PRINTER PROFILES

Print or ICC profiles are files that define how colours will appear when printed, taking into account factors such as the printer, paper, or media being used. These profiles play a key role in soft proofing, ensuring higher colour accuracy when printing on various types of paper or surfaces.

Soft Proofing Your Digital Images

Soft proofing allows you to view your image digitally with a print profile applied that simulates how your image will look once it is printed on your chosen paper. This gives you the opportunity to adjust it if necessary prior to ordering. It is important that your monitor is calibrated to ensure the most accurate results.

Follow our simple setup guide below to get started and install our printer profiles.

Step 1 - Installation

Installation on Windows

• Right-click on the ICC Profile and select “Install Profile”. The installation should only take a few moments.


• Alternatively, you can install our profile by moving it to the correct folder: Windows – Windows > System32 > Spool > Drivers > Color

• Install our profile by moving the file to the correct folder: Macintosh HD> Library > ColorSync > Profiles

Step 2 - Proof Setup

Open the image you would like to soft proof in Photoshop, then navigate to View > Proof Setup > Custom and select your chosen profile. Please ensure that “Black Point Compensation” is ticked.

‘Simulate Paper Colour’ is a useful setting for understanding the differences in brightness that may affect your image. This is especially helpful for artwork that you intend to print on matt or laminate papers where you will see a noticeable difference.

Step 3 - Proof Colours

Navigate to View > Proof Colours to see what your image will look like as a print.

When switching between the working space and our profiles, you may notice that bright colours appear duller when soft-proofing, especially if you have chosen a matt paper. But you can change the colouring on your file to make these colour shifts less noticeable.

During this stage, you can check if the gamut of your image is in our specified colour space. To do this, you can go to View > Gamut Warning. If any colour turns grey, then they are outside of the gamut and you can choose which replacement colour you would like

Step 4 - Preparing To Print Your Files

When you’re happy with the colouring of your file, size the image to the:

• finished print size that you require at 300 dpi.


• Files to be supplied in sRGB.

TEST PRINTS

If print profiles or soft proofing is not a process that you’re familiar with then don’t worry. Editing your images in default sRGB and ordering a test print is still an accurate way to check the colour of your image.