Photoshop CS2 help

{edit}--The problem explained below has already been corrected. You can read the
"what, why, & how" on pages four and five of this thread (if you're interested).

My photos view VERY washed out (cool) in Photoshop CS2. I am having a hard time making adjustments because I have to save the file and open it in ACDSee or Microsoft Picture Viewer to see what the REALLY looks like. For instance...red colors that appear perfect while in PS end up almost blooming when I ope the file in ANY other (non-Adobe) program.

Is there a setting or adjustment in PS to correct this?

I'm using Windows platform with an NEC MultiSync 22" CRT monitor on an NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra, and I've update the drivers for both my monitor and graphics card.

Thanks

Has you monitor been calibrated and profiled? What color setting options are you using for PSCS2? Most problems I've seen here and elsewhere regarding color discrepancies between PS and the other Windows applications are almost always due to the monitor not being calibrated or the PS color settings not being set correctly.

Your color profiles will most likely be wrong - once you get out of photoshop things are best in sRgb, I bet you're in adobe RGB or another space. Save an image using "save as", 500px wide is plenty, and attach it to a post so we can take a look.

PacAce wrote in post #2187106
Has you monitor been calibrated and profiled? What color setting options are you using for PSCS2? Most problems I've seen here and elsewhere regarding color discrepancies between PS and the other Windows applications are almost always due to the monitor not being calibrated or the PS color settings not being set correctly.

No, I have not had my monitor "calibrated and profiled". Is that something that is dependent to using Photoshop? My monitor seems to show colors accurately in every other program (at least to other monitors and prints).

As far as "color setting options" I'm not sure what you mean by that. I guess its whatever the default setting is because I didn't manually change anything after installation of the software. Where would I find that setting?

tim wrote in post #2188420
<snip>Save an image using "save as", 500px wide is plenty, and attach it to a post so we can take a look.

Here is one example. The photo looks very different in PS, skin tones appear gray, and the red letters in her uniform are much cooler, but once its out of PS they seem to glow!!

Is it just MY monitor, or does anyone else seem to think the reds are over-saturated?

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here the whole thing looks a bit desaturated, like its in adobe 1998 instead of srgb. reds are find, skin tones are pretty flat

coreypolis wrote in post #2190550
here the whole thing looks a bit desaturated, like its in adobe 1998 instead of srgb. reds are find, skin tones are pretty flat

So HOW do I get it in "srgb"??

save for web or edit-convert to profile srgb

Your image is in adobe RGB, without a profile embedded. In photoshop assign the profile Adobe RGB, then convert to sRgb, then save as JPG again. If you shot RAW convert them from RAW to JPG again with the sRgb profile embedded.

You need to read this book. Get you monitor calibrated too.

Until you understand color management i'd suggest setting camera, RAW converter, and photoshop to sRgb.

open edit tab and chose colour settings down the bottom, that brings up your options for colour settings.

My color settings are set to "North America General Purpose 2"...do I need to change that??

I dont shoot in RAW...is that important?

It should be sRgb. Here's my color settings, ignore the name "Queensberry" at the top it's just a name I gave it when I saved it. Be careful to get the check boxes the same, so it warns you when color profiles don't match.

I'm pretty sure your camera's set to Adobe RGB. Before you post to the web or take images into a non-color-aware application you have to convert (not assign) the sRgb color profile. Edit -> convert to profile.

HOSTED PHOTO
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Here is mine...

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Change your color management policies settings to match mine, especially the check boxes. That way you'll get warnings about color profiles if there's a mismatch.

OK, I did the profile thing like you did, but I still see a MAJOR difference between PS and ACDSee on the same photo. Check it out...

ACDSee

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