ICC Profiles with Photoshop Elements 9??

[allthingsapple]

Hi all,

I have just set up my new Epson R2880 printer (drool). I am still quite new to all of this, so I'm unsure about all of the stuff like calibrating monitors, using ICC profiles, etc etc. Okay, I'll come clean...I have NO idea what this stuff means, and will undoubtedly be asking lots more questions.

But for now, my first issue is this: While setting up things, I was given an option to download the latest ICC profiles from Epson. I looked around, and it had available downloads for ALL the various types of papers, but also said something about ICC profiles being supported by Photoshop. I am using Photoshop ELEMENTS (version 9).........

My questions are:
1. Should I still download, given that I'm using Elements?
2. Should I download for all papers (eventually I'd like to experiment with different papers, but for now I just have a few), or download only the profiles for the few papers I have?

Thanks for any help..........

 

[KmH]

I don't believe soft-proofing can be done using PsE 9, but PsE 7 is the most recent I have and for sure PsE 7 can't be used to soft-proof.

I do soft-proofing with CS 5.

 

[SlickSalmon]

I'm probably going to make matter worse by responding, but I've had similar questions with uncertain answers.

I have PE9 and an Epson 3880. I installed the driver as specified, PE9 recognized everything, and all was well. Then I got the big idea to try Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper. This paper is not on the list of those defined by the 3880 default driver, so I went to the Epson website and downloaded the ICC profile for this paper. There was no installer (as promised by one book I read), so I didn't know what to do with the profile. I contacted Epson, and the rep said that only Epson can add a particular paper to their menus. So what's with the profile? I'm guessing that it's a monitor profile. If installed in the Apple System Library/Color Sync/Profiles folder, it will allow your monitor to display in a manner consistent with a particular paper. So, I'm left to conclude that with Elements 9, you download the most contemporary driver for your printer and hope for the best. If the paper you want to use is listed, great. If not, I'm not sure what you do.

I would be delighted if someone chimed in and told me that I've got this all wrong. Because, printers and color calibration drive me crazy:madmad:

 

[allthingsapple]

Well, Salmon, I agree about the crazy part of trying to learn about calibration and printing......but you are much farther along than me. I have yet to even know what else to do outside of editing my photo in PSE9 and then hitting print. As of now, I HOPE that the color on the final print matches the color on the monitor, but if it doesn't, I would have little idea what to do at this point. It all seems a bit overwhelming.........but with due time hopefully I will keep learning. In the meantime, if anyone else knows of a good INTRO to all of this, any info would be great! Thanks------

 

[KmH]

Here is a tutorial that may help: Soft Proofing: Matching On-Screen Photos with Prints

Any printer and paper can be profiled using a spectrophotometer:

ColorMunki Photo - Monitor, Printer & Projector Profiler

 

[ghache]

I did profile my monitor using the colormunki this weekend and it works really nicely. seems to be really acurate.

I did print some test shots using my print lab printer profile for softproofing and they came out perfect. thanks colormunki thanks.

 

[allthingsapple]

Hmmm...maybe this is what I need to invest in next, although with a very nice iMac, brand new Canon, and brand new Epson 2880, I was really hoping that I could take a breather for awhile. Last night I printed a few photos and it did indeed seem like the colors of the print were more subdued/dark/washed out than what I was seeing on my monitor. This has happened in the past and I just assumed that I was shooting (no pun intended) for the impossible: to have my printed photo look just like the photo on my monitor. However, maybe this really is possible....I just have to spend more money to get there. Thanks for the information...........much appreciated.

 

[KmH]

...to have my printed photo look just like the photo on my monitor.

That can't happen.

A computer display is back lit and we see it because of projected light, a print is fore lit and we see it by reflected light that is usually a somewhat different color temperature than the backlit display.

Even soft-proofing only provides an approximation, and to get the approximation close, you have to construct an area for print viewing having the correct lighting.