STICKY:  Color problems? [work in progress?]

Just a quick question regarding calibration with tools like Spyder, Huey etc. How should the surrounding lighting be like? Should it be completely dark or just as you would normally work in? However, the latter scenario changes a lot of sometimes might include reflections etc. So should I shut off all light??

Thanks

I´ve read suggestions to do it in pitch dark, but I do it in normal room lightening.
I use the Monaco Optix XRpro.

Tried earlier in daylight with lamps on as well (not directly on the screen of course) and here later at night with ALL lights out. I did not see any difference what so ever after the calibration and when switching between the two profiles in display settings. So I guess it does matter... Thanks

I think I have seen somewhere, that this (too much light in surroundings) is mostly a problem, when calibrating CRT displays.

Is it an LCD you have calibrated?

Preben S wrote in post #4634595
I think I have seen somewhere, that this (too much light in surroundings) is mostly a problem, when calibrating CRT displays.

Is it an LCD you have calibrated?

Yeah it was a Macbook Pro, but only use LCDs...

Some tips on calibrating a Macbook: Click

Ok. I took 3 hours to read and re-read this post and I am still a little confused. I got the save for web little arrow thing. WHoo hoo. When I try to save my color settings to what you have, it tells me I am unsynchronized.

I am calibrated to my pront shop at 5200 1.8 80 I used Eye one to calibrate.

I donot have a program like Safari, Is this the one you would recommend? My pictures open up in Window picture adn fax viewer. I want the edited pics in cs2 to look the same on the computer. I edit in my studio and the pics need to look the same so the clients know exactly what they are getting. I am guessing the whole problem will be fixed if I get a Safari program. I also have zoombrowser and lightroom right now.

My settings are
North American General Purpose 2
U.S. Web Coater (SWOP) v2
Dot Gain 20%
Dot Gain 20%

Preserve Embedded
Preserve Embedded
Preserve Embedded

As soon as I try to check off any of these boxes it tells me I am unsyncronized

Assign profile I have teh middle one checked off sRGBIEC61966-2.1

Convert:'
Source space: sRGBIEC61966-2.1
Destination Space: ""

I hate to even post this after all the trouble you have gone through and all the questions that you have answered over and over again but this is really starting to drive me crazy.

Thank you for your help, I appreciate it so much

Kathleen

The unsynchronized means that you have other Adobe programs (Bridge for instance) that are set differently.
From the PS help (hard to find): "When you specify Creative Suite color settings using Adobe Bridge, color settings are automatically synchronized, ensuring that colors look the same in all color-managed Adobe Creative Suite 3 components. For instructions on setting up color management using Bridge, search for “synchronize color settings” in your component’s Help."

Safari is a web browser for Mac, it recently got available for Windows, but I don't have any experience with that one.
I'd use any viewer that is color managed for showing off images. Not sure what that'll be on windows, but you could use bridge or Lightroom (which can also make a slideshow), or maybe give iView a try. I'm sure there are a bunch of others.

On the display calibration: I use D65 setting: 6500K, gamma 2.2, display about 100Cd/m^2.

The setting you use (if I understand correctly) is 5200K, gamma 1.8? That would explain a difference, since that's way different then 'default' (sRGB) displays.
I'd recommend using gamma 2.2 and probabely a higher color temperature as well. D50 (5000K, gamma 1.8) is used in prepress, not that much in photography.

Um yeah. still not working. I am thinking I need a program that is color managed to open my files in. Any suggestions?

Photos By Katie wrote in post #4713312
Um yeah. still not working. I am thinking I need a program that is color managed to open my files in. Any suggestions?

What's not working?

Like I said:

René Damkot wrote in post #4706418
I'd use any viewer that is color managed for showing off images. Not sure what that'll be on windows, but you could use bridge or Lightroom (which can also make a slideshow), or maybe give iView a try. I'm sure there are a bunch of others.

