Color Space . . .

[RJSorensen]

I am sorry to have to ask . . . but I could use some help in understanding color space. My Pro1 and 20D will let me use Adobe 1998 RGB, instead of the default "S" type color space. I set up my cameras with this in the menu's and have my CS photoshop set to it as well . . . I print to a S900 Cannon BJ printer. Do I lose the Adobe 1998 RGB color space in sending the files to this printer?

I understand the color is 'expanded' in this mode over "S" color space. I want the best prints my work flow will allow me. If, however I need the new i9900 Canon printer to do this (or something else) I am not sure. Anyone whom could help me with my color space/work flow question . . . I thank you.

[chris.bailey]

Definately use Adobe RGB over sRGB due to the expanded Colour space. Very few printers make use of the full colour Gamut of Adobe RGB but it is better to edit in as large a colour space as possible. You only get the full benefit though if you have your monitor and printer profiled.

There have been several threads on colour management with loads of useful links. Its a big subject that takes a bit of getting your head around so it is worth setting some time aside and doing a search.

[Spatch]

As Chris says, aRGB has an expanded gamut over sRGB. As for carrying the colour space to the printer, it rather depend if your printer supports colour management (I have an i950 and it does). If it does then you can set the printer to use the aRGB colour profile rather than standard sRGB. However, you still may not get the full range as the printer may not be capable of printing the full ARGB gamut. Also, if you are printing from Photoshop then you can set the colour profile here instead of in the printer.

Added to this, the colour you will see depends upon the paper you are using, this is where custom made profiles come in - and where colour management begins. Also, as Chris says,this is a very big subject and it would be worth your while doing a search.

[Hellashot]

Check this out, it is printing through a different program, but informational all the same:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=50311

[RJSorensen]

Thanks for the help guys . . . I and my wife print from iPhoto a lot, and it would seem that the pictures we have taken with the Pro1 and now the 20D, setup in aRGB are washed out. The "colors" do not seem to be there. A side by side (as best I could) with the photo(s) in Photoshop and iPhoto show the loss of color in iPhoto. When I print from PS they seem much richer . . . help me if I am wrong here.

For the time being I am going to set everything back to sRGB and try again. It would seem there are snakes in the grass at every turn. One would suppose that you learn more from your mistakes than from any undocumented success, lol.

If you can confirm and or head me off in the right direction, I thank you.

[maderito]

A washed out image (printed or viewed on the monitor) from an Adobe RGB image typically means that the monitor or printer expected an sRGB image.

Most simple printing applications don't have true color management and thus cannot handle anything but sRGB files. Moreover, the 20D Adobe RGB color space option yields an image file with an "uncalibrated" color space specified in the EXIF file. This will further confuse many applications.

You can still shoot in Adobe RGB, but you have to convert the image to sRGB in Photoshop (Image>Mode>Convert to profile) before printing in iPhoto. That may be a wasted step for you, and thus switching to an sRGB workflow would make sense. But you do forfeit the potential for printing the larger gamut of the Adobe RGB workspace in the future.

Frankly, it's rare to see an image where the advantages of Adobe RGB are obvious given current printing technology. That's today … who know what tomorrow brings. http://photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif

[F1_Fan]

You can still shoot in Adobe RGB, but you have to convert the image to sRGB in Photoshop (Image>Mode>Convert to profile) before printing in iPhoto. I prefer "Save for Web" as a non-destructive method in case one is working with the original image (which one shouldn't do...).

My Canon i960 uses some of the aRGB colour space (I've got a Canon PDF document that shows how to take advantage of it) but it's pretty hard to see the difference in most shots.

I'm starting to think about shooting in that colour space all the time now. Someone in another forum put it well with a comment to the effect of "building a library of aRGB images in anticipation of the next generation of printers".

There's a big enough difference in the spaces to make me switch.

Wireframe is aRGB, solid is sRGB

http://foosoftware.com/photo/scripted/profile_compare.jpg

[maderito]

I prefer "Save for Web" as a non-destructive method in case one is working with the original image (which one shouldn't do...).
You still have to convert the image from Adobe RGB to sRGB before using "Save for Web."

Once you do the conversion, you don't have to include the sRGB ICC profile (about 1K overhead) - so uncheck the box in the Save for Web dialog.

[F1_Fan]

You still have to convert the image from Adobe RGB to sRGB before using "Save for Web."

I was under the impression that Save for Web automatically converts the colour space to sRGB during export... is that not the case?

[maderito]

I was under the impression that Save for Web automatically converts the colour space to sRGB during export... is that not the case? It must be converted to sRGB. Save for Web does not perform color space conversionis. However, you can attach ICC profiles to Save for Web images.

You can prove it to yourself by taking an Adobe RGB image with vivid colors and viewing it simultaneously in Photoshop in one window and in a web browser window (after saving for web). You should see a difference. I just did (with a calibrated monitor).

While viewing an image in Photoshop, if you select View>Proof Setup>Monitor RGB, you will get an idea of how your image will look in your monitor color space which typically is calibrated approximately to the sRGB space. In viewing a web image, you are seeing it through your monitor color profile.

[RJSorensen]

Images shot in aRGB are noted in your files with a _MG_0001.jpg and those taken in sRGB will look like IMG_0001.jpg. I am not sure if RAW files are saved in a color space or not, or just after you are done with them. Anyway I just learned of the way to tell which are which when you down load them today . . . and thought I would share this simple way to sort your files. This way I can stay on aRGB and only have to convert those I want to print/work on in my current configuration.

[F1_Fan]

Images shot in aRGB are noted in your files with a _MG_0001.jpg and those taken in sRGB will look like IMG_0001.jpg.
Hm. Not true with my 300D. There is no difference in the file naming but ZoomBrowser can tell it's an aRGB image from the EXIF info.

I now wish there was a way for me to easily detect which images are which colour space without launching an application :(