Soft Proofing in Capture One / How To Preview Prints Before Printing

[@p.VAZ.]

I’ve been looking for YEARS to someone properly explain the printing process in C1 !!!! I’ve even contacted C1 directly and they don’t even focus on the printing side !!!! C1 needs to hire you!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU

[@dominey]

Glad it was helpul!

[@giovanniperta7726]

Thanks for this masterclass video!

[@MDanceInc]

a deeper dive into this would be great....!!

[@et-photography263]

Wow, I've been using C1 for over 3 years and I now finally understand how proofing works. One additional tip, perhaps. By using recipe proofing and layers, you can create an adjustment layer for each different color space you may use. E.g., one for printing using a paper profile, like your Red River papers and another layer for web using sRGB. Turn the layers on/off before processing each. That seems to be a great way of making sure the photos look just like you want them to look.

[@grtgrmrd]

Thank you for this crystal clear explanation of the color proofing in C1! This is very helpful. Now I finally got the concept.

[@drwatsonismine]

THANKS Great explanation. Would like to see the print part of C1... Would be helpful.

[@ozzieciliberti1626]

Yes.... that would be great to see next step

[@mauro5657]

Yes, this would be extremely useful (it's a process I'm not able to manage properly and not yet explained in the tutorials)

[@mmlips]

Yes please!

[@hans1187]

I like the professional tone and presentation of this video. It's a nice change from my own goofy hacky amateur ways.

[@ashleydarby3652]

5:40 was a lightbulb moment for me because I had always wondered WTF was going on when it made no difference to the view when I selected proofing. Awesome video. Thanks

[@victoryatallcost]

Your an amazing teacher! All of your videos teach me so much!!

[@mkaquesnel]

I am brand new user of Capture 1, playing around with the free Demo for the last week. I had read and seen a lot of other videos that kept talking about process recipes and how they are supposed to be used but nothing ever "clicked" for me. This video was excellent and was a big help in understanding what process recipes are and how they work. I still have a long way to go but this was a great learning tool. I still haven't worked up the courage to actually try and print something yet. However, Todd I have subscribed to your channel and will be browsing other videos with high expectations. Thanks.

[@dominey]

Great to hear! Thanks Mike.

[@TLM823]

Todd- Thanks for this excellent explanation on soft proofing, as many have said, a topic not often discussed. My main takeaway is this video proves that I should contineu to use a professional photo lab for my printing :-) Cheers!

[@simaxpix]

Just the most helpful and well explained C1 video I have seen for a long time : thank you!

[@Light_Quill]

Thank you for a very informative video on an area (printing) that Capture One appears not to have been focusing so much until now. Unless I am missing some feature, one of the problems for me of softproofing in C1 is that there is no visual clue of out of gamut colors. That is kind of a big issue and for an app that is so great at color editing, it’s in my view such a missed opportunity (once again, unless there is a way to enable it that I am not aware of).

[@jaypage8823]

Good discussion of one of the more confusing aspects of Capture One. Thank-you!

[@albertphillips447]

Well explained, even though I don’t have capture one found listening to your explanation fun to listen to while trying to take some lightnox photos, thanks

[@josephasghar]

Great video. Kinda knew it all already, but it was great to see it nose to tail.

[@tvglut]

Finally, I understand this. Thank you for an excellent tutorial!

[@johndwilliams]

I'm so glad to have found this. I recently bought a Canon Pixma Pro-100s and while it's a great printer, I found that Lr and Ps are no longer compatible with this printer as both the printer and Ps try to manage the colour. You're unable to disable the printer management. Adobe supply a software patch but it can't be used on the later Mac OS. This is a great work around as I generally use Capture One for my raw edits. Thanks for sharing this.

[@JonathanGardner2004]

Sure did forget to set up the proof profile when I got the new M1 MBP. Thank you for reminding me!

[@joaquinparchment5986]

Thats very helpful I was looking for this type of video for two days... THANK YOU SO MUCH...

[@david-jonathanLawrence]

Very enjoyable to watch. Explanation was so effective. Thanks

[@rituthahryani5163]

Nice explanation, i like your simple language and the way you explain.

[@deepaksamani]

Great explanation. Thankyou

[@leiliu83]

Thx Todd it is so very useful.

[@brucehergert804]

Hi Todd, thanks for this video. Here's what I'm trying to do 1) edit the raw file using adobeRGB; 2) create a variant (which retains all of the edits to the original version), but select a different icc paper profile; 3) select them both and view them side-by-side and edit only the variant so it comes close to looking like the "original". In essense, I want to view two images side-by-side, each with different icc paper profiles. I just can't get that to work. Is that possible in Capture One? I've tried everything I can think of.

