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Author Topic: Adjusting while Softproofing  (Read 3957 times)
acab
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« on: June 29, 2020, 02:51:22 AM »

Is it possible in QI ultimate to adjust an image while looking at the Softproofing screen? As in Lightroom?
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Fred A
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« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2020, 09:49:41 AM »

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Is it possible in QI ultimate to adjust an image while looking at the Softproofing screen? As in Lightroom?
Regards
In my opinion, the answer is No, as that tool, softproofing is very overrated. There is nothing that comes close in value to judge adjustment as a PRINT on the paper you use for a final.
Bear in mind that  softproofing is matching a printer profile with a monitor profile.   
Paper color is involved, and when you change paper and the attending profile, new ball game.
Even the gamut changes drastically when you change paper.
So in my opinion, making image adjustments based on a softproof peek is worthless.

If anyone feels opposite, feel free to explain and express your thoughts.

Fred
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Terry-M
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« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2020, 03:26:27 PM »

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o in my opinion, making image adjustments based on a softproof peek is worthless.
I agree.
The real answer is to have a good monitor that is calibrated properly and use good quality papers with good quality profiles. Most papers now are supplied with a reasonable profile for a variety of printers but a custom made profile for your particular printer/paper (and possibly ink if not original for printer) is the best option.
I would say pretty well all of my prints match my monitor screen very well for colour and contrast. You do have to recognize that for matte, including so called "fine art", papers that the colour intensity can be less than you would get for gloss or semi gloss.
Terry
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acab
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« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2020, 12:20:43 AM »

I find that using Softproofing in Lightroom gets me to the result I want in a faster way. My prints without Softproofing are usually too light. I have a new BenQ monitor and use Moab paper. I always use the correct profiles. I would have to make about five prints to get the right  brightness. By using Softproofing I normally get it very close on the first print. That's because in Lightroom you can adjust your image while looking at the Soft proof. So no, I don't believe it is a waste of time but quite the contrary. Not only does it save me time but also paper and ink. I really wish QImage had a similar feature.
It would be interesting to hear opinions from professional photographers that make their own prints.
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Terry-M
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« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2020, 06:22:51 AM »

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My prints without Softproofing are usually too light
Usually people ask why are my prints too dark - that's usually because their monitor is too bright.
It sounds as if your is too dark.
You didn't mention anything about monitor calibration? Most calibration software will allow your to set the brightness value (cd/sqm) before calibration. This will mean some checking and tweaking probably.
If not, the trick is to set the brightness of your monitor to a print before calibrating.
As I said, making trial prints is basically a no-no for me, right first time is the plan  Wink
Terry
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Fred A
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« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2020, 10:20:56 AM »

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If not, the trick is to set the brightness of your monitor to a print before calibrating.
As I said, making trial prints is basically a no-no for me, right first time is the plan  Wink
Terry
Terry is spot on. Monitors out of the box are too bright. The taming of the brightness should come first and then color calibration.
Assuming the paper profile is en excellent profile; that is one made for your paper choice and printer and ink, a print made from that is your test of your monitor.
I like to take a test image (download many free) and make my print. Let it dry, and then in a decent light source, compare the screen and adjust the screen to the  print.
Paper and ink are the costly parts of printing. Get it right the first time.
Fred
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admin
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« Reply #6 on: June 30, 2020, 09:12:02 PM »

If your prints come out too light or too dark, you have not dialed in the brightness of your monitor as Terry and Fred have pointed out.  Plus, if that's the case, your soft proofing won't be accurate anyway due to the discrepancy in monitor brightness.  It's kind of like putting a bandaid on internal bleeding.  If you get your monitor dialed in so you are not getting light prints to begin with, you won't have to keep bandaiding things with the soft proof editing and you should be able to eliminate that step.

Both your monitor and your printer have limitations as far as contrast and color gamut.  If your monitor is set to the proper brightness and has an accurate color profile, it is best to edit without soft proofing.  Then soft proofing can be a tool for you to discover why, in some rare cases, there may be a color mismatch (usually due to out of gamut colors).  When you edit without soft proofing, you are adjusting your image to the best ability of your monitor to reproduce that image.  Your monitor may not be able to cover the entire color gamut of the image but the times when certain shades are so far out of gamut as to cause a problem, those can often be fixed by changing to perceptual intent without having to re-edit.

Editing via the soft proof can cause more problems than normal editing because now you can be fooled by trying to MIX the gamut of your printer with that of your monitor.  In a soft proof, the image is first rendered to your printer profile and then those colors are "emulated" on the monitor (the monitor's profile).  What can happen during that last step is that your monitor may not be able to reproduce some colors that your printer can and as a result, you won't get a correct depiction of the actual printed colors on the monitor, prompting you to unnecessarily edit those colors which will still not look right on the printer or at least may not be using the full capabilities of the printer by the time you are done "dumbing them down" because your monitor can't display them.  It is important to have a good monitor profile and brightness so you won't have to edit with the limitations of your monitor added on top of those from your printer; it really doesn't make sense.  Then soft proofing can be reserved for troubleshooting if/when you see certain bright colors missing detail or the wrong shade.

Bottom line: fix the problem with your monitor so you won't have to deal with those issues.

Mike
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