I posted this new Photoshop video tutorial late Friday. I'm reposting for those who have a life on the weekend and may have missed it ;-) www.photocascadia.com/blog/build-a-photoshop-action-for-soft-proofing-by-sean-bagshaw/
My latest article on the Photo Cascadia blog is actually a video tutorial. I share how to build a soft proofing action in Photoshop that will help you get the best results from your prints.
I’ve got a lot of your back catalogue to go through mate! I found this one super helpful & have made my own actions, funny thing is that I never thought doing this before, it is so useful! Thanks for the great advise! 😀👍
Hi Carlitos - I print my own images and I also use different print labs. Online printers who I have had success with include BayPhoto, MPix, Aspen Creek Photo and SmugMug. Many of these sites will make printing adjustments for you, so make sure to find out if they suggest soft proofing on your own or if they apply adjustments on their end. If they suggest that you do the soft proofing then you will need to down load their paper profile to use in your soft proofing action.
Hi Sean, that's an unbelievably helpful video which I have been referring to for some time, but am only now capable of following through properly... it is quite a handful! In my case, I develop in the ProPhoto color space with corresponding color settings, but my photo lab only prints from the sRGB color space so I would need to add two steps to the action: i/ change the color settings to sRGB, ii/ convert my image to sRGB in order for the soft proof to be as close as possible to what the lab will print. Do you think that these steps can and should be included in the action and whether at the beginning of the action or at the end? Any advice on this/ suggestion would be immensely appreciated. Thanks!
Sorry for the slow reply. I don't always check RUclips comments on the regular. Sending help questions to me through my website will always get a faster response. My first suggestion would be to find a lab that supports at least Adobe RGB (1998), or ProPhoto even better. If not, then I would suggest converting the the proof copy at the end. If you are using the lab's ICC profile when proofing the print simulation should already be showing you how the lab will print, including the smaller sRGB color space. Once you have the proof done, convert to sRGB before uploading to the lab so the embedded color space is what they are expecting.
Thanks for your response, Sean. Oh I wouldn't want to be a nuisance, so am happy to wait for your answer. I can't really switch labs (whitewall) at this point, having worked with them for years and their producing outstanding print quality and excellent customer service, but I'll keep an eye out. I did not know that the icc profile simulated the smaller color space as well, so I set up the action to convert my soft proofing copy to sRGB. But I shall change it to follow your above advice exactly, thank you. @@SeanBagshaw
Sean,Thank you so much for this tutorial I have a question how do you print it? as youy own or you use any website or something? i need to print some of my pictures and i would like to know which website is the best. Thank you again!
I don't have any Canon(Pro Luster) ICC profiles under the Proof Setup menu. And I know I installed them, how do you add them to that list???? Please help!!!
Hi Chris. If they are installed they should show on the list. Mac or PC? I’m not good with Macs but on a PC you just double click the icc file and it auto installs.
Hi Sean, only just discovered your channel but wish I had found it before. I doubt you are still monitoring this video as it is a long time since you made it. I do have a question though, and that is why create a lighten fro print levels adjustment before you go into the soft proofing as this will have an effect on the final outcome?
Hi Peter! Welcome. I get notifications so I can be sure to answer questions even on older videos. I haven't watched this video in years. Even with a profiled monitor set to a low brightness and then soft-proofing, my prints often come out feeling just a smidge darker than I want, hence that slight lightening adjustment. Looking back at that video, I agree that adding the additional lightening would probably make more sense to do after soft-proofing (that's how it is done when printing from LR)...and I can't remember back then why I was doing it in that order. But in the end, the file gets a slight lightening boost either way. But it's minimal so I'm not sure how much when it is done makes a difference in the final print output. That would be an interesting test to do and see if it matters. My guess is it would not be noticeable.
Sean, I recently had to upgrade my system from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 (Had it done professionally) I had to re-create your soft proof action. However, whenever I open a new image to test the action I get an error message which says the document is not active or found. With the current versions of Photoshop CC does this action still work or do I need to tweak something. Thanks.
As far as I know, there isn't anything about the current version of PS CC that would cause this action not to work, but I haven't tested it myself. The action is very simple and just adds three adjustment layers. My advice would be to do a Google search for the exact error message and see what you can find out.
I posted this new Photoshop video tutorial late Friday. I'm reposting for those who have a life on the weekend and may have missed it ;-)
www.photocascadia.com/blog/build-a-photoshop-action-for-soft-proofing-by-sean-bagshaw/
I missed it on the weekend Sean. That must mean I have a life! Yipee me!
Peter Carroll - Heck yeah!
So did I, I mean I missed it. ;)
excellent tutorial Sean Bagshaw
Thank you Sean Bagshaw for the tutorial, much appreciated!
