soft proofing in Photoshop CS6

[douvidl]

Under view one could always select the paper profile and the render intent to see what the final image would look like. The process in LR4 seems much more comprehensive.  Do they serve the same purpose/ achieve the same result?  It would seem awkward to use lr4 soft proofing in a work flow based around CS6 and it's variety of filters/actions etc. 
Any comments or opinions?
David

[walter.sk]

For years, I have softproofed in CS and printed from Qimage.  I recently bought LR4 and CS6.  In CS, my routine was to do a proof setup with the correct profile and best rendering intent, duplicate the image, go back to the softproofed image and use adjustment layers to optimize the image for printing.  I would then go to Qimage to print.

Since using the softproof capabilities of LR4 I don't softproof in CS any more.  I select SoftProof in LR4, and click on the before/after (x/y) icon to get the same setup as in CS, with one click. LR4 fades in the white border, set to "paper white," which bypasses the "Make Your Picture Look Like Crap" routine. I find it easy to correct the softproofed copy in LR4, and I have set up some presets in the print module which makes the process easy and efficient.  However, I still prefer to print from Qimage for several reasons, so I set up a Edit In preset in LR4 that sends a softproofed, corrected copy of the image to Qimage.

I am now used to the softproofing in LR4, and would be very unhappy if I had to do it in CS6 now.

[digitaldog]

Under view one could always select the paper profile and the render intent to see what the final image would look like. The process in LR4 seems much more comprehensive.  Do they serve the same purpose/ achieve the same result?  It would seem awkward to use lr4 soft proofing in a work flow based around CS6 and it's variety of filters/actions etc. 

They serve the same purpose yes and I’m not sure what is more comprehensive in LR other than a true (easier) before and after preview and the ability to apply edits on a virtual copy. IOW, the two products serve the same purpose which is to provide an output simulation although the user interface in LR is superior to PS (the way the white bkgnd grays down when selecting the paper and ink simulation).

[douvidl]

what does IOW mean?  Can i deduce from you response that using the soft proofing method in CS6 is equivalent to LR4 in output.  That's the real issue.
and Thanks
David

[digitaldog]

what does IOW mean?  Can i deduce from you response that using the soft proofing method in CS6 is equivalent to LR4 in output.  That's the real issue.

In Other Words.

Yes, the soft proofing in both app’s are conceptually the same in terms of what they want to show you and why you want to view the soft proof. There are GUI differences (LR being superior) and advantages in workflow (LR has virtual copies for output specific edits, a true before and after preview, the ability to store the rendering intent selected for use in the Print module). But if the question is, does soft proofing operate in both to allow the user to see a simulation of the output, select a rendering intent and if necessary, edit the image based on that soft proof, the answer is yes.

[douvidl]

WOW !

[walter.sk]

I would like to add this:  In CS6 when softproofing I limit myself to what adjustments are available as Adjustment Layers.  While theoretically I could have access to all other adjustments by duplicating the background layer this leads to a cumbersome workflow that I never resort to.

In LR4's softproofing, *all* of LR4's adjustments are available to use in the right hand panel, from the adjustment brush to all of the ACR type of adjustments, as well as the rest of the LR adjustments.  As a result, it turns out for me that I can make precise local as well as global adjustments of any image parameter that would bring the soft proofed image closer to what I wanted originally, more easily and accurately than what I had ever been able to do in Photoshop proper.

When I get the print into the print viewer, I now find myself gloating about how much better my prints are.

[douvidl]

Touche'

[poshcolor]

For my eyes LR4 has a superior engine and it's more accurate in terms of showing transition of dark tones. But OTOH it does'n have support for bw profiles like PS has.