Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Profile conversion path - Lightroom to print  (Read 718 times)

alecdann

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Profile conversion path - Lightroom to print
« on: November 06, 2018, 05:25:58 pm »

When an image is sent to through the print profile to the printer, what exactly is getting sent?  Does the image (converted RAW + adjustments) reside in Lightroom memory or does Lightroom pull data from RAW file on disk on disk in some way.

I'm trying to outline a process flow for students I'm teaching color management and have realized that most of the illustrations I've seen are a bit simplistic.

I want to be able to answer the question: What is it that the print profile is getting applied to?
Logged

Denis de Gannes

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 319
Re: Profile conversion path - Lightroom to print
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2018, 06:23:26 pm »

You can use Lightroom to print directly from a raw file to a printer connected to your computer. Lightroom will be working with a variant of ProPhoto RGB which is a colour working space. After carrying out your work in the develop module you can move to the print module to send the file to the printer.
In the print module you have the choice to select if the Printer Driver will manage the colour management of the print process, or if Lightroom will manage the colour process. If you choose the Printer manage method and you select the correct image media which is supported by your printer e.g if you are using a Canon Printer and the Paper is a Canon Paper supported by your printer then you are good to go.
If you are using print paper that is not Canon paper you will have to allow Lightroom to manage the colour management in this case you will have to insure that you have a colour profile to match the paper you are printing to. In this scenario you will have to insure you deselect any management in the printer driver. There is proof reading available so you can view on your monitor how the print will look.
There are lots of info and tutorials on line to assist. Best to explore and do your tests before carrying tutorials.

I do not use ACR which is the plugin used by Adobe Photoshop and therefore not sure you can do the printing direct from ACR or if Photoshop actually does the printing.

PS. You are in good hands with Andrew R
« Last Edit: November 06, 2018, 06:42:41 pm by Denis de Gannes »
Logged
Equip: iMac (Ret. 5K,27"Mid 2015),macOS 10.15.6

digitaldog

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20630
  • Andrew Rodney
    • http://www.digitaldog.net/
Re: Profile conversion path - Lightroom to print
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2018, 06:37:51 pm »

When an image is sent to through the print profile to the printer, what exactly is getting sent?  Does the image (converted RAW + adjustments) reside in Lightroom memory or does Lightroom pull data from RAW file on disk on disk in some way.

I'm trying to outline a process flow for students I'm teaching color management and have realized that most of the illustrations I've seen are a bit simplistic.

I want to be able to answer the question: What is it that the print profile is getting applied to?
High bit, linear (TRC 1.0) ProPhoto RGB primaries (thus color gamut) to whatever color space the user requests.
Logged
http://www.digitaldog.net/
Author "Color Management for Photographers".

alecdann

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: Profile conversion path - Lightroom to print
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2018, 04:58:03 pm »

@digitaldog: I think you answered my question in my my post on Image conversion path yesterday [quote/] Not sure if this helps or not but this is what I was told by Adobe and was posted awhile back on the ColorSync list so it's not a secret  ;) ...
"ACR/LR does perform internal color transforms as needed to carry out its various image processing routines (e.g., noise reduction, vibrance, etc.). However, this is all done internally and has no real connection to the user-specified color space of the rendered output file (e.g., sRGB, Adobe RGB, etc.)." There may be some 'kind' of PCS used as there has to be some translation above, but it isn't Lab. [/quote] 

I think I've been trying to force the capture to print process into too simplistic a model.  For Lightroom and ACR users, the conversions that happen up to the point of hand-off to an external device (or Photoshop) are internal to the Adobe raw converter. 

I appreciate your help on this and, a couple of years ago for setting me on the right path to color management.
Logged

alecdann

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: Profile conversion path - Lightroom to print
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2018, 05:08:16 pm »

@Denis de Gannes:  Thanks very much for your help. 

I'm reasonably familiar with Lightroom processing from Import to Print, so the how-to part isn't an issue for me.  My question had more to do with what was going on inside Lightroom (the part the program handles for behind the scenes).  I think Andrew answered that for me.

As printing out of ACR, you got me curious so I checked -- the Print dialogue is unavaillable in ACR.

Whether to print out of Lightroom or Photoshop is an interesting question.  One thing I learned this summer from John Paul Caponigro is that Lightroom automatically adjusts the Output Sharpening in Lightroom to the size of the photo, a nice solution to an old problem.

Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up