In Photoshop, should I use “Proof Colors > Monitor RGB” to see accurate color on a calibrated monitor?
Asked 7/6/2012
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2 answers
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I’m trying to understand color management in Photoshop.
My setup:
- My monitor is calibrated and has a custom ICC/ICM profile.
- I shoot RAW.
- I’ve made a camera color profile using a ColorChecker and DNG Profile Editor.
- The image I open in Photoshop has an embedded color profile.
When viewing the photo in Photoshop, which is the correct way to see color as accurately as possible on my calibrated display?
- Proof Colors enabled and set to “Monitor RGB”
- Proof Colors turned off
I’m basically asking whether “Monitor RGB” gives me more accurate color, or whether it is only for soft proofing.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
7
If you want a display-agnostic image file (with a calibrated monitor) leave soft proofing off. Soft proofing deliberately introduces the errors and quirks of the output device so that the image can be altered if necessary to look its best on that device. What you usually want is for the image file to be the best it can be in the standard colour space you're using; calibration has already taken care (as far as it can) of the deviations between your monitor and the Platonic ideal -- the last thing you want (usually) is to create an image that only looks good on your monitor.
(That's also the reason why working with a calibrated monitor is important if you can manage it. Almost every monitor out there "in the wild" is uncalibrated, and they're all "off" in different ways. If your monitor is off in one direction, and the image is viewed on a monitor that is off in a completely different way, the adjustments you made to make the picture look beautiful on your monitor may be enough to make it look horrible on another.)
Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2719
14y ago
0
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Use Proof Colors off for normal editing on a calibrated, properly profiled monitor.
Photoshop already uses the image’s embedded profile plus your monitor ICC/ICM profile to display the image correctly. That is the normal color-managed workflow.
“Proof Colors > Monitor RGB” is soft proofing. Soft proofing is meant to simulate another output device or color space so you can predict how the image will look there and make adjustments if needed. Using “Monitor RGB” effectively simulates your monitor’s behavior rather than showing the image in the standard managed way, so it is not what you want for general editing.
Also, there is no absolute “true color” in a universal sense. What you can aim for is accurate, color-managed display relative to the image profile and a correctly calibrated/profiled monitor.
So the practical answer is:
- For normal viewing/editing: leave Proof Colors off.
- Use soft proofing only when you want to simulate a specific output condition, such as a printer/paper profile or another target color space.
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