need easy soft-proofing techniques

For metal prints...anyone heard of these guys http://absolute-proof.com/video
.....http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=Sa0nE1w3vgI

If all you want to do is soft proof the image why not just download the profile from the printer, load it, and then soft proof in Ps or Lr?

I'm talking about metal prints from someplace like MPix...

chauncey wrote in post #16025993
I'm talking about metal prints from someplace like MPix...

I have one of the "metal" prints from MPix hanging as a 16x24 in my downstairs bathroom. I downloaded the profile for their metallic print, I loaded it, then used it to softproof the image in Ps. I adjusted the image till it looked right and sent it to them to be printed. The print came back looking superb. Mpix doesn't do a true metal print BTW, it's just "metallic", but not actually printed on a sheet of metal like a metal print from Bay Photo would be.

Just noticed that tidbit on their site...thanks for heads up.

As a side note...I had AdoramaPix do another metal image, "the lone fisherman", and unless you compare it to my monitor image, it looks great.
But...it does have a yellow/blue color cast, more so in tungsten lighting than in the sunlight.
Taking a picture of the print, and using a gray card to color correct, bears this out...the RGB numbers are somewhat different.

My question now becomes...how close, with those RGB numbers, is close enough...2%>5%>10% ?
At $50-$100 a pop, "when in doubt, make a print" doesn't make a lot of sense? What kind of results do you guys demand?

chauncey wrote in post #16028493
Just noticed that tidbit on their site...thanks for heads up.

As a side note...I had AdoramaPix do another metal image, "the lone fisherman", and unless you compare it to my monitor image, it looks great.
But...it does have a yellow/blue color cast, more so in tungsten lighting than in the sunlight.
Taking a picture of the print, and using a gray card to color correct, bears this out...the RGB numbers are somewhat different.

My question now becomes...how close, with those RGB numbers, is close enough...2%>5%>10% ?
At $50-$100 a pop, "when in doubt, make a print" doesn't make a lot of sense? What kind of results do you guys demand?

[GIFS ARE NOT RENDERED IN QUOTES]

Are you making your adjustments in SoftProof mode? My normal print workflow (barring family prints) is to get the image "finished" for digital display; i.e. it look good to me on my monitor. From there I will make a copy to edit again for print. In softproof mode (using the appropriate printer profile) I will adjust the gamma, contrast, etc. till the image looks right. I will also reference both the histogram and the RGB number values to make sure I've got things where they need to be. I double check with clipping warnings on and then I save and send. When saving the image I always embed the sRGB profile into the file via Ps "convert to profile". So far so good.

Where did you get the profiles?

They used to be available on the web (buried in such a way that only a good google search could find them), now it seems you have to e-mail them to get the profiles.

Appreciate the tip...

Wanted to follow up with my education on metal prints...has been enlightening to say the least.
Have called a fair number of companies requesting ICC Profiles...none seem to have any but...one left something slip.

It seems that a fair number of those companies sub-let their metal print orders to this place...http://www.fullcolor.c​om/
...more importantly, their FAQ page is a wealth of information concerning color management and matching your work with what they cough out.

Hope you find this as beneficial as what I did.

Care to let slip who is subbing out their metal prints?

Aah...that would be tacky at best. Their FAQ page is a god-send.