Chapter 29: Printing and Color Management 915 l Conversion Options: The Engine, Intent, Use Black Point Compensation, and Use Dither options were discussed earlier in this chapter. The Flatten Image to Preserve Appearance option is provided to overcome the problem of blending layers. The problem with blending layers is that converting the layers individually and then flattening results in a different pixel color than flattening first and then converting. This can be a tough choice if you are relying on using the layers later. FIGURE 29.7 Using the Edit ➪ Convert to Profile option, you can use the currently embedded color profile in an image to convert the image to another color profile and embed that color profile. Proofing images using color management In addition to embedding color profiles in images and setting the working color management set- tings, Photoshop provides quick proofing of images to see how they will appear in some of the common color profiles. This process is known as soft proofing. To set up the proofing color space, select View ➪ Proof Setup and then select the color space from the main menu. The selected color space is used when proofing. Selecting View ➪ Proof Setup ➪ Custom displays the Customize Proof Condition dialog box, shown in Figure 29.8, where you can set the following customized color proofing options: l Device to Simulate: This allows you to select the color or device profile to use when proofing the colors in the image. 41_584743-ch29.indd 91541_584743-ch29.indd 915 5/3/10 10:52 AM5/3/10 10:52 AM Part IX: Advanced Output Techniques 916 l Preserve RGB/CYMK Numbers: When this option is selected, the colors appear without being converted to the color space of the specified output device. l Rendering Intent: See the Color Settings section earlier in this chapter for a description. l Black Point Compensation: See the Black Point Compensation section earlier in this chapter for a description. l Simulate Paper Color: If you select a CYMK-based device profile, this option simulates the slightly off-white property of actual paper according to the settings in the color profile. l Simulate Black Ink: If you select a CYMK-based device profile, this option simulates the dark gray that the color profile specifies represents solid black. l Load/Save: The Load and Save buttons allow you to load and save the custom proof settings. FIGURE 29.8 Configuring custom proof condition allows you to proof images in some of the common color profiles. After you have set up the proofing profile, you can proof the current image by selecting View ➪ Proof Colors from the main menu. The setting specified in the Proof Settings menu is used to dis- play the image in the colors that match the output device. This is a great way to work in one color space but still see the results in another. A useful aspect of Photoshop’s proofing option is the ability to preview items using the Color Blindness options from the View ➪ Proof Settings menu. Many governments and other institutions now require common Web sites to use these profiles when displaying images. Even if you are not embedding one of these profiles in the image, you can use the proofing option to view what the image will look like if these profiles are used. 41_584743-ch29.indd 91641_584743-ch29.indd 916 5/3/10 10:52 AM5/3/10 10:52 AM Chapter 29: Printing and Color Management 917 Printing Images from Photoshop Printing Images from Photoshop can be as simple as pressing Ctrl/Ô+Alt/Option+Shift+P to print a single copy using the configured print settings. Photoshop also provides much more control over printing of images by pressing Ctrl/Ô+P to load the Print dialog box, shown in Figure 29.9. The Print dialog box allows you to set up printing options, implement color management, access the printer settings, and add additional output to the printed image. FIGURE 29.9 When printing in Photoshop using the Print dialog box, you can set print size and orientation and use color management to ensure that the colors printed match those you saw when editing the image. 41_584743-ch29.indd 91741_584743-ch29.indd 917 5/3/10 10:52 AM5/3/10 10:52 AM Part IX: Advanced Output Techniques 918 Configuring general printing options The Print dialog box has the following general printing options that allow you to control the orientation, size, and location of the printed image, as well as the printer settings: l Preview: The preview window displays the image and its general location on the printed sheet of paper. The size of the paper also is displayed above the preview. The size of the paper is controlled by the printer settings dialog box. l Printer: This allows you to select the printer from the list of installed system printers. This option also displays a notification that the printer needs calibration if it has not been calibrated already. You should calibrate the printer before printing from Photoshop so the output provides the best results. l Copies: This sets the number of copies to print. l Print Settings: This launches the settings dialog box for the print driver. The settings dialog box for the printer likely gives you even more control over things such as paper size, paper type, print quality, and so on. l Orientation: The orientation buttons allow you to switch between landscape and portrait layout when printing the image. l Position: Using the Center Image option centers the image in the printable area on the printer. If the Center Image