Soft Proofing Tool
Printing a photo that looked perfect on screen often ends in flat whites and blocked shadows. The Soft Proofing Tool previews that risk for photographers before they send files to a lab, simulating paper white in the brightest highlights and the darkest black ink can reach in the deepest shadows.
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- Faster editing time
- 96%
- Saving on editing costs
- 90%
- Typical turnaround
- 24h
Reviews from those who know best.
Rated 5 out of 5
“The term 'game changer' gets thrown out a lot, but for any busy photographer, this software will change your life.”
Michael AntonyMichael Antony Photography, USARated 5 out of 5
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Charmi Patel PeñaWedding Photographer, USA
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Sam HurdSam Hurd Photography, USARated 5 out of 5
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Sarah EdmundsPortrait & Wedding Photographer, Italy
Rated 5 out of 5
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Fer JuaristiFer Juaristi Photography, MexicoRated 5 out of 5
“Thanks to Imagen, I can actually enjoy editing… I have recovered hundreds of hours back.”
Daniel AlonsoPeople TrueLove Tellers, Spain
Frequently asked questions
What does the Soft Proofing Tool do?
It creates an on-screen preview of how the tonal extremes of your photo may look on paper. Paper is never as bright as a screen and ink is never as deep as a monitor's black, so the tool replaces near-white highlights with a slightly grey paper white and lifts near-black shadows to a printable ink black. The result appears as a Soft Proof Preview below the controls.
How do I soft proof an image?
Drop your image here, or click to choose one. The proof preview appears as soon as the photo loads, along with the Simulate Ink Constraints panel. That panel shows a Total Ink Coverage (TIC) value, 300 percent by default, as a reference for your printer's ink limit. Click Apply Proofing at any time to redraw the preview.
Which parts of my photo does the preview change?
Only the extremes. Pixels with an average brightness above 240 on the 0 to 255 scale become paper white, and pixels below 15 become a lifted black. Everything in between stays as it is. Large areas that switch to flat paper white or flat black in the preview are where detail is likely to be lost in print, so recover them before exporting.
Which formats does the Soft Proofing Tool support?
It accepts JPG and PNG images, plus any other format your browser can display. The preview is shown on the page rather than downloaded automatically. If you want to keep it to compare side by side with your edit, save the preview image from your browser. Your original file is never changed.
How should I use a soft proof before ordering prints?
Proof your final edit before exporting for the lab. If highlights in a white dress or a bright sky turn to flat paper white, pull them down slightly; if shadow detail in a dark suit disappears, lift the blacks. Then export the adjusted file and order a small test print. Fixing tonal extremes on screen first saves reprints and keeps client albums consistent.
Is the Soft Proofing Tool free, and are my images private?
Yes to both. The tool is free and works entirely in your browser, so your images never leave your device or get uploaded to a server, and there is nothing to install. To use it, you confirm once that you are a photographer and create or log in to a free Imagen account, which opens every tool.
