does it change so much when I set it to proof sRGB?

12/07/2009 10:13:53 PM · #6

Originally posted by nshapiro:

Originally posted by cpanaioti:
Proofing with the monitor profile only tells you what it will look like on the monitor not how it will look printed.

If you want an idea of how something will look printed you need to proof with the profile of the printer being used to print it.

Well it's in sRGB format, so why does it change so much when I set it to proof sRGB?

I know you're frustrated but I'll repeat my question.

Are you sure the image is already in sRGB when in Photoshop? What is your working colourspace? Do you convert to that colourspace automatically when opening a file in photoshop?

Also, make sure the 'maintain RGB numbers' box is not checked in the proofing window.

PS. The only reason I can think of why when proofing in sRGB the image changes is that the current profile is not sRGB.

Message edited by author 2009-12-07 22:33:21.

12/07/2009 10:40:27 PM · #7

Yes, if I call up "convert to profile" it says the source profile is sRGB (the same version it has in the proof).

And if I set it to convert to that profile, the conversion dialog preview changes to that awful version. Even though the source and destination profiles are the same.

12/07/2009 10:42:21 PM · #8

Can you post screen shots of what you're actually doing. What other parameters are you setting in 1) the convert to profile and 2) the custom proofing dialogue boxes?

Something is definitely messed up somewhere.

Message edited by author 2009-12-07 22:42:52.

12/07/2009 11:23:55 PM · #9

I think it's something about the file...if I actually convert the profile to Adobe RGB, it looks fine; then if I convert it BACK to sRGB, it looks fine!

I'm trying to get a shot ready by midnight to take advantage of their sale, so I'm just going to leave it at that for now, and let them adjust colors if necessary. They've always been good.

But I'll experiment some more later, and post my findings (and any screenshots).

Thanks for your help.