Why does LRC send images to printer in a color space that printer cannot use?

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
May 25, 2024
1 reply
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I am trying to get a better understanding of what LRC does when I print an image. According to Adobe Help (https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/color-management.html), DRAFT printing is done using Adobe RGB, so I have to assume that for regular printing, ProPhoto RGB is used. However, my printer (Epson SC-P800) does NOT have ProPhoto RGB as an input color space option (in the "Mode" setting in the printer dialog). Given this discrepancy, how can printing using the setting "Profile - Managed by printer" ever be expected to give an accurate print?

FYI: I am using LRC: v 13.3 on Windows 11-23H2

Thanks, Adriaan Sachtler

Windows

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Correct answer Jao vdL

The system will color manage in the driver by converting to a printer profile as defined by your paper and ink choice in the driver settings when this happens. This is done using the operating system color management system usually so it will understand whatever profile the data is in. If the driver is coded correctly and you're using a standard paper defined in the printer driver, managed by printer will work just fine therefore. You might be able to obtain slightly better results (potentially less banding of colors) by converting to the printer profile in Lightroom but it is often not possible to actually see the difference.

J

Jao vdL

Correct answer

Community Expert

The system will color manage in the driver by converting to a printer profile as defined by your paper and ink choice in the driver settings when this happens. This is done using the operating system color management system usually so it will understand whatever profile the data is in. If the driver is coded correctly and you're using a standard paper defined in the printer driver, managed by printer will work just fine therefore. You might be able to obtain slightly better results (potentially less banding of colors) by converting to the printer profile in Lightroom but it is often not possible to actually see the difference.

A

Adriaan_SAuthor

Inspiring

Thank you for your reply. However, I am still confused: if the image color space is handled automatically by the OS, why does the printer dialog have a "Mode" entry where I have to select "sRGB" or "Adobe RGB" (among others). If the OS can figure this out, I would expect there to be an "auto" option - which is not the case?

Thanks, Adriaan

JohanElzenga

Community Expert

Lightroom is designed to do the color management, so even though there is an option to let the printer manage the colors, I would recommend not to use that for the reasons you outline: you'll never know if the printer driver is up to that task. If your printer driver expects you to define the input color space and does not allow you to choose ProPhotoRGB, then maybe it isn't. This is not Lightroom's fault, but seems a limitation of that driver. Let Lightroom manage the colors.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

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