{"id":275,"date":"2020-09-23T13:20:23","date_gmt":"2020-09-23T12:20:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theprintspace.co.uk\/help\/?post_type=ht_kb&#038;p=275"},"modified":"2025-09-18T11:38:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T10:38:25","slug":"how-to-soft-proof-your-print-using-adobe-photoshop","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/www.theprintspace.co.uk\/help\/knowledge-base\/how-to-soft-proof-your-print-using-adobe-photoshop\/","title":{"rendered":"How to soft proof your print using Adobe Photoshop"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>How to soft proof your print using our ICC print profiles in Adobe Photoshop.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What does soft proofing mean?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On screen, soft-proofing means previewing how your image will look when printed on a specific printer and paper type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Download our ICC print profiles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Print previewing or soft proofing uses print profiles, which can be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theprintspace.co.uk\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Profiles-May-23.zip\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">downloaded here<\/a>, and can be installed into Adobe Photoshop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a different profile for each printer and paper combination we offer at theprintspace. Our ICC paper profiles are bespoke, tailored by our production specialists, to match our state of the art machinery and professional diverse range of archival papers stocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>What is Soft Proofing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Soft proofing uses ICC profiles, which describe the colour behaviour of each printer and paper combination. Most digital images are stored in RGB colour spaces such as sRGB or Adobe RGB (1998). Soft proofing converts your image from RGB into the chosen print profile, showing how your colours will translate on the various paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Why Soft Proofing is Needed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every colour visible on a screen can be reproduced in print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The colour range a device can display or print is called its gamut.<br><\/li><li>Screens usually have a larger gamut than printers, so some colours must be adjusted or clipped when printing.<br><\/li><li>Photoshop handles this by replacing unprintable colours with the closest available alternatives.<br><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This process gives you a realistic preview, so that you can make informed editing decisions before printing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Installing theprintspace Profiles<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>On Mac<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Download the profiles from theprintspace. (see link here)<br><\/li><li>In Finder, click Go in the menu bar.<br><\/li><li>Hold down Alt\/Option and select Utilities.<br><\/li><li>Navigate to: Utilities \u2192 ColorSync \u2192 Profiles.<br><\/li><li>Copy the downloaded profiles into this folder.<br><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>On Windows<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Download the profiles.<br><\/li><li>Copy them into: Windows \u2192 System32 \u2192 Spool \u2192 Drivers \u2192 Color \u2192 Profiles.<br><\/li><li>Full step-by-step instructions are also on the print profiles help page.<br><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Setting Up Soft Proofing in Photoshop<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Open your image in Photoshop.<br><\/li><li>Go to <strong>View \u2192 Proof Setup \u2192 Custom<\/strong>.<br><\/li><li>The <strong>Customise Proof Condition<\/strong> window will open.<br><\/li><li>Under <strong>Device to Simulate<\/strong>, choose the profile for the printer and paper you want to use (for example, theprintspace C-type Gloss).<br><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Choosing Rendering Intent<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rendering intent controls how Photoshop deals with colours that cannot be printed. The two recommended options are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Perceptual<\/strong> \u2013 Retains overall appearance and shadow detail, though some tones may shift.<br><\/li><li><strong>Relative Colourimetric<\/strong> \u2013 Keeps exact tones where possible, but very dark detail may be lost.<br><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Tip: Try both and toggle between them to see which produces the most natural result for your image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong> Additional Settings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Tick <strong>Black Point Compensation<\/strong>.<br><\/li><li>Leave <strong>Simulate Paper Color<\/strong> and <strong>Simulate Black Ink<\/strong> unchecked.<br><\/li><li>Tick <strong>Preview<\/strong> to see the soft proof live.<br><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Tip: Toggle the <strong>Preview<\/strong> box on and off to compare the proofed image with your original. This makes it easier to spot where adjustments are needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Converting and Saving for Print<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you are happy with the soft proof:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Go to <strong>Edit \u2192 Convert to Profile<\/strong>.<br><\/li><li>Choose the same profile you used for soft proofing.<br><\/li><li>Click <strong>OK<\/strong>.<br><\/li><li>Save your file with a new name so you do not overwrite your master.<br><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>For example:<br>myimage_CtypeGloss.tif<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Important: Converting to a print profile is a one-way process. Always keep your original master file safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By following these steps, you will have a file that is correctly prepared for printing with theprintspace\u2019s printers and papers. Taking the time to soft proof means your final print will look as close as possible to your creative vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Tip: Regularly update our ICC paper profiles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We highly recommend customers regularly update and reinstall our ICC paper profiles. Don&#8217;t worry, when we update our profiles we&#8217;ll let you know via email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Need some further advice with soft-proofing or monitor calibration?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theprintspace.co.uk\/contact-theprintspace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Get in touch<\/a> with our friendly support team who are on hand ready to assist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A step-by-step guide to soft proofing using our ICC print profiles in Adobe Photoshop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"ht-kb-category":[248,26],"ht-kb-tag":[225,66,73,224,223,222,68,227,228,74,226],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to soft proof prints using Photoshop | theprintspace help centre<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"View our step by step video guide on how to soft proof your prints using our ICC print profiles in Adobe Photoshop. 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