A Computer Darkroom Tutorial

 

In my various essays describing how to configure colour management within Photoshop I briefly mention a feature called Proof Setup. So what is Proof Setup and why do we need it?

Why do we need Proof Setup?

Whilst our typical desktop inkjet printer uses CMYK inks, the images you create and edit in Photoshop are usually RGB. Likewise your monitors is designed to display RGB values. We know that prints are reflective and the output from the monitor emissive. We also know that the colour gamut and dynamic range of printed material is vastly different to that of our typical monitor. So given these mismatches between the printer and monitor a good visual match between the two devices is actually quite difficult to achieve. However, using the magic of colour management we can use our monitor to provide accurate preview or Soft Proof of how the image will actually print. Once we have an accurate preview we can usually fine-tune the RGB image to match capabilities of the CMYK printer.

What do I need to make Proof Setup work?

Making it work is what this tutorial is all about. Nevertheless, before you can even begin it will necessary for you to obtain ICC media profiles for your particular model of inkjet printer. Since media profiles are now available for most inkjet printers this isn't as difficult as it once was. Normally they'll be installed automatically with the Mac driver but PC users will probably need to download them from one of Epson's web sites. You'll also need to make sure that the monitor is accurately calibrated. If you're interested in getting the optimum prints there are plenty of hardware and software solutions available from the following sources.

 

• ColorVision - http://www.colorvision.com
• GretagMacbeth - http://www.gretagmacbeth.com and http://www.i1color.com
• Monaco Systems - http://www.monacosys.com

 

When do we use it?

The answer to this question very much depends upon the image being printed, the paper/ink combination and the quality of the ICC profiles that you intend to use.

As mentioned above ICC media profiles will be required for each paper/ink/printer combination. However, no matter how good these profiles are they cannot work miracles and it's very rare for any media profile to do equal justice to all images. Typically, the dynamic range and colour gamut of the image will be compressed but other issues such as small changes in colour balance are equally possible. For some media types (e.g. matt paper) this compression can be quite marked.

The method described below uses a workflow which is ssimilar to that of  Bruce Fraser and David Blatner in the book Real World Photoshop. Actually, if you haven't already bought a copy then I recommend that you do.

• Stage 1 - Creating the soft proofing profiles.
• Stage 2 - Creating the reference image
• Stage 3 - Editing the image
• Stage 4 - Printing the image

Stage 1 - Creating the soft proofing profiles

Before we can begin previewing our images, it is necessary to create the preview profiles. At this point I am assuming that you already have the necessary ICC media profiles.

• Ideally you should have no images open when creating the proofing profiles.
• Select View > Proof Setup > Custom from the View menu

 

Default Proof Setup Menu Options

 

• From the Customize Proof Condition  dialog choose the media profile that you wish to preview.

 

Choosing the ICC Media - Customise Proof Condition

 

 

• Intent should be set to Relative Colorimetric or Perceptual (experiment to find which is the best match for the media you're trying to proof).

• Select the Simulate Paper Color checkbox. Simulate Black Ink will automatically be grey out.

• Leave Preserve Color numbers unchecked

• Press the Save button