Exporting soft-proofed file? Sanity check . . .

[Rand47]

Let me begin by saying that up to now I've printed all my own work in my own digital darkroom.  I soft-proof in LR5.2 with good success for the papers and printers I use.

I am now venturing into having some images printed on glossy aluminum with a paper-white background.  The shop that does this is local to me, and I've talked with them about their process.  They request and utilize tiff files, aRGB, at the dimension/ppi that I want for the finished print.
I did a test with them just sending an exported optimized (not soft-proofed) aRGB file and had a "reasonable" my-print-to-their-print match.

I now have been given their ICC profile for their printer/process/material.  They create them themselves using X-Rite profiling hardware/software.

So, here's my question.   Can I, should I, soft proof using their profile and then export that virtual copy soft proof as aRGB to give them to use to print my prints?  It seems logical to me, but I could have my head where the sun isn't, without knowing it.  I would at least like to do a test print this way.  Is there something I'm missing?  For what it is worth, I have direct contact with the fellow who will actually be making the print on aluminum.

Thanks for any insight / expertise the cognoscenti here might provide.

Rand

[digitaldog]

So, here's my question.   Can I, should I, soft proof using their profile and then export that virtual copy soft proof as aRGB to give them to use to print my prints?  It seems logical to me, but I could have my head where the sun isn't, without knowing it. 

You can but it's a kludge of a workflow IF you must send them sRGB and can't use the profile for soft proofing AND conversion. Ideally you pick and use a rendering intent with or without Black Point Compensation and that affects the soft proof of course. Ideally you could edit based on that selection of a rendering intent in the soft proof and know that's what you'll get. Send them sRGB, not so much.

[Rand47]

Andrew,

Thanks...

The good news is that they request Adobe RGB, which I inappropriately call aRGB in my post above.

I'll give it a shot exporting the soft-proofed file as a tiff in Adobe RGB, and then make sure they know the rendering intent used.

Appreciate the help.

Rand

[digitaldog]

The good news is that they request Adobe RGB, which I inappropriately call aRGB in my post above.

The news isn't any better in terms of a half baked color management process (in terms of soft proofing). You want to fully use their output profile, they appear unwilling to let you.

[Rand47]

Andrew,

I must not have been very clear in my original post, sorry.  I "do" have the ICC profile for their material, and that's what I intend to use to soft proof.

Rand

[digitaldog]

I must not have been very clear in my original post, sorry.  I "do" have the ICC profile for their material, and that's what I intend to use to soft proof.

And after you soft proof, you send them what? Adobe RGB OR you can use their profile to convert? You need to control the conversion. You need to know the profile sent is used, those output values are sent to the output device.

[Rand47]

Andrew,

Roger that.  An Adobe RGB tiff, soft proofed with their ICC, which they will use (without additional soft proofing by them) when they print my file on their machine/material - for which this ICC profile has been created.  Since I have direct access to the person doing the work, I can be assured this is the work flow on their end.

Should work, yes?

Rand

[digitaldog]

Why can you not just use the profile and convert to the output color space? Do you know the profile supplied to you is used for the actual conversion? And will they honor the rendering intent and CMM you used for soft proofing when converting? IOW, why do you have to send Adobe RGB (1998)?

[Rand47]

Why can you not just use the profile and convert to the output color space? Do you know the profile supplied to you is used for the actual conversion? And will they honor the rendering intent and CMM you used for soft proofing when converting? IOW, why do you have to send Adobe RGB (1998)?

Andrew, appreciate your patience with me.

I can see from this last post of yours that I have my wires crossed.  When I export the tiff, I can (should) just use/assign the ICC profile they gave me on export?  And this after soft proofing using that same profile?
I apologize for my abysmal ignorance.  I'm "OK" with these things when I'm working within my own start to finish process with my own printers, but apparently out of my depth here.  If I'm still screwed up, just let me know and I'll quit bothering you and "go back to school."

Rand

[digitaldog]

When I export the tiff, I can (should) just use/assign the ICC profile they gave me on export?  And this after soft proofing using that same profile?

Yes.

[Rand47]

Thanks so much . . .   The light is dawning, thanks to you!

Rand