For QI to properly deal with the print file, does the printer profile need to be embedded (or tagged) in the file?
No. the actual image profile should be embedded, sRGB, Adobe RGB etc.
QI identifies the input color space as sRGB, is this OK?
That is the default if there is no embedded profile or no exif tag. Embedded is the sure way to communicate an image colour space to a colour management aware application like Qimage.
Doesn't it have to be informed in some way that the image was tweaked according to the printer profile?
No. That is what a colour management aware program does; you need, as well as the image having an embedded profile, the printer profile set up in Qimage, and the monitor profile of course.
You do this in Edit preferences of click the blue dot next the appropriate ICC line, bottom right of the main screen. Basically, it's the set-up you would use for printing.
I duplicate the original image to create the 'Copy for Print', and arrange the original and the copy in side-by-side windows on the screen, so that I can better compare the two.
An involved procedure
In Qimage, hover the mouse over the thumbnail, key CTRL-Space bar together and yo get a softproofed view. Hit the space bar repeatedly and it switches between softproofed and normal view for easy comparison.
Just a comment on softproofing, it relies on accurate monitor and printer profiles, there is 2 lots of conversion going on. You can't beat doing a print, that eliminates the monitor profile and is the "real thing"; Qimage does have a test strip feature too
Terry.