How can I tell which color profiles are matrix-based? PhotoLab 6.3 will not enable the option “preserve color details” in soft proofing for many of my vendor-supplied paper profiles. So far that only seems to work for sRGB, AdobeRGB and ProPhoto.
I do not understand the used of the color details option if I cannot apply it to the papers I use for printing. Or maybe I don’t understand how to setup and use soft proofing in PhotoLab. I have not found the docs very helpful. I am used to soft proofing in Lightroom, so the concept is not new to me.
Matrix-based profiles are all those intended purely for display/monitor rendering … not for printing.
The in-built matrix-based profiles are all those in the first group in drop-down;
Correct - Preserve Color Details (PCD) does not apply for profiles targeted for output to printers.
Instead of the PCD option, for printer profiles you can use the Intent option (Relative or Perceptual) and Simulate Paper & Ink.
Your puzzlement is not surprising … there needs to be some refinement to the Soft Proofing user-interface to make it clearer as to which SP options are relevant for different profile “types”.
I have proposed changes/refinements here … Please consider voting for them.
(And, if you read the posts in this link you’ll see more elaboration on answers to your question).