i get it... (i think)
you bring your raw image into PS in whatever color space and bit depth you want, then use the view>proof>custom setup to setup a preview of what your image is going to look like when you use a certain printer icc profile. then, you edit the image with curves or channel mixer and when you're happy you convert the image to the icc profile. the preview option in the convert to dialog box doesn't change what you see on the screen since you are already using the view>proof>custom setup. then finally you convert the image to that color space (which was supplied to me by the print lab) and save the file as an 8bit tif file then send off to print!
*in the proof>custom setup, you have to pick which one of the 'intents' (perceptual, saturation...) retains the best color and detail in your image.
my question is this though, when do you use 'preserve color numbers' (which grays out the intent)? for a minute there, i thought 'preserve color numbers' provided more detail than say 'saturation' in the intents. but, it appeared as though the red colors (fall foliage) dropped down quite a bit.
could i have selected 'preserve color numbers' in the view>proof>custom setup and then continued to use curves and channel mixer and ended up with the same results?