I'm not sure if the LR slideshow will be displayed right, but if so, I'd think that would be the most 'slick' option.

iView would probably work, and is a great DAM application as well.
PhotoMechanic would probably work as well, and is a great program.
Bridge would work, and you already own it

Apologizes to René and Photos_by_Katie to intrude in the middle of your discussion.
I thought here is the most appropriate place for providing this information, rather than setting a new thread.

I find this during a deep and thrilling excursion inside my hard drive. it is a comprehensive, step-by-step , explanation of
how to configure Photoshop to color-manage an Epson printer.

There is nothing in this document that careful readers of René's post will not already know. I was however more than happy to find the A-to-Z screen captures to complete the settings.

ftp://ftp.epson.com.au​/pub/epson/TechTips/RG​B%20CS2%20Windows%20Wo​rkflow.pdf

EDIT: in case the link hangs, google "the rgb workflow guide" (including the double quotes)

Photos By Katie wrote in post #4713312
Um yeah. still not working. I am thinking I need a program that is color managed to open my files in. Any suggestions?

Katie,

If you are using Windows XP only:
Microsofts Fax viewer will be color managed if you install Microsoft's Color Control Panel Applet. Be careful that only one display profile is installed for your monitor. You can also download Microsoft's raw file viewer in the same download section.

http://www.microsoft.c​om …wnloads/colorco​ntrol.aspx
http://www.microsoft.c​om …to/downloads/de​fault.aspx

Preben

OK, sorry if this problem has already been covered.

Firstly, I use the Spyder2Express to calibrate my LCD.

From reading the first post, I understand some software is colour managed and others not. So Photoshop, Bridge and Windows Picture Viewer (in Vista which I use) are colour managed programs. Firefox and 'general' Windows use (such as setting an image as a background) are not. This is fine and I can understand this.

However, I hoped by using a Spyder2Express that differences between colour managed programs and non-managed programs would be minimal. In reality, I'm getting a big difference, especially in blue/green. I don't know how I can make a screenshot to show this, but there is a very noticable change.

Is there any way to profile non managed applications to look more like my managed ones?

Also, my brother uses the same Spyder2Express and calibrated his monitor in exactly the same way. He does not have this problem and all his non managed programs look virtually identical to his managed ones.

I understand that Safari is colour managed and now available for Windows. So this would solve my internet problems, but my main computer (desktop images) would still look totally wrong.

Thanks!

EDIT: I guess I'm dissapointed at the huge shift in colour between managed and non managed programs, and confused why Vista colour manages its picture viewer but not desktop?

red hot sheep wrote in post #4741074
However, I hoped by using a Spyder2Express that differences between colour managed programs and non-managed programs would be minimal. In reality, I'm getting a big difference, especially in blue/green. I don't know how I can make a screenshot to show this, but there is a very noticable change.

The difference you see is the difference between the monitor profile and the sRGB profile.
Whether the difference is biggor or smaller then before calibrating depends on what monitor profile was used before (likely sRGB or something close), and how close your monitor actually is to sRGB...

red hot sheep wrote in post #4741074
Is there any way to profile non managed applications to look more like my managed ones?

Get a monitor closer to sRGB
So, in reality: no.

red hot sheep wrote in post #4741074
Also, my brother uses the same Spyder2Express and calibrated his monitor in exactly the same way. He does not have this problem and all his non managed programs look virtually identical to his managed ones.

He probably has a different monitor, closer to sRGB.

red hot sheep wrote in post #4741074
I understand that Safari is colour managed and now available for Windows. So this would solve my internet problems, but my main computer (desktop images) would still look totally wrong.

If the difference is so huge it is bothersome even where it doesn't (IMO) matter, I'd consider a better monitor (assuming that's the cause)

red hot sheep wrote in post #4741074
EDIT: I guess I'm dissapointed at the huge shift in colour between managed and non managed programs, and confused why Vista colour manages its picture viewer but not desktop?

No experience whatsoever with Vista, but I'd guess that color managing everything was not considered important. (I wouldn't). Then again, I'd implement it nevertheless

Thanks a lot René.

I've actually installed Safari for Windows now so my internet browsing is now colour managed. So really the only thing that's not is my desktop background - I can live with that! (And can't afford a new monitor!)

Thanks again.