[@CatHarington]

Awesome lighting by the way

[@el0blaino]

Much appreciated - thank you!

[@goldfinch2283]

Great tutorial, thanks! Despite me using C1 for a few years already, I learned something new. Just subscribed to your channel.

[@SwanSycorax]

Very helpful. Thanks. I think I will need to watch this a few times to get it all to sink in!!

[@smm504]

Thanks. Very well explained. Switching to Capture One.

[@paulbk7810]

Well done.

[@cropcircle5693]

First time viewer- liked -subscribed! This is the clear concise and detailed video I didn't think I needed but now know I'll be using!

[@robertlingley5300]

Another detailed and informative Capture One video Todd. Thank you.

[@natureimagesindia]

Great video and thanks for sharing the knowledge.

[@GunniGrahn]

Nice clean understandable instructions on a difficult subject. Thanks a million!

[@PaweChyl]

Thank you Todd, I was pretty close, but after what you showed I see that now I am where I should be. Great videos, please continue your work!

[@vadimhsu5114]

Very nicely done! Probably the best explanation I’ve heard so far on Cap One proofing! It is a steeper learning curve, but as you said and then demonstrated so well, it makes sense and you’ve made it less intimidating to wrap my head around. Thank you, as i have a new printer coming soon and want to ‘reset’ my printing skills for my current workflow now fully vested in C1-v21, and I’m not muddying it all up again!!! Cheers!

[@keithpinn152]

Hi Todd: Thanks for creating and sharing this video. Your explanation of this concept goes a long way in me understanding how Soft Proofing is handled within C1. Cheers, Keith

[@gbee8888]

5:10 I don't think selecting ProPhoto RGB from the View - Proof Profile - Recipe List is the best place to do it since there is a chance that some other overlooked element in the recipe might upset things, like some output sharpening accidentally set. Better to just pick the standalone ProPhoto RGB ICC further done the list. ?

[@davidwilliamson1995]

I'd just like to say that I am switching to C1. I never really got on with LR it was something that was there after Apple stopped Aperture which I really loved. I feel a little more at home with C1 and I found your videos which I find very interesting and watching them have already found the answers to some questions I had. I hope you do a video about printing from C1 (Especially in Black and white). Thanks for your time.

[@michaelvarga2566]

great video. I'm struggling trying to determine what are the best export settings to use when exporting a raw image to use in Epson Print Layout software for print? Is it best to work in RGB 16 bit Tiff soft proof in C1 and then choose the ICC profile for the paper in the Epson Print Layout software? Or, should I edit in Capture one using soft proof 16 bit tiff and the ICC profile of the paper I intend to print on and then export the file and again use the paper ICC profile in the Epson Print layout software? Thank You.

[@aymanmehdi1352]

Thank you very much, I like your approach!!

[@heyx-dan]

Wouah, thanks a lot:-) I really like your video showing effective and simple tips for working with capture one. I am slowly learning to edit my images in a more "professional" way.

[@johannes1380]

Just what I was looking for, and very well explained. Thank you very much!

[@martinekwall4671]

You explain it well🤗🤗 I learned something new, thank you!! Do you know why C1 has Perceptual rendering as default and not Relative? When sending photos for print most labs want them in Relative. The Proofing size that one sees on the screen is dependent on the size or pixel resolution of that screen. On a 5k screen it becomes very small in Instagram size for example. It can be debated if one should using the Prophoto icc because one can use the cameras own icc/camera profile as a choice and in this way not having it interpreted by another icc. It’s a fantastic program and I love it, using it as my main program 90 % of all my photo editing.

[@dominey]

Perceptual versus Relative is an interesting thing. I would guess C1 is using Perceptual by default because Perceptual more closely mimics how images appear on screen when shifting out-of-gamut colors to in-gamut by maintaining the relationship between colors. As for ProPhoto RGB, that's also interesting. I use ProPhoto RGB because those are the color settings I use in Photoshop, where I typically do some finishing to an image after ~90% of the edit has been done in C1.

[@martinekwall4671]

@@dominey Thanks, that makes sense : )

[@tonymckeage1028]

Thanks Todd, "soft proofing" is not something I have heard of before, as always on point in terms of subject and advice, thanks for sharing

[@nanoulandia]

Very clear explanation of how to soft proof in Capture One. FYI, if you print directly from Capture One then you can change the rendering intent in the print menu. I haven't gone through this process yet in Capture One (only Photoshop) so I am wondering if there's any way of seeing which colors are being clipped when switching profiles like in Photoshop? That would be the only thing missing in my view. Capture One is brilliant though, no way I am going back to Lightroom.

