Soft proofing in Adobe Photoshop CC

In this 33 minute video, I'll cover soft proofing in Adobe Photoshop CC:
What is soft proofing.
Setting up a soft proof.
Saving soft proof presets.
What the simulate ink and paper check boxes do, why to use them.
Making output specific edits in layer sets.
Working with soft proofing in full screen mode.
The Out of Gamut Overlay and why to ignore it.

[@danielrao3120]

A superb and thorough video on how to "soft proof" for printing. I have learnt a lot and for that I thank you very much.

[@bala1000mina]

Very helpful and informative tutorial! Thank you so much Andrew! God bless and good luck!

[@davidfain1454]

Great job Andrew. You have given me the missing piece that I was looking for as I prepare to work with a pro lab.

[@TheAnthill1234]

Outstanding presentation. Well thought out. No wasted time. Review process tied each process up into a nice logical summary.

[@lynr3399]

Very well expalined and broken down into easy to follow steps for newbie to printing to take on board

[@MrPavlov18]

Great dose of knowledge Andrew, I have a question, do you do exposure corrections, contrast? , because there was nothing about it on the film. Second question, what is the idea of changing the yellow colour, where did this come from does it apply to most printers or labs?

[@chrismarehonor2593]

great, great tutorial, you made soft proofing easy so thank you.

[@TJ-yk8tq]

Thank you for all the videos! I have been watching everything on your channel about ICC profiles. There is not a lot of lay term information on this out there and I am new to the calibration/color management world!

[@ga20904]

Once you make the corrections to the Master copy on the left can you save those adjustments to that image before sending the file to a commercial printer for printing. This way if I need to print another copy again the soft proofing adjustment are saved

[@nickgoogle4525]

Great video Andrew. Midway through I though it would be good if you'd mention this or that, but a few minutes later you did... ;-) Regarding "Preserve RGB (or CMYK) numbers". There are situations when you need that too. One is when I want to simulate how an RGB file will look like when sent to a photoprinting service. Of course when I have the profile I could just convert to the wanted color space. But it can also show how my sisters file would look like, when the file is send to that printer -- and she is not able / willing to use colormanagement. I sometimes used an averaged RGB photo printer profile for situations like that. A bit of colormanagement for the poor. Preserve CMYK can be used to visually "test" which color space likely was used for an untagged CMYK file you get -- to see what looks best or most likely. It's also helpful in education to be able to demonstrate how awful a print would look in many cases without any colormanagement.

[@Oldgoat912]

I have just downloaded Lightroom and Photoshop CC on my new laptop. AS I try to follow your presentation I notice on my system that the Gambet Warning is greyed out. Is that something I have to turn on somehow?

[@andreaknobel]

Really useful, thanks for sharing!

[@rkellyx3]

Very helpful. Thank you so much. Something I'm always trying to do. My printing lab as informed me not to check the simulate paper color box and I about had a heat attack because it's always checked. I wasn't sure if all of my prints were messed up lol. You explain it very well. One question for you.... Do you edit your image and save then come back to do a soft proofing before sending it to printer?

[@DigitaldogNet]

Soft proof, then make output specific edits if necessary and save them as adjustment layers (or in Lightroom, as a Proof Copy). Then of course compare to the final print.

[@thethreeislands]

It's such a shame that the audio was messed up so badly on this recording because the content is very good. The volume is very low, which means my speakers are turned all the way up and the audio is coming from left channel only. Perhaps you can re-upload with improved voice over audio recording

[@WaltonV]

My left ear liked this video. Althought my right ear did not.

[@DigitaldogNet]

Well on this end, both speakers equally output the sound.

[@Bassbarbie]

@@DigitaldogNet perhaps you have mono output. It only comes out of the left with stereo. I have a hearing loss in my left ear... so will switch my headset round :)

[@MissLiveLaughLove1]

@@DigitaldogNet I know I am late to the party but I just came across your video 1-16-2020. Audio only through the left side of my headphones also but not a big deal. I appreciate you taking the time to share. Happy New Decade!

[@williamli7906]

Hi, Andrew: very informative video. Thanks. Quick question: since the whole purpose to do soft print is to print a photo, why do one ever want to have the "simulate paper color" unchecked?

[@DigitaldogNet]

For closest match, you'd want it on. But to see it properly, you can't have any if the UI showing since that white doesn't under go the dimming. If you're doing some editing while soft proof is on, it might be easier initially with simulation off since it's not an ideal mode (UI showing) to evaluate a close match.

[@iwesdorp]

Teriffic! Thanks!

[@jefjaeger]

Very helpful...thanks!

[@williamli7906]

Andrew: another question: after soft proof on and final editing, when export for printing, do I check "convert to sRGB" or "embed color profile"? I would assume it would be "embed color profile". Thanks.

[@DigitaldogNet]

Depends on the use of the image but if you are soft proofing to a print, you'd convert to that color space and rendering intent. Now is this being sent to an outside lab and can or will they accept that color space?

[@williamli7906]

@@DigitaldogNet I am sending it out for printing. So it should be "embed color profile"? (I am using their ICC profile when doing soft proof).

[@DigitaldogNet]

You always want to embed a profile of the color space. As to what color space, you'll have to ask your lab.

[@williamli7906]

@@DigitaldogNet sry, that doesn't sounds make sense to me. The whole point of doing soft proof is to send to print. And when I do soft proof, I already use their ICC. So the entire soft proof process is based on that specific ICC. Then why have to assign color space again when exporting? Or should I use "save as"? Thx.

[@DigitaldogNet]

@@williamli7906 IF you can send the document for print IN the actual output color space great. Some labs provide profiles for soft proofing only and do not allow you to send the data in the output color space. So what rendering intent do you use? You can't produce output specific edits. It's a poor, half baked idea of color management. IF you have a lab that supplies an output profile and allows you to fully use it, convert. Done. If they give you a profile and demand sRGB, well you gotta send sRGB which is sub optimal and not a full color management path. You NEVER assign a profile; that is only for untagged data. And untagged data is BAD.

[@SolonasM]

Hey Andrew, excellent video as always. When you save the presets, whats the point to save one without paper/black ink simulation if those values are so important? Thank you

[@DigitaldogNet]

I save each based on what preview I desire. Without ink/paper to decide upon a rendering intent. With to see a better simulation of the printed output.

[@SolonasM]

I understand it now, thanks.

[@jackw.8548]

thanks a lot for the video. But I have 1 question, why there are some devices (ICC) that dont let me use the "simulate paper color"option. Because the ICC that I found for my printer looks pretty bad. I have some other Epson options but the Paper color simulation is like blocked. Why is that?. Thanks a lot for the video and help!!!! greetings from Lisbon :)

[@DigitaldogNet]

Not all profiles have tables for this. Printer profiles have three tables and thus three rendering intents. But simple matrix profiles, like those for RGB working spaces only have a single table and there's no need for a paper simulation as they are based on displays.

[@TheSuperUser]

Good content however please sort out your sound - it only comes out of the left speaker.

[@davidewersphotography]

thank you Andrew, how is your wife?