Bucks County Photo Printing
new name and look – same great products and service

High-Res Giclée Printing for Photographers and Fine Artists

ICC Profiles / Soft Proofing

Why do I need an ICC (color) profile? Printing with ICC profiles helps to insure accurate color in your printed photographs, and is an essential part of a color-managed workflow. When combined with a matching media setting and calibrated monitor, what you see on your screen will match what you see on the printed piece. This is referred to as Soft Proofing.

Step 1 – Download and Install the .icc Profiles

We have collected the various ICC Profiles for the papers we stock – download your preferred paper profile – see below. After downloading the file to your computer, you will need to move or copy it to a specific folder on your computer. Here are the default folders for each operating system:

MacOS:  \library\colorsync\profiles

To open the ColorSync folder on your computer, you will first need to open the Library folder, which is hidden by default.

From the Finder, click on the Go menu. With the Go menu open, hold down the Option key on your keyboard. Library will then appear in the Go menu. Click on Library, and the folder will open in a finder window. Navigate to ColorSync>Profiles, and move or copy the saved ICC profiles to this folder.

Windows 98 & Me windows\system\color

Windows Vista, XP, 7, 8, 10 ‘right-click’ on the saved .icc file and select ‘install profile’. The profile will be copied to the appropriate folder on your computer. If you prefer to install the profile manually, move it to: windows\system32\spool\drivers\color

To install an ICC profile in Windows, locate your downloaded ICC profile, right-click on the file, and select ‘install profile’. This will copy the ICC profile into the correct folder. If you don’t see ‘install profile’ as an option, make sure the downloaded file has a .icc extension.

Download Individual ICC Color Profiles Listed Below – More Being Uploaded Shortly.

We use the spectacular Epson 7570 Ultrachrome® Printer for award winning color archival printing. The Profiles below are based on this printer with the specific printing paper noted.

EPSON_SC-P9500_7500_PremiumGlossyPhotoPaper.icc

EPSON Premium Glossy Photo Paper offers the highest gloss level of any Epson resin coated photographic paper. Producing vivid life-like images that rival those of traditional silver halide prints, the ultra glossy finish, coupled with a 10 mil thickness and extremely wide color gamut, make this paper a favorite among discerning photographers. It creates highly saturated prints by offering maximum ink coverage and high D-Max for true photographic reproductions.

EPSON_SC-P9500_7500_PremiumLusterPhotoPaper260.icc

Wedding, portrait and school photographers have traditionally used luster paper for their photos. Now Epson offers this popular surface paper, Premium Luster Photo Paper, to digital printmakers. This instant drying paper produces vivid, lifelike images that rival those of traditional silver halide prints. Premium Luster Photo Paper delivers highly saturated prints by offering maximum ink coverage and a high D-Max for true photographic reproductions. Its 10-mil RC base gives prints a photographic feel, and keeps the paper cockle-free.

MOAB Lasal Photo Matte P7570 USFA -20%.icc

Moab® Lasal Photo Matte Paper is a superior water resistant, as well as pulp-, acid-, and lignin- free product. The paper’s brilliant white guarantee’s that your photo’s and artwork will be true to life color. Lasal Photo Matte offers an ultra smooth surface, a slightly brighter white, and modest heavier weight to the Enhanced Matte paper by Epson®.

MOAB Slickrock Metallic Pearl P7570 PL260.icc

Designed for photographers seeking to enhance their images with a metallic look, Metallic Pearl transforms an image into lifelike, almost 3D quality. Black & White images shine on this new paper producing deep dark blacks and ultra-bright highlights. Metallic Pearl captures the original beauty of an image with a metallic pearl enhancement. The paper’s high gloss and unique sheen make this ideal for everyday prints with a twist.

HFA_EpsSC-P7570_MK_PhotoRag.icc

Hahnemühle Photo Rag® is a cotton art paper with an inkjet coating specially tailored for FineArt printing. The lightly defined felt structure and characteristic soft Photo Rag® feel gives every FineArt print an incredible depth and three-dimensional appearance. Combined with the matt premium inkjet coating, this produces impressive FineArt prints boasting vivid colours, deep blacks and extraordinary reproduction of detail.

HFA_EpsSC-P7570_MK_PRBrightWhite.icc

Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Bright White is a bright white cotton art paper with an inkjet coating specially tailored for FineArt printing. The lightly defined felt structure and characteristic soft Photo Rag® feel gives every FineArt print an incredible depth and three-dimensional appearance. Combined with the matt premium inkjet coating, this produces impressive FineArt prints boasting vivid colours, deep blacks and extraordinary reproduction of detail. The bright white of the paper also creates particularly brilliant results for high contrast images. The acid- and lignin-free Photo Rag® Bright White meets the most exacting requirements for age resistance and is perfect for reproducing FineArt photographs and works of art.

HFA_EpsSC-P7570_MK_GermanEtching.icc

German Etching – a white, 100% α-cellulose paper – guarantees archival standards. The mould-made etching paper features a distinct textured surface. With its premium matt inkjet coating German Etching meets the highest industry standards regarding density, colour gamut, colour graduation and image sharpness while preserving the special touch and feel of genuine art paper. Compatible with pigmented and dye inkjet systems.

RR Polar Matte Ep 7570-9570.icc

At 16 mil thickness, 88lb. Polar Matte is the heaviest and thickest photo matte stock on the market today. Red River’s Polar Matte raises the bar for imaging excellence. This paper brings you professional quality in every sense of the meaning. From the coating to the base stock, Polar is the go-to photo matte when you want the best. Polar features a beautiful soft white printing surface with outstanding ink holdout capabilities. Polar Matte is acid-free and its heavy 88lb. weight makes perfect for projects where you need prints to convey quality that you can feel.

 

More Information on Soft Proofing

Please see these helpful videos for using the icc profile you’ve chosen and installed for ‘soft proofing’ your image for accurate color to match your giclée final printed piece. To play the videos click the center red play button, to expand and see the video full screen, click the double arrow icon in the lower right corner.

Another ‘Soft Proofing’ tutorial option (below).