In one embodiment, the invention is directed to soft proofing system that incorporates one or more of the features to promote controlled viewing conditions. For example, the invention can provide a soft proofing system in which an administrator can control the proofing process by limiting or restricting the ability to view an image until acceptable viewing conditions have been met. The image may have an associated set of viewing conditions that can be specified by the administrator. Then, when the image is sent to a viewing station, the ability to view the image can be restricted until one or more viewing conditions have been met at that viewing station. With controlled viewing conditions, the soft proof reviewers obtain more uniform output. In this manner, the system can provide safeguards to ensure that the images viewed at the viewing station have acceptable color accuracy.