option is not selected, the Top and Left fields specify the relative position of the top-left corner of the image to the top-left corner of the printable area of the paper. l Scaled Print Size: This option allows you to scale the size of the image so it fits on the printed area perfectly. The scale specifies the size percentage where 100% is the original size. The Height and Width specify the height and width of the printed image. Selecting the Scale to Fit Media option disables the Scale, Height, and Width options, and the image is sized automatically to the same size as the printable area. l Bounding Box: When this is selected, a black box is added around the edges of the image. l Units: This sets the units used for the Position and Scaled Print Size options. Using color management to print accurate colors The most important aspect of color management is the ability to keep the output colors consistent with the colors seen when editing the image. Therefore, printing with color management is an extremely important part of Photoshop. Two options are available to use color management when printing from Photoshop: Let Photoshop manage the colors, or let the printer manage the colors. Caution When you use Photoshop for color management, you need to disable color management in the printer driver. This varies from driver to driver, so you need to look in the printer manual to find out how to do this. Conversely, if you are using the printer to manage color profiles, you must enable color management in the printer driver. If either of these steps is ignored, the printer will print the wrong set of colors. n 41_584743-ch29.indd 91841_584743-ch29.indd 918 5/3/10 10:52 AM5/3/10 10:52 AM Chapter 29: Printing and Color Management 919 Using Photoshop to manage the colors means that Photoshop sends the color data to the printer already converted to the appropriate device color profile gamut. For accurate results, this requires a good ICC profile that defines the color space for the printer. Using the printer to manage colors means that Photoshop sends the printer the necessary color profile information for the current values in the image and the printer converts the image data to the appropriate gamut. To print an image using color management, make sure the color management settings have been configured properly and press Ctrl/Ô+P to load the Print dialog box (refer to Figure 29.9). Select Color Management in the upper-left corner, and configure the following options: l Document: This uses the embedded color profile in the document or the working color profile configured in the Color Settings if no profile is present. l Proof: If this option is selected instead of the Document option, Photoshop emulates output from a different device than the current printer. This is known as a hard proof. Hard proofs are useful to test the output on less expensive devices before sending the output to a high-quality printer. You need to set up proofing using View ➪ Proof Setup ➪ Custom to set up the device you want to emulate. l Color Handling: This allows you to select either Printer Manages Colors to use the printer for color management, Photoshop Manages Colors to use Photoshop for color management, or Color Separations (if the color model of the image is CYMK) to print a set of color separations or spot plates using the actual color values. l Printer Profile: This specifies the ICC color profile to use for the destination device. When you select the Photoshop Manages Colors option, this setting defines the color profile that Photoshop uses as the destination color profile when preparing the image to print. l Rendering Intent: This specifies how Photoshop converts colors from the document’s gamut to the printer’s gamut. When printing photos, you likely want to use Perceptual or Relative Colorimetric. See the conversion options section earlier in this chapter for more details on the available options. l Proof Setup: This allows you to select either the current working color profile or the custom profile defined by View ➪ Proof Setup ➪ Custom. l Simulate Paper Color: If you select a CYMK-based device profile, this option simulates the slightly off-white property of actual paper according to the settings in the color profile. l Simulate Black Ink: If you select a CYMK-based device profile, this option simulates the dark gray that the color profile specifies represents solid black. l Match Print Colors: This causes the print preview to show the colors as they will actually print. This is available only if Photoshop is used for color management. l Gamut Warning: When Match Print Colors is enabled, colors that are out of gamut in the image are highlighted in the preview option. This is extremely useful for determining the amount of color translation that must take place to print the image using the printer color profile. This is available only if Photoshop is used for color management and Match Print Colors is selected. 