Re: Do we convert soft proof when converting to profile?
Re: Do we convert soft proof when converting to profile?
- Subject: Re: Do we convert soft proof when converting to profile?
- From: C D Tobie <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:59:30 -0500
On Feb 19, 2009, at 12:38 PM, Digital Division - Reed Photo-Imaging
wrote:
This appears to imply that the optional use of a soft proof preview
would be followed up by a convert to profile. Since this is what
photoshop is doing when printing directly to a device with color
management options enabled.
Convert to profile creates a permanent version of a file dedicated to
that specific output device. Thats fine if you need it, many users
prefer not hardcoding files that way, and saving them in workingspaces
instead. Once you have made device specific edits you could argue that
the file is now intended for that one device anyways, but depending on
your general workflows it may or may not make sense to hard convert to
the output profile.
So what IS photoshop actually doing at the softproof stage?
Utilizing the display profile, and one or more output profiles to
emulate printed results on screen. Sometimes you flick through several
printer profiles, to check or adjust for a larger target than a single
profile, say: "fine art matte papers on recent pigment inkjets" rather
than "Entrada Natural on the Epson 4800" since a single set of
adjustments can typically be general enough for a wider usage, and
avoid device specific files.
Is it showing an approximation of what the print will look like if
the file is sent to the device as is?
Thats the idea...
Or is it showing an approximation of what to expect with the file
converted to profile?
Well, if its converted to a profile, then converting that back to the
display profile will have a similar result, but with far less
flexibility. Hard conversion is typically a prepress thing. Inkjet
output, such as art prints, are far more likely to be left permanently
in WorkingRGB. A late binding (converted to printer colorspace at the
last minute) or nonbinding workflow (file is not converted, just the
data sent to the printer) is a more flexible workflow.
C. David Tobie
Global Product Technology Manager
Digital Imaging & Home Theater
email@hidden
Datacolor
www.datacolor.com/Spyder3
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