Print proofing before ordering from Bay Photo

Question

I'm getting closer, but not quite there. In the past prints were way darker than viewed in Photoshop Elements 2019 (and earlier versions). I would guess at the setting, to get a print. Sometimes I'd get them close enough, and sometimes I'd be very disappointed. After reading several forums, I recalibrated my monitor to 90 cd/m2. Colors turn out close but not exactly what I wanted, even though I have a delta E of .17. Some specific questions: When converting from raw to jpg, there is a profile option where I can select Adobe color, landscape, etc. Do any of these choices have any effect on the print? Or do they only affect how the image is rendered on my display? After selection 'open image' there is a print option where I can see the image, and some other options. I installed Bay Photo's ICC profile, and can select under more options -> color management. I also set rendering Intent to Perceptual (because some forum said to do that) . Should the preview window in the print dialog match the print I will get back from Bay Photo? More general question:  How should I be previewing/soft proofing exactly what I will get back from Bay Photo? Thank you.

MichelBParis · Answer

@Allen5EA4

There is a dedicated forum where you can discuss with color management experts:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/color-management/bd-p/Color-Management?page=1&sort=latest_replies&filter=all

Most probably, those experts are not familiar with Elements, so it's good to know a few specifics of Elements about color management.

When converting from raw to jpg, there is a profile option where I can select Adobe color, landscape, etc.

The color profile is a way to set the conversion parameters to your taste, or as a starting point for your edits.

Do any of these choices have any effect on the print? Or do they only affect how the image is rendered on my display?

Yes of course, but what is specific to Elements when converting raw files is that there is no menu in the ACR window to specify the color space of the conversion. To choose one of the two spaces available to you, you use the 'Edit' menu of the editor, 'Color settings' and if you choose to optimize for Computer screen, the output of the conversion is in sRGB, if you choose to optimize for Print, it will be Adobe RGB. No other spaces options like ProPhoto...

So, yes, the conversion will give different results depending on your choice.

How will the differences be seen on your display? The color management with a correct display calibration will display the same colors in both cases, except the 'out of gamut' ones. If there are colors that sRGB can't render on an image compared to aRGB, the difference of colour space may be seen on display if it can render a large space than sRGB.

I installed Bay Photo's ICC profile, and can select under more options -> color management. I also set rendering Intent to Perceptual (because some forum said to do that) . Should the preview window in the print dialog match the print I will get back from Bay Photo? More general question: How should I be previewing/soft proofing exactly what I will get back from Bay Photo?

Contrary to Photoshop, Elements does not support natively soft proofing nor conversion to a printer profile. You can add softproofing from a script from an external add-on like Elements+. I have also found a free converter (by Dry Creek) to convert a file to the Printer's own profile.

So, my advice would be to ask your question in the color management forum and to quote the link for the present discussion to make clear the Elements specificities.

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