Just came across this Sean and its the next thing on my list as Im moving away from printing from Lightroom! oldies but goldies!
My latest article on the Photo Cascadia blog is actually a video tutorial. I share how to build a soft proofing action in Photoshop that will help you get the best results from your prints.
Just set up my Pixma Pro 100 and this action is going to be a lifesaver!! Thanks Sean!!
I’ve got a lot of your back catalogue to go through mate! I found this one super helpful & have made my own actions, funny thing is that I never thought doing this before, it is so useful! Thanks for the great advise! 😀👍
Hi Carlitos - I print my own images and I also use different print labs. Online printers who I have had success with include BayPhoto, MPix, Aspen Creek Photo and SmugMug. Many of these sites will make printing adjustments for you, so make sure to find out if they suggest soft proofing on your own or if they apply adjustments on their end. If they suggest that you do the soft proofing then you will need to down load their paper profile to use in your soft proofing action.
this helped me a lot, thanks!!!!
Thanks so much mate, it's really helpful knowing about the ICC profiles. Thank you.
Hi Sean, that's an unbelievably helpful video which I have been referring to for some time, but am only now capable of following through properly... it is quite a handful!
In my case, I develop in the ProPhoto color space with corresponding color settings, but my photo lab only prints from the sRGB color space so I would need to add two steps to the action: i/ change the color settings to sRGB, ii/ convert my image to sRGB in order for the soft proof to be as close as possible to what the lab will print.
Do you think that these steps can and should be included in the action and whether at the beginning of the action or at the end? Any advice on this/ suggestion would be immensely appreciated. Thanks!
Sorry for the slow reply. I don't always check RUclips comments on the regular. Sending help questions to me through my website will always get a faster response. My first suggestion would be to find a lab that supports at least Adobe RGB (1998), or ProPhoto even better. If not, then I would suggest converting the the proof copy at the end. If you are using the lab's ICC profile when proofing the print simulation should already be showing you how the lab will print, including the smaller sRGB color space. Once you have the proof done, convert to sRGB before uploading to the lab so the embedded color space is what they are expecting.
Thanks for your response, Sean. Oh I wouldn't want to be a nuisance, so am happy to wait for your answer. I can't really switch labs (whitewall) at this point, having worked with them for years and their producing outstanding print quality and excellent customer service, but I'll keep an eye out. I did not know that the icc profile simulated the smaller color space as well, so I set up the action to convert my soft proofing copy to sRGB. But I shall change it to follow your above advice exactly, thank you. @@SeanBagshaw
Sean,Thank you so much for this tutorial
I have a question how do you print it? as youy own or you use any website or something?
i need to print some of my pictures and i would like to know which website is the best.
Thank you again!
Awesome video! Thank you so much
I don't have any Canon(Pro Luster) ICC profiles under the Proof Setup menu. And I know I installed them, how do you add them to that list???? Please help!!!
Hi Chris. If they are installed they should show on the list. Mac or PC? I’m not good with Macs but on a PC you just double click the icc file and it auto installs.
Are you suing Smart Objects to be able to save the Optimization folder?
Hi Richard. I'm not sure I understand your question. I'm guessing "suing Smart Objects" is a typo?
Sean Bagshaw haha. Yeah. Sorry. 😀
Hi Sean, only just discovered your channel but wish I had found it before. I doubt you are still monitoring this video as it is a long time since you made it. I do have a question though, and that is why create a lighten fro print levels adjustment before you go into the soft proofing as this will have an effect on the final outcome?
Hi Peter! Welcome. I get notifications so I can be sure to answer questions even on older videos. I haven't watched this video in years. Even with a profiled monitor set to a low brightness and then soft-proofing, my prints often come out feeling just a smidge darker than I want, hence that slight lightening adjustment. Looking back at that video, I agree that adding the additional lightening would probably make more sense to do after soft-proofing (that's how it is done when printing from LR)...and I can't remember back then why I was doing it in that order. But in the end, the file gets a slight lightening boost either way. But it's minimal so I'm not sure how much when it is done makes a difference in the final print output. That would be an interesting test to do and see if it matters. My guess is it would not be noticeable.
Sean, I recently had to upgrade my system from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 (Had it done professionally) I had to re-create your soft proof action. However, whenever I open a new image to test the action I get an error message which says the document is not active or found. With the current versions of Photoshop CC does this action still work or do I need to tweak something. Thanks.
As far as I know, there isn't anything about the current version of PS CC that would cause this action not to work, but I haven't tested it myself. The action is very simple and just adds three adjustment layers. My advice would be to do a Google search for the exact error message and see what you can find out.