Optin For Soft Proofing In Photoshop?

The prevailing response is that FAA's metal prints are generally darker than the artist expected, and greeting cards can be all over the spectrum. Paper and canvas prints, on the other hand, are generally spot-on when uploaded as sRGB.

Beate,

If you're happy with the paper prints you yourself get done, then you're good to go! I don't worry about softproofing any of my prints, since I know the printer in N.C. is a professional lab and will get them close and that's all you can ask. One of the issues that is rarely brought up, is the other end of the Internet, the buyers monitors,which I can guarantee you, aren't calibrated. so what they "see" can be close or off,based on their monitor's accuracy.

If you were doing a large run of a specific image, then I would bother to get a soft proof made or send one of your's to your printer and tell them to match it,

Rich

You do not need the ICC profiles as FAA print to your data

CLICK HERE for all the ICC profiles but we have different printers for different things so you should make sure it is printable your end and we will do the rest

I shan't get into this really - because it's beyond me - but - I can tell you that when they talk about calibrating a monitor - and mine has never been calibrated - yet the 4 images of my work that I have bought - are if anything - better than what I see on my monitor. I'm not sure the metal prints were darker - it may be the surface and substrate - but the were truly nice works that I'm proud to have my name on.

CIE is a good color profile to use. It is one of the few that will render the same as you see on your monitor.

Metal prints have an inherent lack of depth and add contrast and sometimes saturation to the final print. It's nothing like printing on paper. If you have a contrasty image then a metal print will add additional contrast. That's what's making prints on paper so great, the printer, and I mean the machine, can know how much ink to set,based on the qualities of the paper's surface and how it absorbs the ink. A matte surface will take more ink vs a glossy surface. And that's where the "profiles" come in, they "tell" the printer to put down more or less ink,because of the nature of the paper itself. This is a bit simplified, but you get the idea,

Rich

Save yourself the effort. Soft proofing is a waste of valuable time, IMO. Your images will print beautifully, and for the most part, as you expect them to look without any great effort on your part.

I went through an exercise some years back, I submitted 6 or so images to various printers that cater to photographers. Two sets of the same images, one set was soft proofed with the relative .icc printer/paper profiles and submitted to have no color adjustments. The other set was standard sRGB .jpg without soft proofing and allowing the printer to make adjustments. The differences were so minute as to not really make any difference. These are professional printers we're talking about, not Wal-Mart or Shutterbug. I have haven't soft proofed anything in years as a result.

The other issue with submitting soft proofed images is that's what your customers will see also. More often than not, soft proofed images are not pleasant to look at, or at least they look very different than what they will printed.

Thanks very much for all your replies! Much appreciated. I am very picky with my colours and do want my output to look the same as the image on my monitor which is why in the past I have found softproofing and matching my image to the paper icc has had the best results so far. When I get a print back and then compare it the one on my screen they usually look identical, give and take the fact the monitor is backlit and paper is reflected. Will have a think about it. I received a cushion today and it wasn't quite right so I may limit some options, shame I don't have control over whether to just offer paper and canvas.

Beate, just put the price on only the products you want to sell if you are referring to FAA. The products you do not price will not show up in your gallery.

I would not compare color on a cushion to any well done print. It's cloth, different ink, etc. I'm not surprised it isn't quite right.

Beate,

Gift cards,metal prints,throw pillows are products that should not be expected to be held to the same standards as fine art printing on paper or canvas,just won't happen and shouldn't be expected. Just as Chuck says, it will never be printed to the same standards as fine art papers,

Rich

Thanks everyone for your replies - they have all been helpful :-)

99,99% of the potential buyers have no calibrated monitor. They donīt even know what that is. They see your pictures far to bright and blueish on their monitor. Thatīs why most of them are so surprised how good the final print looks like.

Excellent point Colin!