Basic ICC questions

[southwestform]

I want to download the ICC profiles for the place I am going to print to. My display has been calibrated, I now just need to learn how to work with my ICC profile in Photoshop to get accurate prints.

1. After choosing Assign>Profile and choosing my profile, do I need to do anything else based on what I described above?

2. When wanting to view/proof my file based on the ICC profile, is View > Proof Setup > Custom the way to go?

3. When saving my file as a .PSD or a .TIFF or a .JPG, does the ICC color profile get embedded into the file? OR is the ICC profile just for viewing on my computer to simulate how it will look with the paper and printing process that will be used?

Thanks!!!

[mglush]

Hi!

I found a great primer on ICC profiles -- this might help answer your questions and walk your through the process.

Introduction to Icc Profiles

ICC profiles give you a way to "view" your image in the profile that you've selected, so that what you see on the monitor (since you calibrated it) is how the output device interprets the colors. You are looking at your image through the eyes of the ICC profile you chose.

You can choose a profile when you open a document; you can convert an existing document to an ICC profile after you've opened it by choosing Edit>Convert to Profile and choosing the one you want (I will often use this to convert my print images from RGB to CMYK because I have more control over them); and yes when you save your document -- towards the bottom of the Save dialog, you will find that your profile will be embedded as you save.

Take a look at the link above -- I think it will be a really good reference for you. And, if you have any other questions, let us know.

Michelle

[D Fosse]

southwestform  wrote

My display has been calibrated, I now just need to learn how to work with my ICC profile

Let's just be clear here. When you say "my profile", you do mean the print profile you'll get from your printer, right? You don't mean the monitor profile made by your calibrator?

Because the monitor profile isn't something you need to "work with" at all - it's been set up as system default by your calibrator, and Photoshop finds it there and uses it without any user intervention. You never, ever use the monitor profile at document level. Those two are entirely separate things.

I need to emphasize this because a lot of people misunderstand it. They get a calibrator and then think they have to do something with the profile, which is not the case.

[southwestform]

I did mean the print profile.

[D Fosse]

OK. In that case you can either convert to the print profile (not assign!), which they then print without color management - or you can proof to the print profile and leave it in the original standard RGB space. The latter is probably safer and more common, but ask them what they want.

Proof is set up in View > Proof Setup > Custom. Toggle on/off with ctrl+Y. What you're looking for is gamut clipping, and if there's an unacceptable amount you can try to compensate. There are many ways to do gamut remapping and that's a large subject in itself.

Proofing is mainly useful if you have a wide gamut monitor. With a standard monitor everything you see on screen is already clipped to sRGB(ish) and it won't tell you much. Lots of printable color will be outside the monitor color space.

Gamut clipping shows as dense areas where texture and detail is mostly wiped out. The loss in saturation is usually much less important than this featureless crush, which has a very unattractive look.

[southwestform]

1. when going through the drop-down of available profiles in the Convert to Profile window, it shows some of the profiles that were created from my X-Rite display calibrator amongst all of the the print profiles. Unless I'm not understanding what I'm seeing. Why is it displaying here?

2. The Source Space Profile is listing sRGB IEC61966-2.1

The photo I’m working on was taken with a 5DM3 and it was using the AdobeRGB color space. What is this sRGB profile for?

Thanks!!!

[D Fosse]

The dropdown just lists everything you have installed. That doesn't mean they're all usable in all scenarios.

If this is a raw file, the camera setting for color space doesn't apply. That's only for in-camera processed jpegs. A raw file doesn't have a color space. You choose which color space it's encoded into in the raw converter, ACR or Lightroom. ACR's default is sRGB, you change that in the "workflow options" (the link below the main image window).

[southwestform]

1.) After using Convert to a profile and selecting a profile, does this permanently affect the image? In other words can I select a profile and then go back to this window and choose a different profile without permanently affecting the quality of the photo?

2.) If no profile is embedded with the file and a printing vendor does not add a profile to the file, does it generally just get printed based on the default settings of the printer?

3.) Does it matter at which point you add the profile to a photo? Should I add the profile as soon as I open the file, before doing editing or can I do it after I finish editing? OR does it not matter?

Thanks!

[davescm]

Hi

1. Converting to a profile is destructive so do it on a copy at the end rather than on your master

2. If no profile is embedded all bets are off as to what the printer will do. He could assume you have converted to his profile or he could assume it is in another color space such as sRGB

3. Work on your file in your default working space and save the master in that space with an embedded profile. If you are converting then make a flattened copy of the finished image and convert that.  But as D.Fosse said earlier - ask the printer what he wants.

Dave

[southwestform]

Just curious why you mentioned to flatten it? Is this just to make sure nothing gets accidentally changed with the image?

[davescm · Accepted solution]

When you send the exported copy on for printing, you want to minimise the potential for unexpected changes. For example a layered tiff may be opened in an application other than Photoshop. Flattening into one layer is one more step that you can keep in your control.

It also keeps file sizes down if you are sending online. Finally if you are sending in a format that does not support layers you have no choice.

Dave