Blurb, Lightroom, Soft-Proofing Ideas?

[JNB_Rare]

My usual printing workflow:
a) I use LR to soft proof, using the paper ICC profile, and "simulate paper and ink" turned on (Epson pigment printer)
b) I use a monitor setting that is 100 cm/m² when proofing
c) I adjust my image to suit the paper. More often than not, I'm looking and brightness/contrast/curves/saturation more than out-of-gamut colour, or absolute colour fidelity.
d) I have been pretty happy with my print results

Some things I already know about Blurb:

a) the Blurb ICC profile (CMYK) can't be used in Lightroom. It CAN be used in Photoshop, but I'd like to avoid going to PS for soft-proofing.
b) The Blurb ICC isn't paper specific, and they suggest NOT using paper simulation while soft-proofing within PS. (How useful can that be anyhow?)
c) No matter what, I can't expect Blurb to look exactly like my Epson prints.

However. I'd really like to get an idea of brightness, contrast and saturation in advance, so I can make small adjustments before sending to Blurb. What I'm wondering, is this – has anyone discovered an ICC printer/paper profile that can be used in LR for soft-proofing, that gives pretty good Blurb results (with a particular paper)? To think about it another way -- if I soft-proofed in LR using the R3000 Epson Premium Luster ICC then ordered a Blurb book on their premium lustre paper, am I going to say "GAAAAHHH!" in horror when I get the book?

Other ideas, workflows, or photobook printer recommendations welcome (I'm in Canada).

[Mark D Segal]

Go first to Photoshop, select a representative photo and softproof it with the Blurb profile. Re-open the same photo in another tab in Photoshop and select the LR-compatible RGB profile for a paper that best resembles the look imparted by the Blurb profile (in all cases make sure Simulate Paper White and BPC are ON in the softproof conditions). After shuffling through a few such profiles you should find one that is close enough. Then go back to LR and use that profile for your adjustments under softproof.

[JNB_Rare]

Go first to Photoshop, select a representative photo and softproof it with the Blurb profile. Re-open the same photo in another tab in Photoshop and select the LR-compatible RGB profile for a paper that best resembles the look imparted by the Blurb profile (in all cases make sure Simulate Paper White and BPC are ON in the softproof conditions). After shuffling through a few such profiles you should find one that is close enough. Then go back to LR and use that profile for your adjustments under softproof.

Doh! Why didn't I think of that? Sounds like something that would work for what I'm after. Thank-you.

[Mark D Segal]

You are welcome. I corrected a typo in my quote (both places); that is why you see an edit from me.

[JNB_Rare]

Well, one could try hundreds of different ICC profiles to see how well they match the Blurb-provided CMYK profile when soft-proofing in PS. If anyone's interested, however, among the few ICC profiles that I have acquired for my Epson R3000, the closest seems to be a Cone Color profile for R3000 and Epson Premium Lustre. I don't even know why I have this profile on my computer – I've never used Cone inks, and I don't remember downloading it.

If anything, the soft-proof from the Blurb ICC looks a smidgen richer (more contrasty and deeper black) than the Cone/R3000/PremiumLustre ICC soft-proof. But both would need a subtle "boost" to match what I normally adjust to for R3000/EPL, using Epson's ICC.

Of course, the big question is still "What paper is that Blurb ICC profile for?". I read somewhere that Blurb technical support said that they "adjust" depending on the paper chosen.

I suppose the best course of action is to order a small sample book to see. I'm hoping that I can get a Lightroom workflow that's reasonably efficient in the end.

[deanwork]

I would email Blurb and ask them to send you the cmyk profile They use for soft proofing. I would certainly soft proof in Photoshop with a cmyk icc that gives you approx ink limits , contrast , and saturation, and color accuracy that you are dealing with. If. You really care about accuracy get out of Lightroom if you can't see in cmyk. I didn't know LR didn't support cmyk. That just seems bizarre to me in this age of self publishing. Really?


quote author=JNB_Rare link=topic=118959.msg988178#msg988178 date=1500383020]
Well, one could try hundreds of different ICC profiles to see how well they match the Blurb-provided CMYK profile when soft-proofing in PS. If anyone's interested, however, among the few ICC profiles that I have acquired for my Epson R3000, the closest seems to be a Cone Color profile for R3000 and Epson Premium Lustre. I don't even know why I have this profile on my computer – I've never used Cone inks, and I don't remember downloading it.

If anything, the soft-proof from the Blurb ICC looks a smidgen richer (more contrasty and deeper black) than the Cone/R3000/PremiumLustre ICC soft-proof. But both would need a subtle "boost" to match what I normally adjust to for R3000/EPL, using Epson's ICC.

Of course, the big question is still "What paper is that Blurb ICC profile for?". I read somewhere that Blurb technical support said that they "adjust" depending on the paper chosen.

I suppose the best course of action is to order a small sample book to see. I'm hoping that I can get a Lightroom workflow that's reasonably efficient in the end.
[/quote]