[@dodger2876]

Very helpful video and a great way to present it.

[@FJWoods007]

Tremendously helpful. Thank you.

[@CHODOSPHOTOS]

That a tasty recipe. Great work! I live in Lightroom so this is hard to watch but also interesting.

[@dominey]

Couldn't ask for anything more!

[@curtdp]

Epic Video Todd!!! Thank you! Nice picture, nice storytelling! I enjoyed it.

[@XtianApi]

So we shouldn't move to canon professional print software from capture one to print on a prograf printer?

[@my2004rt]

Great explanation.

[@AliSatchu]

How do you add borders without having to go to photoshop and adjust output size? So for eg 8 x 11 and I want to add white borders

[@kellyroy8506]

This was very helpful, thank you! I’m fairly new to C1 and haven’t printed anything yet but will be soon which is how I came across your video. I have a question about the light on your screen. Is this a special light used for looking at your prints?

[@stefansipl6736]

Great video. The only question left is how to process the photo which is supposed to be printed that it looks on paper like it does when softproved. Or will you simply change the paper it's printed on?

[@pamelavillarreal]

Great video, what colorspace do you usually use for working, so for social media output the ICC profile would be sRGB color space and for printing, depending on the paper and printer, what would you use Adobe RGB 1998 for? or ProPhoto RGB 16bit?

[@perspective11]

Beautifully explained. Need one suggestion. When I do proofing in a particular recipie or col.space and don't like the colour or contrast thats shown in the proofing view than can I re edit in proofing mode ? Or how can I correct it ?

[@martinekwall4671]

Yes you can! Preferably I would make a separate layer for that and use the tools available so in case I want use another color space for another output I can just unclick that layer. If your main icc is Adobe RGB or Prophoto or Camera Profile for example and having that as base icc and any other output will be smaller and you will have to make a slight change to make closer to the original. Have your screen calibrated otherwise your working in the blind but maybe you’re all set there😉🤗

[@LimaGolf284th]

Thank you, for another great video.

[@klaus.bernhard]

Hi, maybe there is a solution: I am editing an image. Then I make a new file with "Clone Variant". I now define a corresponding ICC profile for the new variant. In order to match this new variant as closely as possible to my original editing, I would like to see both images on the screen at the same time. But if I select the 2 images and then go to proof for one, the proof is also activated for the other. Can that be separated somehow? Thank you Klaus

[@templofuerte]

Great video to understand how soft proofing works in Capture One! Thank you Todd. A bit off-topic, I love your black red edged desk pad, would mind sharing which exact pad you have? 😂

[@dominey]

Thanks! Here's the mat: geni.us/hrAD

[@Walkercolt1]

Is there a way to set a "film's" (such as Vericolor III or Fujicolor Pro) color space semi-automatically?

[@kuyamanski]

Hi Todd.. How to set my output into correct color based on my ICC profile? every time I export the photo my output is over saturated.

[@raypal7210]

Just bought a canon pixma pro and im wondering about using none canon papper how do i get the correct profile?

[@johndc7446]

When using a DCI-P3 monitor while trying to export and print an image with Adobe RGB, will the color of the print be slightly off? Will using an Adobe RGB soft proof profile help make the print result more accurate?

[@ssthapit]

I must have removed the ⚙️ icon for process recipes. How do I get it back in Capture One Pro 21?

[@ianyorke2617]

Just for clarity I thought, using the colour profile in Recipe gives you the same result as using Soft Proofing with regard to colour. The difference is that when you use Soft Proof you see exactly how the image will look including sharpening, size etc. This is why the Instagram image is shown at a reduced size.

[@willgavillan]

Great video, I definitely learned a thing or two, and I’ve been using C1 for a while. What is that light you have above your iMac? Or is that a camera?

[@dominey]

It’s a light! 💡 The BenQ ScreenBar. I reviewed it here on my channel.

[@willgavillan]

@@dominey thank you found your review after I posted comment, pretty cool

[@roderikrotting]

New Sub!

[@ayazhov5559]

so weird, i dont have the option to see all these icc profiles, and i dont have that ProPhoto rgb 16-bit

[@arminloacker9173]

Thanks Todd very informative regarding color space. I have a question about the Export Recipetool in connection with the proof view. I would like to get an image with a long side length of about 32 inches from a 20MP MFT camera. For example, if I set "Long Edge" to 32 inches under "Scaling" the image is interpolated at 160 percent. Isn't it better to choose the setting "never enlarge" for an optimal result?

