Soft Proofing/Monitor Profile

[JenniferSuggs]

I recently noticed more than anytime in the past that my images looked great in Photoshop but more green in Facebook in both Chrome and IE. Before finding your articles on colour management, I found an article that spoke of color settings, assigning a profile, etc. All my settings were correct but at the end of that article, it mentioned soft proofing and to set up soft proofing by choosing the monitor RGB option to see your display profile when you click on soft proof. It said that this will give you an idea of what to expect from prints. When I set up the soft proofing to monitor RGB and clicked on soft proofing in photoshop, the image looked exactly as it does in Facebook and on my website-more green. I was afraid my calibration was off so I recalibrated with the same result. I then found your article and followed the steps  you gave to try to change my target path in the Chrome shortcut settings but I was one of the unlucky ones and it wouldn't let me edit it and save it with edited path so I downloaded Safari, as suggested. My images in Safari do now match my image colors in Photoshop, which brings me to my question...

If soft proofing to monitor RGB shows me the same colors in my images as a non color-managed browser, what does that say about my calibrated monitor profile? Which display is the correct representation of the profile, the soft proofing image or the image in Photoshop without the soft proofing checked? And...if I am ever to need to submit an image to a lab with a CMYK profile or profile other than srgb, will my images look like my monitor profile shows them when I am in srgb or will they look like soft proofing shows them for cmyk, which is awful. Should I just stay away from soft proofing altogether?  

 I am aware that I will need to order test prints to see how the colors actually print and come to think of it, my last prints turned out underexposed and on the green side from a lab I've been using for years with perfect prints-both before I started calibrating and after. The only thing different I started doing prior to these last prints was to keep my ambient light monitor on and allow it to automatically make changes based on ambient light. Should I not do that? How often should I calibrate because every time I do, the before and after result shows my monitor was too bright. (I always try to check my exposure by my histogram, anyway...not by my screen brightness) But, should calibration be that off every time (approx once monthly)? I calibrate with an Xrite color munki display.  I work on an Asus Republic of Gamers laptop if that helps in case you are familiar with that. I know you don't recommend laptops but mine stays in the same place always unless I travel. I do have lots of windows so light can and does change often and I am taking your advice in other articles to change my environment to a more light stable one although I will still be editing both during day and at night as there's no way around that. I am just confused by this soft proofing thing mostly. I want my prints to look like what I see in photoshop (who doesn't?). And...lastly, if I calibrate often and it shows a significant change in the before profile and after profile, can I really trust consistency with my prints? 

[Damien Symonds]

5 hours ago, JenniferSuggs said:

I recently noticed more than anytime in the past that my images looked great in Photoshop but more green in Facebook in both Chrome and IE.

First of all, have you done this?  https://www.damiensymonds.net/art_tsfb000.html

[Damien Symonds]

5 hours ago, JenniferSuggs said:

If soft proofing to monitor RGB shows me the same colors in my images as a non color-managed browser, what does that say about my calibrated monitor profile?

It doesn't say anything.  It only proves that Chrome is shit, as you now know.  Safari is also a tiny bit shit, but better. Firefox is the only browser to use, really.

5 hours ago, JenniferSuggs said:

if I am ever to need to submit an image to a lab with a CMYK profile

CMYK is a complicated world.  I'm happy to discuss it with you at length if needed ... IS it needed?  How often do you print in CMYK?

5 hours ago, JenniferSuggs said:

will they look like soft proofing shows them for cmyk, which is awful.

CMYK soft-proofing shouldn't look awful.  Again, I'm happy to discuss this with you, but only if needed.

5 hours ago, JenniferSuggs said:

Should I just stay away from soft proofing altogether?

Soft-proofing is very important when you're getting ready to print a photo with vivid colours in it.  But you HAVE to make sure you're using the correct profile, and using it properly.  Have you read this?  https://www.damiensymonds.net/2010/03/bit-about-soft-proofing.html

What you must NEVER do is what you did.  You must never use it for web images.

5 hours ago, JenniferSuggs said:

my last prints turned out underexposed and on the green side

This brings me to the MOST important question.  Have you done this?  https://www.damiensymonds.net/art_tscs000.html

5 hours ago, JenniferSuggs said:

The only thing different I started doing prior to these last prints was to keep my ambient light monitor on and allow it to automatically make changes based on ambient light. Should I not do that?

Oh yeah, you must NEVER do that.  Were you following my calibration instructions here?  https://www.damiensymonds.net/calibration.html

5 hours ago, JenniferSuggs said:

How often should I calibrate

Once a month is normal.  Nerds do it once a week, and raging nerds do it every morning.  But once a month is fine for the rest of us.

5 hours ago, JenniferSuggs said:

every time I do, the before and after result shows my monitor was too bright. (I always try to check my exposure by my histogram, anyway...not by my screen brightness) But, should calibration be that off every time (approx once monthly)? I calibrate with an Xrite color munki display.  I work on an Asus Republic of Gamers laptop if that helps in case you are familiar with that.

I also have a ROG laptop, and it's excellent.

5 hours ago, JenniferSuggs said:

I am just confused by this soft proofing thing mostly. I want my prints to look like what I see in photoshop (who doesn't?).

Soft-proofing (although important from time to time) has absolutely no role in calibration or the checking of calibration.  Your problem must be the calibration itself.  Again I ask, did you follow my directions here?  https://www.damiensymonds.net/calibration.html

5 hours ago, JenniferSuggs said:

And...lastly, if I calibrate often and it shows a significant change in the before profile and after profile

https://www.damiensymonds.net/2010/03/calibration-before-and-after-confusion.html

[Damien Symonds]

@JenniferSuggs?