# Getting started with softproofing



## carstengaard (Dec 20, 2012)

Been using LR4 for about a year now but only produced for screen.
Now want to do som printing an would like to take advantage of the soft proofing module.
Many a forum/tutorial tells how the module works - and in any so many of these tutorials are shown how to choose the right profile.

So here is my problem

There is no printer profiles in my LR. OK - after googl'ing for a while I seem to have found out that I must ad the color profile myself.

Still - allthough I find I'm fairly capable with the PC - I'm still not quite getting this and I havn't really found any tutorials showing how to get started.

I have a HP colorlaser (provided by my work - wasn't my choise) and I have tried to google the ICC profile for the printer - no luck.

Any one know a good tutorial - or any good advises on how to get started with this feature. Basically - all the steps before pressing the "soft proof" for the first time.

Look forward to hearing from you - and thanks for a great forum on the even greater LR software 

Best
C


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## Tony Jay (Dec 21, 2012)

Welcome to the forum Carsten!

With regard to softproofing the best overall tutorial that I am aware of (others will no doubt have their suggestions too) is to be found on the Luminous Landscape website and is titled "Camera to Print and Screen". Although this tutuorial was produced before LR4 the principles are timeless. 
The LR4 tutorial from the same website covers softproofing specifically in LR4 as part of its brief.

Some broader information for you: ICC profiles are not just for the printer only. An ICC profile is a profile for a specific printer and paper combination. So depending on the printer there may be hundreds or perhaps even thousands of ICC profiles for that printer. So it is unlikely that there is only one  profile for your printer. Most printer manufacturers also produce their own papers (brand at least) and the printer driver will incorporate the ICC profiles for their own paper brands (if they exist). Independent paper manufacturers make available ICC profiles appropriate for various printers.
So in your search for profiles they are brand and model specific.
I dont know a lot about these HP laserjets or even if they are designed photographic quality printing (If there really are no appropriate ICC profiles for your printer then this may be a subtle hint.)

Let us know how you go.

Tony Jay


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## Brad Snyder (Dec 21, 2012)

I expect the problem is with the HP. I have a low-end HP inkjet designed specifically for photo printing, and there are no profiles available for it. So no problem, I have a Color Munki, I'll just roll my own print profile. Ooops, no way to shut off auto-color management within the printer. Period. Hence, having Lr manage color just double profiles and I get horrible prints. If I just let the printer manage color, I get halfway acceptable prints with a (not so subtle) bluish cast.

It's possible you may not be able to accomplish what you want with that particular HP printer.

Oh, and welcome to the forums!


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## carstengaard (Dec 22, 2012)

@brad and Tony

Thank you very much for your replies.

I "feared" the problem might be as you have described. The softproofing may be difficult to use with low-end printer and printers not specifically designed for photo printing.


I get reasonable prints by letting the printer do the color handling. Suppose I'll have to live with that for now.

Will follow your links for tutorials - thanks for the recomendations.


Meanwhile - I have an other printing issue. Maybe I should start an other thread? 
When I print through lightroom - the images are off-centered allthough in lightroom printing module they are perfectly centered. This is a problem with more printers than just my own.

Any ides?

An thank you both for the warm velcome.

Best
Carsten


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## carstengaard (Dec 22, 2012)

Fixed the off-center problem. Non-matching paper-size setup in page setup and print setup.

Thanks again

Best
Carsten


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