PS Softproofing differences

[kaiv45246596]

Hi community,

after writing some icc-profiles for my printer I discovered a very strange thing in PS.

When looking at my (hardware-calibrated) monitor in PS with the specific softproof profile turned on (relative, simulate paper, compensate blackpoint) there is a huge differende between the screen and the printed file - even when kept in mind that there will always be a difference due to the difference of the source.

When I activate the print dialog a preview appears wich is offering a softproof preview too.

The strange thing is that this preview is not identical to the softproof preview PS itself - and this little preview window is much closer to the output file (tried different papers and profiles) than the softproof in PS.

What`s going on there and how to change the view to the better preview in the print dialog?

best

Kai

[NB, colourmanagement net]

Hi, it's not unusual for the "simulate paper"option in view/proof setup/custom to reduce the match between Photoshop's on-screen softproof and the correctly illuminated print / proof. 

The "Ink Black" option there usually improves the match.

Also - Softproofing accuracy is totally dependent on information from the print profile and some profiles are quite flawed in this regard. 

You describe seeing a different appearance between Softproof and Photshops 'print preview' dialog and this is likely because of the proof setup options you have checked in view/proof setup/custom.

IMO 'Print preview' is unlikely to use "paper simulation"

The match between those 2 options may improve if you uncheck the "simulate paper colour" option in view/proof setup/custom. Please report back on that.

In the spirit of completeness, it's important, also, to understand that colour management success is based on certain parameters, one of which is viewing lighting.

This requirement for controlled lighting applies to both the environment in which you view your screen and to the lightsource illuminating any printed output.

Those 2 requirements are quite different.

A:

The screen is ideally viewed in very subdued daylight - because peripheral light has a strong effect on your own impression of the screen's appearance 

B:

The print or proof is ideally viewed in good daylight*.

*Or artificial daylight because that's consistent (that's the reason for print / proof light booths many photographers, printers and designers use.)

There are some examples and an explanation here: https://www.colourmanagement.net/products/gti-lite/

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net :: adobe forum volunteer
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management
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[kaiv45246596]

Hi Neil,

thx for your fast reply!

As I am not a newbie to printing I know the things you kindly explained - wich are totally right.

I have a neutral daylight bulb to check my prints and for sure I check them with real daylight.

My screens (Eizo CS and CG) are equipped with light protecting surrounding (don`t know the correct english word).

They both have special print profiles.

You see the conditions are perfect.

When working with a dedicated Rip I receive what I softproofed on the screen - in PS the difference is huge...

In the print dialog in PS the preview is much better than the softproof feature itself.

The difference is not the paper calibration or the blackpoint compensation as I selected it the same way in PS and in the print dialog.

When it would be not seriously possible to softproof in PS - OK - than I would have to do it in the rip, wich would just mean more work.

Because of the relatively good softproof result in the print dialog I just ask myself why there is this difference between PS main program and the print dialog and why it is not possible to have this better preview in both situations.

thx a lot and

best regards

[TheDigitalDog]

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@kaiv45246596 wrote:

When looking at my (hardware-calibrated) monitor in PS with the specific softproof profile turned on (relative, simulate paper, compensate blackpoint) there is a huge differende between the screen and the printed file - even when kept in mind that there will always be a difference due to the difference of the source.

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You want a closer match? 

Why are my prints too dark or do noot match my display?
Why doesn’t my display match my prints?
A video update to a written piece on subject from 2013
In this 24 minute video, I'll cover:

Are your prints really too dark?
Display calibration and WYSIWYG
Proper print viewing conditions
Trouble shooting to get a match
Avoiding kludges that don't solve the problem

High resolution: http://digitaldog.net/files/Why_are_my_prints_too_dark.mp4
Low resolution: https://youtu.be/iS6sjZmxjY4

Print Preview in Photoshop's Print dialog, at least on the Mac has been broken for years and doesn't match the soft proof seen outside of that broken dialog. 

On the left, Photoshop soft proof, on the right, same settings in Print Dialog. Failure to match even closely; ignore whatever you see in Photoshop's Print Dialog, it isn't previewing correctly. 

[D Fosse]

I haven't watched Andrew's videos - but my own approach to this is very simple and 100% reliable:

I calibrate the monitor's white point and black point to visually match the printed result. That's the soft proof, done.

Soft proofing to the print profile is then just to check for gamut clipping, nothing else.

This is very simple to do with ColorNavigator, and you can keep a handful of calibration targets/profiles for different output. Changing between them is just two clicks.