Help with Color Profiles

[clemjj]

I need some advice with setting the color profile in Photoshop 7, my monitor (Samsung SyncMaster 955df) and my printer (Canon i960). What is the best profile to use (closest match between screen and print). I've tried several profiles and cannot seem to get everything to match up. If you wouldn't mind stepping me through it, I'd appreciate it as it seems some people view & edit with one profile and then shut it off to print. Thanks, Joe

[msnow]

You are going to get a lot of very good advice in this forum on this subject from people a lot more knowledgeable than I but let me start you off.

In Photoshop your "Working Spaces" should be set to Adobe RGB (1998) for RGB. the rest can be left at default unless you are dong prepress work or other specialized output.

Color Management should all be set at "Preserve" (although you may get some differences of opinion on this one).

When printing I don't let Photoshop manage my color I use the printer profile for the printer I'm using take care of that.

Regarding the monitor...I use a hardware/software solution (Spyder Pro with their software) to calibrate my monitor and create a default profile that is selected in my advanced Windows display properties/color management. You can also use software only solutions (e.g. Adobe Gamma which is part of Photoshop, or Wiziwig or others). Start your color managment by calibrating your monitor, it's probably the most important step. The printer profiles most likely came with your printer.

[scottbergerphoto]

If you do a search above on "color management", you will find all you need to get started:
1. Monitor calibration(Adobe Gamma vs. Spyder/Gretag Macbeth)
2. Shooting sRGB vs. Adobe RGB
3. Photoshop Settings(depend on which you chose in #2) If you don't shoot Adobe RGB, you don't gain anything by converting to it in Photoshop)
4. Printer profiles.
5. Printer Driver settings.
If you have any questions after your reading, feel free.
Happy New Year,
Scott

[msnow]

Take a look at this post over in the software forum (here). I think it has most of what you need.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=21370

[Roger_Cavanagh]

Clem,

A good introductory article is here:

http://www.rogercavanagh.com/helpinfo/33_cmsjoe.htm

And links here:

http://www.rogercavanagh.com/links/links-06_colourmanagement.htm

Regards,