Flattening file before printing to maintain color accuracy

[mckinney3]

I just learned something new after many, many years of Photoshop use.

To make a long story short, I was experiencing maddening print color issues after switching to a new printer and paper and print profiles.  A lot of changes but when the dust settled, I still had crazy tints.  An example would be dark prints with heavy cyan casts.  But the error would change depending on the print in my catalog.

Oh no!  I thought I was faced with altering every image to look like my match prints from previous system.

I'll cut to the chase.  I learned that a file should be flattened before printing.  Not to save file size but to eliminate color casts.  The monitor image would look the same regardless but the print would be very different.  So, before pulling your hair out to get the prints to match the monitor, give flattening the image before printing a try.  I save my image with all the modification layers, etc.  I then select print and set up printer and color match dialogs but not print.  Then DONE and return to Photoshop and save.  Then flatten and return to print which will have all the settings.  (Be sure to not save  after flattening or you will, of course, lose all that critical layer info. 

I had never heard of this protocol until I received help from my printer model support tech.  He stated that printing with all layers often creates strange color casts.  Flattening fixed ALL my color match issues.

I am intererested in your experience and comments.

[NB, colourmanagement net]

You're right about that, flattening before printing (or converting colour space) is vital, or it apparently takes place during printing and that just doesn't work right. 

I generally recommend saving a full size layered tiff or PSD - duplicating, now working on the duplicate, flatten resize and sharped as needed - then print. Maybe save that dupe a sa flat print copy

It's far too easy to mistakenly hit save and overwrite the layered version. We've all done it, phone rings, go make a cuppa, forget where you are in the process and hit save then close!! aargh - computers and apps crash too.

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management

[c.pfaffenbichler]

We've all done it, phone rings, go make a cuppa, forget where you are in the process and hit save then close!!

That is why a meaningful backup-system is so important. 

[mckinney3]

A great observation. I am very guilty of mindlessly hitting save when closing that modified file as not liking the results and then ....

What a relief it is to pull up a good copy from the backups and salvage the work!

[mckinney3]

Thank you! I guess there is no predicting exactly what a print driver/printer actually does with a layered image but it sure does have unpredictable results.  I shudder to think about all the effort put in by folks(me included) chasing the elusive screen image vs print image conundrum when the root casue is the unknown influence of layers on print process.

For fun, I took a single  image and placed on one layer and then printed.  No issues resulted. I then added the usual layer adjustments and hidden layers and text layers, etc,  And then I would get unexpected  print results vs calibrated monitor image.  

Lesson Learned and , again, thanks you for your response!

[NB, colourmanagement net]

@mckinney3 "I took a single  image and placed on one layer and then printed.  No issues resulted. I then added the usual layer adjustments and hidden layers and text layers, etc,  And then I would get unexpected  print results vs calibrated monitor image."
yep, that’s exactly what I'd expect

neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management