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I've decided to print out one of my photos with a plotter. So to make sure I will get the right colors I've asked in the print shop what printer and paper are they using so that I can soft proof in LR6.

So how do I do this if I don't own the printer? I can't simulate the printer in Windows 10 so LR6 wont simulate paper and ink in develop module. Also I'm not finding the right ICC profiles.

The printer & paper that will be used: - Paper: IJM 262 instant dry satin paper - Printer: HP Designjet 4500 HPGL/2

Thanks for help!

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Normally a reputable print shop can provide the ICC profile for you to use when soft proofing. You don't need to have an actual printer to do soft proofing. As long as you are using a color accurate monitor (measured with a colorimeter and using software that will generate a monitor profile to correct for any inaccuracies) you just apply the printer profile within your editing application and it will only send colors to your graphics adapter (video card) that the printer, ink, and paper in question can reproduce.

With the colorimeter and software you are generating an ICC profile for your monitor that makes sure (hopefully) that your monitor displays what your graphics programs tells it to display. With the ICC profile provided by the print shop or by the printer/ink/paper manufacturer(s) you are telling your editing application how to limit the colors it sends to your monitor. Both ICC profiles will be active at the same time at different links in the chain between your image image file and your monitor.

Having said that, though, it is usually a good idea to send a test image for printing before ordering a large, expensive print job from a printing house/printer/ink/paper combination you've never used before.

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  • Yes all that mentioned I did and know already I watched a very good seminar on colors here youtube.com/…. I have used a colorimeter on my display and I have asked the print shop for the ICC profiles and they only gave me the printer model and the paper they are gonna use. Is there a website providing those? I can't find any ICC profiles on HP website. – danizmax Mar 14 '16 at 15:52
  • A profile needs to be produced from the actual printer, paper, and inks that will be used to make your prints. That means the only printer, paper, and inks that can be used to generate the test prints needed to create the profile are those at the print shop. Even using the same model printer, paper selection, and inks somewhere else may not account for the specific settings in use and other environmental factors at your print shop. If the print shop can't provide you with an icc profile then you can't really soft proof what your image will look like when printed by them. – Michael C Jul 26 '16 at 23:40
  • If you have a reflective light colorimeter (usually more expensive than a colorimeter that measures only emitted light from a monitor) you could request a standard colorchecker chart printed at your printer (with the same printer, paper, and inks) and do the icc profile yourself. – Michael C Jul 26 '16 at 23:43

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