Softproofing



As a rule, always softproof an image to determine a rendering intent and make printer/substrate specific adjustments to a image file before printing it.

You can get Photoshop to display an image the way it will appear when it’s printed, before you print it, by softproofing an image. If you softproof before you print, you’ll get your best first proof or maybe even a finished print.  Not to be confused with a hard proof or physically printed piece, a softproof uses an ICC profile to create an onscreen simulation of an image as it will appear when printed.
Wait. Haven’t you already done this by calibrating and characterizing your monitor with a colorimeter, choosing an editing space along with color management policies in Photoshop, and specifying the right profile for a printer/paper combination with your printer driver? Almost. Doing these things ensures that all of the different color behaviors of the devices you’re using are accurately described and that color conversions are handled precisely, but it doesn’t ensure that you will see exactly how an image will look when printed. Without softproofing, you see how an image looks on a monitor. To see an image on a monitor with the appearance of how it will look when printed, before you print it, you need to take the final step of softproofing the image. This simulation won’t change your file, just it’s appearance. Once softproofed, if you choose to, you can make output specific adjustments to your file before printing to get a better first print. Read More

Free Presentation at MIT – 10/12/11


I’ll be making a presentation which is free and open to the public  – sponsored by Canon.
Wednesday, October 12 at 6 pm at MIT (Boston) in building 7 room 431.
The presentation will be a series of several short lectures.
A Call To Connection a 5 minute overview of my work to date
Antarctica – a 15 minute overview of my first editorial project
Illuminating Creativity – a 20 minute overview of creative process highlighted in my TEDx talk
21st Century Photography – a 30 minute overview of how new technology expands photographic practices
Find directions here; type in building 7.
Join me for an exciting evening!