Digital BW, The Print

Thanks this is helpful and confirms what I thought.  I assume then that you
also use Simulate Paper White to see how the image is affected by the warmth
or otherwise of the paper?  I had been thinking about this Simulate Paper
Black/White issue recently in light of some comments from people over the
last couple of months in relation to monitor choices, if I recall correctly,
about not knowing what black point was used.  In reality, the black (and
white) point we care about is what 100% black looks like for a given
printer, ink and paper combination.  With the ICC profile approach, these
are each known and can be soft-proofed for.


From: "Tyler Boley" <tyler@...>
Reply-To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 17:22:08 -0000
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Preview was QTR and IJC/OPM - opinions?

When preserve numbers is checked, soft proof is simply showing you-

this device/paper/ink will make these particular numbers (tones,
levels, whatever) look like this WITHOUT any conversion.

So it really is a "profile" in the strictest sense, a characterization.
Intent, BPC, etc. are all relevant only when converting, and are user
choices about the method of conversion. We are not using these
profiles for printing, therefore not converting to them. Without
preserver numbers checked, softproof is showing you how your file will
look WITH conversion to the profile, so also allows you to select
those options in the preview. In the normal color world, using device
profiles, these are all relevant issues as you mention.
Paper white and ink black are preview options only, and have nothing
to do with how conversion will take place. Therefore those options are
available whether or not the preserve box is checked. I don't want to
get too lengthy about complicated color management issues here, but
here's a quick barely adequate explanation-
Without paper white or ink black checked, preview matches the white
point of the profile to the white point of the working space to the
white point of the monitor profile, all to their various 100,0,0 LAB
representations. Similarly, black ink does the same at the 0,0,0 LAB
point. So the supposed full scale of the profile is matched to the
supposed full scale of the monitor.
Since any profile includes a "device" black point and white point,
which is really measured paper white and dmax, Photoshop provides the
ability to take advantage and use that info, converting those values
through the various profiles to represent their monitor space
equivalent. It's purely a proofing option and unrelated to other more
common icc related issues.
I get tongue tied just trying to explain, but I hope that helps.
Tyler





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