41_584743-ch29.indd 91941_584743-ch29.indd 919 5/3/10 10:52 AM5/3/10 10:52 AM Part IX: Advanced Output Techniques 920 l Show Paper White: This displays the paper portion of the print preview to the color of white specified by the printer color profile. This gives you the most real-life preview of the printed area because paper is really off-white and can change the color cast of the image. This is available only if Photoshop is used for color management. Adding crop marks and additional output to printed images Photoshop allows you to print additional information with your images, such as calibration bars, crop marks, and registration marks. To control the additional output options when printing the image, select the Output option in the upper-right corner of the Print dialog box shown in Figure 29.10 and then configure the following options: l Calibration Bars: This option adds an 11-step grayscale transition bar that can be used to determine the printer calibration. If you are printing color separations, a gradient tint bar is printed on the left and a color bar is printed on the right. l Registration Marks: This option adds registration marks on the corners of the image. Registration marks are usually used only to align color separations. l Corner Crop Marks: This option adds corner crop marks to the printed images so you can easily trim the printed document. l Center Crop Marks: This option adds center crop marks to the printed image to aid in trimming the edges from the paper. l Description: This option prints the description contained in the file. You can add a description by selecting File ➪ File Info from the main menu. l Labels: This option prints the filename above the image. When printing color separations, the separation name is printed as part of the label. l Emulsion Down: This option prints the image backward so text is readable when the emulsion is down—in other words, when the printed side of the paper is facing away from you. Typically, this is used only for printing images on film. l Negative: This option prints a color negative of the image, including all masks and background colors. This is a bit different that using Image ➪ Adjustments ➪ Invert to create a negative because it converts the output and not the onscreen image. l Interpolation: This option is used when printing low-res images. Interpolation reduces the jagged edges in the low-res image. l Print Vector Data: If you are printing an image with vector data, such as shapes or text, select this option to send the vector data to a PostScript printer rather than the raster data. This enables the printer to print much crisper images. l Background: This option allows you to specify the background color to be printed in the printable area outside of the image. For most images, the background color should be white or possibly black. l Border: This option launches a dialog box that allows you to set the size of a black border that is printed around the image. The default size is 0, which means no border. 41_584743-ch29.indd 92041_584743-ch29.indd 920 5/3/10 10:52 AM5/3/10 10:52 AM Chapter 29: Printing and Color Management 921 l Bleed: This option launches a dialog box that allows you to set the position of the crop marks in relation to the actual edge of the printed image. This has the effect of allowing space for ink to bleed into the paper without losing full quality around the edges. FIGURE 29.10 When printing in Photoshop, use the Print dialog to add crop marks, registration marks, calibration bars, and other additional output to the printed image. You also can control the output form of the image by printing negative, emulsion down, and vector data. Description Calibration bar Registration mark Labels Corner crop mark Center crop mark 41_584743-ch29.indd 92141_584743-ch29.indd 921 5/3/10 10:52 AM5/3/10 10:52 AM Part IX: Advanced Output Techniques 922 Summary This chapter discussed using color management to keep colors consistent in your images from device to device. Color is one of the most important aspects in digital images and one of the most difficult things to get right when transferring images between systems or printing them. Color management provides a means to keep colors consistent between devices by using profiles that define the color gamut in each device. These color profiles are then used to convert the color values in an image as it is transferred from device to device. In this chapter, you learned the following: l ICC color profiles define the color gamut of a device and can be used to accurately convert color data in images between devices. l Color profiles can be embedded in images when you save them in Photoshop. l Calibrating your monitor can ensure that the colors you see in Photoshop are consistent. l How to configure color management in Photoshop. l How to convert and image from one color profile to another without losing color consistency. l How to proof images for different devices in Photoshop. l Additional output such as crop marks and calibration bars can easily be added to images. l Sending vector data to the printer results in crisper print of vector shapes and text. l Using color management when printing images from Photoshop helps you ensure consistency of color in the printed image. 41_584743-ch29.indd 92241_584743-ch29.indd 922 5/3/10 10:52 AM5/3/10 10:52 AM . color management is an extremely important part of Photoshop. Two options are available to use color management when printing from Photoshop: Let Photoshop manage the colors, or let the printer. Management 917 Printing Images from Photoshop Printing Images from Photoshop can be as simple as pressing Ctrl/Ô+Alt/Option+Shift+P to print a single copy using the configured print settings. Photoshop also provides. images when you save them in Photoshop. l Calibrating your monitor can ensure that the colors you see in Photoshop are consistent. l How to configure color management in Photoshop. l How to convert