Output images don’t match working version

BB
Posted By
Bill_Blinn
Feb 16, 2004
Views
495
Replies
12
Status
Closed
I must be missing some key point somwhere. If I open a Nikon D100 image created using the Adobe RGB color mode, it looks fine on the screen (NEC LCD 1830 under Windows XP) but when I export to the Web, the resulting JPG is far darker. I can’t seem to find the magic setting in the Photoshop CS documentation (printed or on-line) and can’t see anything about too-dark images in the knoweledgebase, so I presume that what I’m missing os both simple and basic.

Could someone please toss me a clue.

Thanks!
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RW
Rene_Walling
Feb 16, 2004
Convert to sRGB before saving for web, you should see an improvement
BB
Bill_Blinn
Feb 16, 2004
I’ve done that. I’ve tried converting the image to many different formats. Then I realized that there’s a semi-hidden setting on the Save for Web dialog. This had been set to Send Uncompensated Color.

When I changed it to Standard Windows Color, the resulting image got a bit lighter, but was still too dark.

I changed the image to sRGB and tried outputting both as Standard Windows Color and as Use Document Color Profile. I can see no difference between the two.

Here’s a screen capture that shows the original image in Photoshop CS (left) and the resulting Save for Web file in IrfanView (right). Whether I view the output file on the Web in any browser, in IrfanView, in ThumbsPlus, in Dreamweaver, or in ACD See, it’s too dark. If I open the resulting image in Photoshop, it looks right.

It seems as if there’s a gamma setting somewhere that I’m missing. Every other program on my computer sees images one way and Photoshop sees them another. Here’s the screen capture:

<http://www.610tech.net/photoshopcs/SampleScreen.png>

Again, thanks!
RW
Rene_Walling
Feb 16, 2004
Every other program on my computer sees images one way and Photoshop sees them another

That’s cause every other program is NOT colour managed…

Both AdobeRGB and sRGB have a gamma of 2.2 so you shouldn’t be too far off contrast wise

What exactly are your colour settings in PS?
BB
Bill_Blinn
Feb 16, 2004
Yes, I understand the concept of color management. I use Corel Draw and occasionally PhotoPaint, both of these have color management options for CMYK and RGB, so I use RGB when I’m creating Web graphics. There must be something similar in PS that I’m missing.

Here’s what I have:

"North America General Purpose Defaults"

Working spaces
RGB sRGB IEC61966-2.1
CMYK US WEb Coated SWOP v1
Gray dot gain 20%
Spot dot gain 20%

Color managemet policies
RGB Preserve embedded profiles
CMYK off
Gray off

All of the profile boxes are NOT checked.

Conversion options
Engine Adobe ACE
Intent Perceptual
[X] Use black point compensator
[X] Use dither

Advanced controls
Neither desaturate not blend is checked.

Thanks for your detective work!
CC
Chris_Cox
Feb 17, 2004
Using Corel Draw and PhotoPaint would make you NOT understand color management….

And it sounds like you’re just missing a few facts:

1) Photoshop is color managed – it compensates for your display
2) Most other applications are NOT color managed – they do not compensate for your display
3) Your display is probably not exactly sRGB
L
LenHewitt
Feb 17, 2004
Bill,

Set your Proof setup to Monitor RGB and select View Proof colours. The S4W view and the ‘main’ view should then be the same.
BB
Bill_Blinn
Feb 17, 2004
Chris,

Your point #1 – Yes, I know that. I asked for assistance because I have been unable to locate the setting (or combination of settings) needed to produce the results I need.

Your point #2 – Yes, I know that.

Your point #3 – That may be, but it’s not particularly important.

"Using Corel Draw and PhotoPaint would make you NOT understand color management." I disagree totally, but this is not the time or the place for that kind of silly, and ultimately meaningless, argument.
BB
Bill_Blinn
Feb 17, 2004
Len,

Thanks! "Set your Proof setup to Monitor RGB and select View Proof colours" sounds like exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’m out of the office for the day, though, and won’t be able to check until this evening.
BB
Bill_Blinn
Feb 17, 2004
Thanks to Len, who told me where to find the PS control I’d been overlooking, and to Ralf, who suggested privately that it would be a good idea to tell XP the monitor should use sRGB colorspace! The problem is solved.

The resulting image is now correct, which is to say exactly as I would expect from Corel PhotoPaint with color management turned on.
L
LenHewitt
Feb 18, 2004
Pleased to hear you are sorted, Bill
MG
Mark_Graf
Feb 22, 2004
Bill – how would you tell the monitor to use the sRGB color space? Is it a good idea to do this if you already have your monitor calibrated with a Spyder? Mine is actually doing the exact opposite. S4W using "Uncompensated Color" – the image looks much lighter than i want it. Using ‘standard windows color’ or ‘use document profile’ both give a close match.

If I proof it with the Monitor profile, I end up having to go into levels and shifting the midtones darker a bit.
BB
Bill_Blinn
Feb 22, 2004
I did it by selecting "sRGB Color Space Profile" in the Color Management tab of the Display Properties dialog. Fortunately, I don’t have to deal with any precise color management issues — I do very little CMYK work and most of that doesn’t need critical reproduction, so I can’t tell give you any reliable guidance on true calibration.

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