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TerryLn22
Inspiring
July 15, 2011
Question

What is "Proof Colors" option for?

  • July 15, 2011
  • 2 replies
  • 66581 views

In PS  CS4, under View, there's Proof Setup, which allows you to view soft proofing, so you can set it for your lab's profiles, so you know about how it will be printed.

However, underneath Proof Setup, is "Proof Colors". What is that for? It's only off/on, no other settings for that. It can't be, that the Proof Setup is turning the "Proof Colors" on or off so you can see how the lab will print it, because the colors change whether "Proof Colors" is checked or not. However, when it's UNCHECKED, and I go into change a potential Proof Colors choice (say from my lab's profile to Nikon's profile), the color of the photo changes, and the Proof Color now has a check in front of it.

So....what's that for, and how do you work that?

      2 replies

      Noel Carboni
      Noel Carboni
      Legend
      July 15, 2011

      It allows you to simulate what your image would look like if interpreted directly in the color space you set, rather than transformed using its profile and a device's profile.  It can also provide you a preview of CMYK color separations.

      View - Proof Setup sets the profile you want to simulate or "test" with, and checking Proof Colors enables the "test", overriding normal display color management.  Proof Colors is automatically checked (enabled) when you set a profile in Proof Setup as a convenience feature.

      You would normally want to use Photoshop with Proof Colors UNchecked, so that the colors ARE automatically transformed to those needed by your monitor per its profile.  This helps ensure that you'll see them accurately.

      Photoshop's Help facility has some additional detail for this.

      -Noel

        T
        TerryLn22Author
        Inspiring
        July 16, 2011

        Well this is truly annoying. When Proof Colors is checked, I think I'm good to go. Then a few photos and 1 hour later, I find out it's turned itself off, and I have to redo all the work. You have to remember to turn it on for each and every photo. That's ridiculous.

        Is there some way to lock it in on or off position? I don't see a way to do that.

          c.pfaffenbichler
          Community Expert
          c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          July 19, 2011

          Guys, guys, guys. Stop with this, already. You're trying to defend an undefendable point. The one guy was saying, "Umm, color management is not that hard", then finishes his paragraph by saying get that book on color management, which is 435 pages long.

          I use the analogy (and it's ONLY an analogy) about the car, and you're wondering if the car manufacturer came to teach me to drive. The answer is, no, they didn't teach me to drive. However also they didn't give me a technical manual to start the car either, describing in nausiating detail, the electrical impulses that go from the 12v battery into the starter, which then go into the spark plugs which are gapped at .041 spacking, that causes a spark, which makes the gas, which is compressed at a ratio of 4:1, explode, thus causing the piston to rise, which gives power to the engine, which turns the transmission, torqued at an 8:1 ratio, to turn the wheels in a clockwise motion.

          No.

          If anything, their manual says put the key in the ignition, turn the key, put the car in drive, and depress the gas pedal.

          Do you NOW see the difference?

          You can't defend your point. You just can't. The Adobe Help topics, defend them as you may, are in piecemeal. You type something up, and it brings up one of 38 articles written about it, etc. And while that might be fine from time to time, like using a dictionary to look up a word or two, you can't use a dictionary to learn a foreign language, or the Adobe help topics to learn Photoshop or color management.


          »You can't defend your point. You just can't. «

          You really think so?

          »If anything, their manual says put the key in the ignition, turn the key, put the car in drive, and depress the gas pedal.«

          I guess that is also because they can assume you have a driver’s license, thus having learned to operate the tool before buying it.

          Photoshop is a tool, learning to use it is up to the individual user.

          c.pfaffenbichler
          Community Expert
          c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          July 15, 2011

          It does too turn the preview on and off, but when a Proof Setup is selected it is automatically turned on.

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