----- Original Message ----- From: "lea murphy" ] :color management question : Ok, I've calibrated my monitor and set that as my default display in : my system preferences on my Mac. Should this same profile be the one : I set in PSCS2's color space or should I be using my chosen color : space which is Adobe RGB1998, the same as both my digital cameras. it depends on what you ant your images to do! Each camera, monitor, printer and any other 'digital' device which records, displays or outputs any colour will have it's own colour space or gamut, i.e. it will have it's own colours that the others may or may not be able to reproduce. Each colour space/gamut when defined or controlled by a 'profile' will restrict or expand the colours produced or recorded by a device, either by clipping or altering in either a linear or logarithmic fashion (in the case of smaller gamut) OR expanding in a linear or logarithmic fashion if the gamut is expanded for display or outputting. If you know how the colour is treated in a profile - clipping/linear alteration etc, then you have more knowledge of how 'accurately' the colours will be reproduced and thus more control over the input/output, by selecting the appropriate handler for the modifying profiler. This way you can make sure the image has the best chance of looking right in it's intended final output. Each gamut/colour space is real - that is, your printer can't print greener than it's greenest green. Each software defined colour space makes assumptions about your input/output device which may or may not be accurate based on whatever calibration the device receives and as a consequence, the gamut may be unduly restricted or excessively forgiving of expected colours - hence the reason 'profiling' a workflow through a number of different devices and software packages is both a headache and critical. Some colour spaces are desirably restricted for graphic designers working with magazines - i.e., many ICC profiles are designed for 4 colour offset printing devices where having the full colour space of an 8 colour inkjet will NOT produce good or accurate results, however for a photographer who wants the full gamut of their printer to display the depth and richness of colour possible, cramping the gamut is less than desirable (though a lot of people do this without realising it, and they could have far better pictures than the flat images they print!) of course using a very broad gamut for images designed for the web produces problems too - a gamut wider than one supported by monitors will produce flat, washed out colours when displayed on profile independent web browsers. Horses for courses - the gamut MUST be selected appropriately for the intended output, and the image worked or modified so it will reproduce 'correctly' in that output. Each colour space has it's advantages and disadvantages - some are designed for rgb display*, others for cmyk, others (very few) for clcmlmyklk fewer again for clcmlmykrg - anyone actually see an option anywhere for a clcmlmykrg profile or gamut?? ;-) - *device dependant OR device independent - it depends.. and then there's 'soft proofing' profiles. The International Color Consortium (ICC) is mainly dedicated to the printing industry where CMYK devices are the final destination for images, hence the reason I have problems with the idea of ICC profiles for photographers.. which is one reason why I'm working on a profiling system dedicated to photographers and their various devices (there ain't any to date, so I believe). It's not easy - and with new colour management systems popping up all the time to confuse things further, examining them all for flaws and strengths is a nightmare! I've dropped the project often, deciding it's all too hard, then starting over again later. Working with guys in the print industry, they agree that a profiling system for photographers is something that's very much needed now that photographers are using their own printers for final output. They are gut sick of new colour standards popping up all the time, each promising to solve everyone's problems - failing, and being replaced next year with another new and exciting and better management system. They are also gut sick of the graphic designer/photographer conflicts that occur because of the difference between colours *perceived* and colours *actual*. Perception of colour and the interference created by memory is very much at odds with sensitometric colour renderings and measurements. but I digress. Simple answer - Maybe you want to work in AdobeRGB for altering images and printing, and sRGB for web output, if it's easier set PS up for whatever pfoile you choose for your own printing purposes, and use another smaller, simpler program for altering the colours (profiling to sRGB) for web output and stripping away the 40kb or so of Adobe metadata. k
