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FeedbackCommunityMember
Inspiring
January 16, 2012
Open for Voting

P: CMYK soft proofing needed

  • January 16, 2012
  • 58 replies
  • 2998 views

Following a discussion on the LR4 beta forum:

Converting to CMYK and soft proofing in CMYK are two completely different things, so at least we need a CMYK softproofing.

During the last years I ran into a lot of problems due to modern LED lightning on the scene, it is able to produce colors (especially in the blues) far away out of the CMYK color space. Converting pictures to CMYK later after my initial processing can change a picture dramatically, a bit similar to a conversion to b/w.

So even if you have to deliver your material in RGB and someone else is doing a professional conversion later, you should be able to predict what can happen to your material!

So if you deliver material that will be converted – earlier or later – to CMYK: You need at least a simple soft proof. Otherwise it can happen that you deliver material that simply can’t be published.

    58 replies

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    dj_as
    Inspiring
    June 2, 2012
    CMYK proofing never bothered me... but I have just spent 6 weeks (and still counting) trying to fix major colour issues with a book created through LR4. Perhaps the ability to soft proof prior to printing would have avoided a lot of hassle.
    F
    freemind42
    Participating Frequently
    March 22, 2012
    If LR wants to address professionals it should really allow CMYK with 4.5 the latest.

    My pictures go to CMYK print and it is very clunky with PS.
    P
    plasticAnimal
    Known Participant
    February 15, 2012
    I was going to install the LR4 Beta today until I understood that it doesn't offer simple CMYK softproofing which I wanted to use for checking my Blurb book submission ...
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMemberAuthor
    Inspiring
    February 12, 2012
    I have an HP Color Laserjet CP2025. It is a CMYK printer.
    The output profiles generated for it by ColorMunki Photo are CMYK.
    I would like to softproof output for this printer.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMemberAuthor
    Inspiring
    January 28, 2012
    Well, I print my images to an Epson with a rip (EFI Colorproof XF), after exporting them from Lightroom as Prophoto RGB. This rip uses CMYK output profiles. I would also like to softproof this output from Lightroom, based on these profiles.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMemberAuthor
    Inspiring
    January 27, 2012
    Seems that the only book vendor LR4 supports (Blurb) uses CMYK and that softproofing does not support CMYK.

    The uninitiated would expect that the combined availability of "softproofing" + "book module" means that you can check how your images will look printed in a book.

    I realise that Blurb would have to provide more profiles, depending on the paper used for a book, but that's just another problem to be solved, not an explanation as to why features in LR4 do not work together as one may expect.
    S
    shamo42
    Participant
    January 26, 2012
    I have no idea about the processing path of LR4 but I think that CMYK soft-proofing would definitely improve my workflow.

    Out of the 8 icc profiles I use 3 are CMYK.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMemberAuthor
    Inspiring
    January 26, 2012
    Yes, I would. It's the back and forth between LR and PS that makes the workflow ridiculous.
    VeloDramatic
    VeloDramatic
    Participating Frequently
    January 26, 2012
    And it's going to remain unanswered as long as the antagonistic sophistry continues. You're just another user of the product.
    TheDigitalDog
    TheDigitalDog
    Inspiring
    January 26, 2012
    Challange? I asked a question which so far is unanswered about viewing CMYK in a product that has only an RGB processing path.

    We can all vote that the moon should be made of cheese. That will not change it to cheese.
    Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
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