Washed Out Picture

RP
Posted By
Ryan_Pavelich
Jan 24, 2004
Views
331
Replies
10
Status
Closed
I’m trying to decide on a Photo Album / Photo Editor suite. I have downloaded four different products and, although I like the Album/Elements package, the pictures seem to look washed out compared to the competitors. I searched this forum and the only solution I could see was to use the gamma adjustment – which seems to adjust the monitor rather than the software package itself. This doesn’t seem to be the right solution in that the other packages seem to work just fine. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Related Tags
picture

How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

JF
Jodi_Frye
Jan 24, 2004
Elements is a color managed program and yes the washed color probably has to do with the Adobe gamma utility that is included with the Elements program. Are you using an LCD monitor or CRT ? Hopefully you are using a CRT which will make monitor calibration a sinch….although some have achieved good results with LCD’s…depends on how important it is to you. Adobe takes color management seriously for those who really need it.
JH
Jim_Hess
Jan 24, 2004
That is probably because those other applications are not color managed applications. Photoshop Elements has many of the features of its much more expensive big brother, Photoshop. It often takes a little effort to get Photoshop Elements set up properly, but I think you will find that the control you have over your images is far superior than you would have with other programs in its price range.
RP
Ryan_Pavelich
Jan 24, 2004
I’m actually using an LCD.

I did experiment with the gamma utility. What I found is that I can improve the picture within Adobe Elements but it negatively affected the other three packages. Although this will not be an issue in the long term (I will settle on one package), my assumption is that it would effect other software as well. I don’t understand why I need to calibrate my monitor – can’t I just reset the calibration within the product itself?
BB
brent_bertram
Jan 24, 2004
You need to read what Ian Lyons and/or Norman Koren have to say on color managed apps and the Adobe gamma utility. <G>
<http://www.computer-darkroom.com/ps7-colour/ps7_2.htm> <http://www.normankoren.com/color_management.html>

Elements interprets the RGB data based on your workspace and adjusted by your monitor profile, Ian Lyons Image Flow < http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.lyons/ps7-colour/ps7_color.gi f>

..

If you don’t think you need to calibrate and profile, you’re in for a long hard time in a color managed application.

🙂

Brent
JH
Jim_Hess
Jan 24, 2004
There has been a lot of discussion recently about LCD monitors. It seems to be the general consensus that Adobe Gamma is not suited for callibrating LCD monitors. However, I have had success calibrating my LCD monitor, and am very satisfied with the results. The reason that Adobe is so big on color management is that they want to provide you with some method of getting your printer and your monitor to match as closely as possible. If these reasons are not an issue for you, or you just don’t want to be concerned with color management, then Photoshop Elements is not the program you want to purchase.
JF
Jodi_Frye
Jan 24, 2004
Ryan, yes, as Brent pointed out there is alot to know about color management…i barely know anything and I manage 😉 however….the adobe gamma does not affect my other programs so it’s possible we need to experiment a little more with your monitor and the utility.
BB
brent_bertram
Jan 24, 2004
Ryan,
The preferred situation with an LCD display is to use the manufacturer’s supplied profile in the Adobe Gamma utility, <http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/1403e.htm> . The hope is that the manufacturers profile is sufficiently accurate to provide you with good results.

As Jodi points out, you really don’t need to know much about color management, but to use Elements effectively you need to have a calibrated and profiled display.

🙂

Brent
RP
Ryan_Pavelich
Jan 24, 2004
I wouldn’t say that I’m not concerned about color management, more like I don’t know what I need to be concerned about – still a lot to learn on this end.

I have reconfigured the monitor and things do look better – although the adjustment has negatively affected images on some of the other packages. I checked out some graphically intensive power point presentations that I had done for work and they seem fine – so overall not a big deal. Have to do some printing to see how that looks. Thanks for the help.

Ryan
JF
Jodi_Frye
Jan 24, 2004
printing ? ok Brent, are you ready ?
BB
brent_bertram
Jan 24, 2004
I have my handy Ian Lyons’ link on the clipboard ! <G>

Master Retouching Hair

Learn how to rescue details, remove flyaways, add volume, and enhance the definition of hair in any photo. We break down every tool and technique in Photoshop to get picture-perfect hair, every time.

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections