Proofing: the "simulate paper color" button

[novagary]

In an article on proofing you wrote, with regard to the "simulate paper color" button, that you have never found it satisfactory and it was sometimes disappointing.  Then you recommended leaving it off unless you have a good reason to use it.  Playing around with it, it does appear to make a dramatic difference with certain papers.  Is your objection that the results shown, on the monitor, by pressing the button are just not reliable?  If so then what would constitute a good reason to use it? 

[Damien Symonds]

That function seems to assume that our screens are insanely bright, and it has to dim things to match prints.

But of course we know better - our screens are already dim enough to match prints.

[novagary]

Thank you.  That makes sense.

[Damien Symonds]

Is that your observation too?

[novagary]

I keep my screen dim at level 80.  I use two kinds of paper for printing, and I have not been having trouble matching them to my screen.  In preparation for a talk, I thought I would review the proofing process and was shocked at the affect the "simulate paper color" button had on some test screen images - basically muting the colors noticeably.  I have not yet done a test print to take a really close look to see if the "simulate paper color" button is out of whack or accurate.  I took the lazy way out, and asked you.

[Damien Symonds]

Well, I'll be very interested to hear your analysis.