psxindo wrote in post #4810615
If I open the image in LR on both laptop and desktop, they are fairly similar in color.
They should, that's what color management tries to achieve 
So far, so good.
psxindo wrote in post #4810615
but when I open the image in windows preview, the laptop is muted and dull, but the one in desktop is similar to the one in desktop and laptop LR.
Double check: Laptop is using Vista, right?
So (AFAIK) the Vista viewer is color managed. It should therefore display *identical* (not similar, but the same) to LR.
If it doesn't, then either it isn't color managed (may be settable in some preference, no idea; I'm on a Mac), or one of the two programs isn't using the correct profile.
psxindo wrote in post #4810615
I did some reading from the web. There's a test for color in photoshop.
[...]
Any color differences between MonitorRGB and WindowsRGB in this Photoshop Soft Proofing is the difference between the monitor color space, Monitor RGB, and the sRGB colorspace -- exactly as shown above in the tagged-untagged sRGB photos paired above.
Yeah, well... Like I said inpost #40 in the link from my sig:
"Windows proof is assuming sRGB (so an sRGB file shouldn't change; an AdobeRGB will look 'flat');
Monitor profile is a non color managed application on your system. (assumes monitor profile: No conversion of colors)
Note that in my screenshot, the non proofed image looks the same as the windows proof. The Mac proof shows the difference between Gamma 2.2 and 1.8, the Monitor proof shows the difference between my monitor profile and sRGB..."
So, as far as I read it, I agree with this part.
psxindo wrote in post #4810615
If this SoftProofing technique confirms where the wrong color or density shift occurs, the solution to fix and solve the color issues is to recalibrate and reprofile display monitor to 2.2 gamma, D65 6500 degrees Kelvin.
If there is still a blue shift, a bluish tint blueish tone to the photos, the actual monitor hardware is likely set to 9200 9300 degrees Kelvin. Likewise, a yellow cast would indicate the monitor itself is set to 5500 5000 Kelvin degrees. If the monitor has buttons, enter its menu and set its color temperature to 6500 to match its ICC profile to minimize any unwanted warm or cool tones. I *think* what he's saying here, is that if for some reason your monitor is set to the wrong whitepoint (5000K or 9300K, instead of 6500K, way more yellowish or blueish), so calibrated wrong, it's far from sRGB, so you see a huge difference.
What he's not saying however, is that *no* monitor out there will behave identical to the sRGB standard. There will allways be a difference between your monitor and sRGB: sRGB represents the 'avarage' (CRT) monitor.
psxindo wrote in post #4810615
If untagged AppleRGB and untagged sRGB both display incorrect color in Safari or FireFox, I would say you have a bad monitor profile or bad operating system, software bug or odd approach to monitor profiling.
I dont agree. This bit is at least incomplete. For one thing, AppleRGB assumes gamma 1.8, sRGB gamma 2.2. One of them will look vastly different from the same (tagged; with embedded profile) image in PS.
If you open an image without embedded profile in photoshop, and don't assign one, PS will display it as if it has the default RGB working space, so that you're in for quite a surprise if your default space were ProPhotoRGB for instance
psxindo wrote in post #4810615
I did the test and when I soft proof to monitor RGB , it's similar to the exported jpg file in windows preview. But I don't understand why and how to fix this problem.
That would suggest windows preview isn't color managed. Again: Normal for XP, not sure about Vista.
psxindo wrote in post #4810615
Regarding printing using lightroom, I found this on the adobe forum:
http://www.adobeforums.com/webx?14@@.3bca10f2/17
I can't change the "color manage" dialog in LR.
If I choose other, it only show blank.
only choice is "color manage by printer". And this option gave me the dull and muted colors.
If you set "color managed by printer" make sure you set that as well in the *printer* dialog.
To be able to set a printer/paper profile in LR, make sure the profiles are in the correct place. No idea where that would be in either version of Windows.
Here's a link
that might help.
Although, from skimming that link, the problem might also be Vista (or printer-driver) related:
After much trial and error I have found that it is impossible to turn off colour management by the printer with Vista driver and the printer does not seem to understand the prophoto that LR sends