[@dominey]

Yeah, it sounds like that is happening because 20 megapixels isn't enough to create a 32" wide print. I've never used Capture One to upscale an image like that, so I can't speak to whether it will produce good results. My assumption is that Photoshop would be better and more sophisticated, OR a separate app like Gigapixel AI which I've heard/seen great things about. Might want to look into that. Here's the link. topazlabs.com/gigapixel-ai

[@arminloacker9173]

@@dominey thank you! C1 unfortunately has almost no information on this topic. I think I have to test the Exposure service with the different settings (not enlarge, upscale) .

[@RalfWeyer]

I’m basically new to printing, or at least I try to get images printed. I edited some images and exported them for social media and they looked fine. I downloaded an ICC profile from a lab where I wanted to get some images printed and looking at the images they seem to be kind of flat and less saturated. So is there any way to automatically get the image to look like when edited or do I have to basically re-edit the image using the ICC profile to make sure they will turn out they way I want them to look like? But than on the monitor they definitely look too saturated, so I would have to do another edit to use them digitally....

[@RonK]

same problem here. The IG-crop's already a pita - and now further variants, on a per paper base? doesn't feel like looking forward to...

[@punypunny]

EXPLANATION: Proof Profile vs Process Recipe: Proof Profile - the color space I work in Process Recipe - the output colors of process file In View, select Proof Profile - the selected proof profile is the color space I chose to work in on screen, regardless of the process output profile. If I toggle Enable Recipe Proofing button (spectacles icon) On - it will show my process recipe color - hence, proofing my output color If I toggle Enable Recipe Proofing button Off - it will show the selected color space I chose to work in, regardless of the process output recipe color. Say, if I choose Proof Profile as sRGB, and Process Recipe as Black & White. I will work on my photo in sRGB colors with Enable Recipe Proofing button Off; but when On, it will show (preview) the photo in Black and White which is the process recipe output. For general use, I should set Proof Profile to Selected Recipe (Default) >> I believe Capture One contributed to this confusion because it is easy to assume the Enable Recipe Proofing button as the Proof Profile button. So when this button is On, the selected Proof Profile color space is not shown but instead the Process Recipe color output is shown.

[@gbee8888]

Great video but but I think you should of stated that those print recipes are for proofing only and are not used for the actual exported file. ??

[@BillyVerden]

Nice Video.. I only use Capture One so this is certainly helpful as is all your Capture One videos.. one thing I think you might have added to this particular video is how to install/add an ICC profile to Capture One.. the actual file I mean.. not just creating new settings.. but still.. a really informative video! Good Job!

[@dominey]

Thanks BIlly! To clarify, ICC profiles are installed to your operating system, not to Capture One. When you see me select an ICC profile for the printer, I'm selecting an ICC profile that has been installed to macOS and is available for any app that wants it. Hope that clarifies!

[@robertmercure1740]

❤️🙏

[@chrispeden979]

This clears up a lot for me but it still seems less efficient than Lr. So by what you propose you would create a recipe for every kind of paper you want to use? What about if your sending things to labs? They often have ICC profiles for soft proofing but want sRGB files submitted. If you would have exported that recipe you made for red river paper it would have had their paper profile embedded or assigned right? this is what every lab says to not do. Also Lr allows you to make a virtual copy with the copy name of the profile your proofing for, this is superior to C1’s variants at least for soft proofing.

[@dominey]

Great questions. Yes, you would want to create separate recipes for each paper type. Then you would use those recipes to proof images. As for sending prints to a lab, you wouldn't want to export using a paper recipe using an ICC profile on your computer. You would want to export using a recipe with the settings recommended by the lab. This would probably be something like TIFF, 16-bit, sRGB, 300dpi. If I were you, I'd inquire about AdobeRGB printing support because it has a larger color gamut than sRGB (which is designed for screens), which means richer, more saturated colors on paper. If in doubt, just ask a printer what file settings you should use. And yes, oftentimes printers do provide their own ICC profiles you can download, install, and make a recipe with. Their ICC profile would be for the type of paper/printer they make prints with. Then you could use that to "proof" your image on screen, make edits, then export using the aforementioned settings. Concerning virtual copies, agreed. Wish Capture One supported something like that, for it has "variants" you can create (which are essentially virtual copies) but you can't assign a fixed recipe/ICC profile to a variant (or rename it). Renaming would be great because then you could label it "for printing" or something. Pfew - long reply! Hope that helps.

