Color profiles are available to assist in more accurate color representation.
An ICC or ICM file is a file that can be read by programs
like Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro in order to give you
a good idea as to how colors will show up on your prints
based upon the media type you select in combination
with the printing system used. This process is called
"Soft Proofing" and when done correctly can
save a lot of time and re-printing.
Typically a professional photographer or artists would
use the following work flow:
Using a properly calibrated monitor*, the photographer
or artist opens up the digital image file with a program
that supports ICC color profiles. This is usually a
program like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro.
He or she then selects the icc profile of the media
type they plan to print on. They select this using the
soft proofing tools available in those programs.
At this point the image may change slightly or even
dramatically. This will represent a virtual copy of
the print based upon that media type and inks used on
that media.
More often than not the image will look more muted
because inks just are not as bright as your monitor
and the software if trying to pretend the colors of
the image on your screen is ink rather than projected
light. This is called a "soft proof".
While still in that soft proofing mode, the artist
will then go an adjust the image's colors, tones and
hues to get it looking like they originally intended.
Sometimes this might mean elevating the contrast or
in cases where the colors changed considerably, doing
some color adjustment.
They will then save the modified image as an sRGB file
and upload it to our site as a print. This way when
we print the image on the media type they chose, it
will be more likely to match what they want.
While only a small percentage of our customers follow
this work flow, it does help eliminate any surprises.
Below are some additional Photoshop tips for Soft Proofing.
General Instructions (Photoshop):
When soft proofing please use the following settings
for best results.
Rendering Intent: Perceptual
Black Point Compensation (Checked)
Similar Paper Color (Checked)
To assist in seeing if some colors remain in gamut (reproducible)
make sure that the Gamut Warning option under “View”
is checked. This will further assist you in making sure
certain tones show up. If the Gamut warning shows gray
then that means there still may be problems with those
colors and further adjustment might be necessary.
Tips: Many monitors, most notably
newer ones and MACs will elevate the gamma levels indicating
a higher saturation than normal. This allows great contrast
and color saturation on a screen but a dampening of
these tones is normal when it is printed due to the
differences in a color technology used in an electronic
display versus a print. In addition we have noted some
monitors will appear to show less magenta then a print
displays. For this reason, if you are on a MAC or a
newer LCD monitor, soft proofing and adjusting is recommended.
*Important: A properly calibrated
monitor via hardware calibration tools is the recommended
method to ensure monitor accuracy.
Please check back frequently for updated profiles.
Please note that use of color color profiles for soft
proofing does not always guarantee complete 100% accuracy
since some tones can still partially remain out of gamut.
Incorrect soft proofing can yield result in inaccurate
representations. Please consult your software documentation
for proper soft proofing.
