Soft Proofing Does Not Matter

Soft proofing does not matter if you are printing your work to a professional lab. It is very true. Soft proofing is irrelevant. "Why then do so many labs make their profile available for download right from their website or from drycreekphoto.com? Are they all stupid?"

Well, no they are not stupid. Just misinformed. Publications and websites all make such a big deal out of the ability to do it in the digital age. The talk always centers around "your prints matching your screen". It simply isn't true. If your house isn't properly in order soft proofing is nothing more than a simple guess about what you will get from the lab. There are many more considerations to take into account than whether or not you have your lab's profile.

Here are 5 reasons why soft proofing doesn't matter.

1. In-studio monitor quality is usually not (mine fall in to this category) up to snuff. That $200 flat panel isn't the best choice for color correcting images.
2. In-studio monitors are rarely calibrated and profiled. If they are done, normally it isn't on a regular schedule.
3. In-studio monitor calibration & profiling are only as accurate as the hardware can make them. If you buy the best calibration package on the market it can still only calibrate your system within the limits of your monitor and video card.
4. A great number of photographers use a visual, or software calibration method. Adobe Gamma or similar visual method is only as accurate as the eye of the person doing the calibration. You will not achieve a good calibration visually.
5. Good labs profile their machines like clockwork. Do you even have their latest profile? Even if you do, don't waste your time. Do your part, let them do their part and the results will be there in the end.

I limited this list to 5 because I don't want to stray too far off the point. Soft proofing is not something that you should concern yourself with if you are using a lab that maintains their business in the same manner that you should be maintaining yours. If your lab doesn't have a clue about proper calibration and color maintenance you should find someone that does.

So what can you do? You do have one of those $200 LCD monitors but you want some assurance that what you see is at least in the neighborhood of what you get. After all, print as is prices are always the lowest. A match to your screen is a dream. So really, what can you do?

Here are 5 more points that will help you get the job done.

1. Buy a good hardware calibration device. The EyeOne Display and SpyderPro are both excellent devices that will bring most any monitor into a range of acceptable use. Both are in the $250 range and are widely available at the retailer of your choice.
2. Use it. Develop a schedule so that you are profiling and calibrating once a month. LCD panels will certainly remain more consistent over time than a CRT, but you do no harm by recalibrating and profiling the monitor on a set schedule. Monitors change so gradually, and your eyes adjust to the change so quickly that it is difficult to realize that you are out into the tall grass by simply looking.
3. Only view your images on screen in a room that is dimly lit. Bright overhead or desk lights will not only change the way that you see brightness but also color. Also, when comparing prints to your screen only view the print under proper lighting. You can now buys regular daylight lamps from both Osram and GE that produce light at close to 6500K.
4. If you are buying an LCD, concern yourself with the panels ability to set color temperature and contrast ratio. If your monitor can be pre-set to 6500K you will achieve a better end result. Contrast ratios of 300:1 are good for email, not images. Look for a 500:1 ratio or better, though depending on the quality of the screen in the monitor this target can vary. There are many different types of screens that can be used in LCD's and this is what determines the quality for imaging, but you can certainly make a selection in the $200-300 range.
5. Verify with your lab that they are tending to their own responsibilities. Do they calibrate their printers on a daily schedule? Do they profile regularly? Are they color correcting on a system designed for the task or would your hardware be a step up for them? In short, are they holding up their end of the bargain?

If you are doing your part on your end, and your lab is doing it's part soft proofing is irrelevant. Even on a low end monitor, you can achieve a level of control that will deliver dependable, repeatable results that will fall in to a range of acceptability that you can accept. Is it possible to match your screen image with output? Yeah, it can be done.

Our two color correction workstations here are so close that I can't visually see the difference myself. They are identical systems that have video cards and monitors with individual color guns that can be tweaked and calibrated. The monitors are Barco monitors that are made for the job and both are dead on. The cost? about $8,000 each. As they reach the end of their useful life (which is a lot sooner than my boss thinks) we will replace them with the Eizo CG211 or the current model when we are ready. Again, something made for the task. Cost you ask? About $5,000. Deadly accurate though. Probably more accurate than what I have now, which was the best made only a few short years ago.

In the rest of the lab we use LCD panels that all cost somewhere between $300 and $500. Why? Because we aren't color correcting on any other workstation but the two designed for the job. All of our LCD's are somewhat close to accurate, but as is common with LCDs the image is brighter with higher contrast on screen. On these machines we assemble orders and do the routine things, but we only color correct where it counts.

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