[@ianyorke2617]

In general. Add a new filled layer to your image, name it with the icc profile. Make a recipe which includes your lab icc profile and select that recipe. Then make your adjustments to the image so that it looks good. Now untick the filled layer and export as sRGB. You need to be very clear with your lab as to what they expect if they are providing an icc profile and whether they want the photo submitted with the paper profile or a generic sRGB that has been adjusted to look good when printed on that paper. You can also create a virtual copy of the image and adjust that for the lab paper profile but just adding a "Print" layer is simpler for me.

[@chrispeden979]

@@ianyorke2617 the layer trick is pretty brilliant.

[@MikeNelsonPedde]

Technically Lr uses Melissa RGB, but it's pretty much sort of the same...

[@Michael-iq5kw]

i am a newbie at Capture one and plan on creating a phonebook using Saal Digital, it was then that i learned about soft-roofing and found that your video is very helpful however, i cannot seem to find the "gear" / "cogwheel" icon on my toolbar, how do i bring it up ? Thanks....

[@marct8788]

Saal Digital explicitely discourages their customers on their website to rely on the softproofing done in Capture One, due to missing black point compensation in C1, missing paper simulation and rendering intent (though they don't seem to know that rendering intent can actually be changed, in C1 preferences). This having said, I have some decent prints from them, very similar to what I see in Capture One when softproofing (and a high similarity is probably the best you can expect from any softproof in any software, without 'calibrating' your own editing process/brain iteratively including hardproofing = compare a test print and readjust your edits). And you would need a standarized D50 light source and respective standardized color assessment environment (booth) anyway, to verify the printed image against your monitor softproof to actually tell how good the softproof and the actual printing process at Saal Digital is, still not knowing where the root cause of eventual differences come from. So, calibrate or profile your monitor (have a decent monitor), respect the printing service (Saal) recomendations to white point of the monitor, do softproofing in C1 with the rendering intent they recommend for the specific paper, gather experiences by comparing their prints and adjust your editing habits accordingly. Think also about under which light the print would enrich the world (the best is if you already know under which lighting conditions the print would be looked at, e.g. daylight on which of your walls, which colors the rooms walls have, or which artificial light source the room has, because the light sources and the environment the print will be looked at (color phsycological aspects) usually have a higher influence on the image perception then a "perfect" softproofing. Relax, and make experiences. Just be careful not to export the image using a printer icc profile which you used to softproof an image. Always export using a standard profile like sRGB or AdobeRGB, as required by any printing service I know of, Saal states this too. ANd deactivate "auto improvement" in Saal Software of web app. You can adjust (increase) the image contrast a little bit when softproofing to counter the reduced contrast of prints vs. monitors, but don't overdo it, as in my experince the contrast when softproofing (also in other software) often looks too much reduced. In other words, the print usually has a better contrast than indicated by the softproof. Use a white background in C1 when softproofing, this helps you to judge the image brightness better, especially if your editing room is relatively dark (as is the C1 user interface). Monitors emit light whereas prints reflect light, and even with a low monitor 60cd setting, the image often looks brighter on the monitor then the print will, depending on the light source the print will be looked at. Outside with daylight, the print will be bright enough, but inside it often looks too dark. Make experiences on your own, and your printing results will improve.

[@Michael-iq5kw]

@@marct8788 Thanks Marc, i really appreciate the reply, and thanks for the great information. Happy Holidays and Happy New year!

[@marct8788]

@@Michael-iq5kwThanks, same to you!

[@p.VAZ.]

By the way... what is that on top of your iMac???

[@dominey]

It's the BenQ ScreenBar. Planning on making a video about it eventually. geni.us/rV4RXoE

[@MN-bq1hu]

Anyone else finding catalog loading in Capture One 20 Windows 10 painfully slow? Has me rethinking my change from Lightroom to CO...

[@numinoos]

Hello Todd, Very good video. One correction though regarding what happens when you have View -> Proof Profile > Selected Recipe. Apparently, you think nothing happens when you click on the glass icon "Proofing" but this is not correct. When you click on the glass icon (Proofing on), you also see the amount of Output sharpening that you may have applied for printing. Try a large value and you will see what happens. This has been explained by Paul Reiffer here (at around 11:00) kzbin.infov9TSGFV3yWA?si=xGRfMOM9ITBR15xh You also forgot to mention what happens when you select Proof Profile -> No Profile. In this case, C1 uses the icc profile of your camera (under Base Characteristics). This is also very useful.

[@azzkhan8746]

By clicking soft proofing it also takes into account the output adjustments contained in the recipe and the image will be displayed with those adjustments. By clicking just the recipe, it does not apply the recipe adjustments. It only chooses the color space set in that recipe. That’s how I understand it.