Print with Preview

To apply the proper color management settings, we need to use print with preview. Photoshop CS3 only has a Print function, but it takes you to the print with preview dialog box. In Print with Preview go to the drop-down menu that contains Output and Color Management. Select Color Management. The bottom section of the Print with Preview window changes to a Color Management interface.

There are two section: Source Space and Print Space. Source Space refers to the color space of the document. You can ignore this unless you are printing to a proofing device. The Print Space section controls how the color is managed, what output profile is used, what rendering intent is applied, and black point compensation.

Print Space Settings

• Color Management Handling
• Output Profile
• Rendering Intent
• Black Point Compensation

Color Management Handling

You will have three choices for controlling color management: Let Photoshop Manage Color, Let the Printer Manage Color, and No Color Management.

• Let Photoshop Manage Color
  • Allows Photoshop's color management to process the color. Use this setting.
• Let the Printer Manage Color
  • Uses the print driver's color management. Do not use this if your are using media-specific profiles. We will also disable this in print properties.
• No Color Management
  • The only time to use this is when you are printing a profiling target for color management purposes and need the printer's unaltered color. Other than that, always use color management!

Output Profile

Select the correct output profile to match your printer/media combination. This can be either the media manufacturer's profile (usually available by download) or a custom profile you create with color management software and hardware. Each profile is specific to a particular paper and printer combination. This is a critical step in print setup.

On the next page we will look at rendering intent and black point compensation.

Print Settings  Next Page • Page 2  • Page 3