Color Help

[Pablo_Yanez]

I was wondering if folks here might give me a hand with something. I'm trying to work out a web posting workflow and am stuck on color calibration issues. If any of you have any time could your look at a very quick test I've set up below:

HERE

And let me know which image from each set (only 2) looks better on your computer.

In particular I'm trying to figure out if some significant differences that I'm seeing in my images after posting are a result of my web browser, OS, Photoshop setting or any combination of these factors. I'm particularly (but not only) interested in feedback from Mac users.

Thanks

[Tim_Lookingbill]

Downloaded all six and the untagged version is slightly more saturated while the other two tagged files are RGB numericaly identical to each other according to Apple DigitalColor Meter.

[Tim_Lookingbill]

Let me be more clear...

Downloaded all six and the untagged version is slightly very subtley more saturated while the other two tagged files are RGB numericaly identical to each other according to Apple DigitalColor Meter in a non-color managed environment.

When opened in PS the AdobeRGB version is oversaturated and the sRGB stayed the same as was viewed in the non-color managed IE. The untagged version when assigned either sRGB or AdobeRGB behaved the same as the other two according to assigned profile with over saturation assigning AdobeRGB and IE preview assigning sRGB. However this untagged image still gave different adjusted previews when assigned either profile that weren't exact to either of the two but with the same level of subtley.

I'm using OS 9.2.2, IE 5.1.7-Colorsync off in IE preferences.

[Pablo_Yanez]

Thanks for the info Tim.

I think I have a handle on this now....

It seems that Safari (the Apple OS X browser) actually does color management - ie the untagged, sRBG and Adobe RGB files look pretty different (if you have an OS X machine try this). All other browsers don't really care how the images are tagged and just interpret them as sRBG -- the result is that they all look the same. On Safari, untagged images look pretty washed out (or at least mine do). I won't call this a flaw but rather a troublesome feature.

I'll need to remember this when posting images on the web, because it seems that "Save for Web" in Photoshop exports untagged images which look poor in Safari.

Thanks for the help,
Pablo

[Tim_Lookingbill]

You might check what is loaded as your Display profile in Colorsync Utility because I believe Safari goes by that when displaying untagged files. You could have loaded a Generic RGB profile there which has a 1.8 gamma encoding. It basically assigns this profile which may account for a lighter washed out look.

Your posted images tagged or untagged are a bit contrasty with deep dark shadows especially in the boat image. The only way it could look washed out is if you applied a gamma that made the image look lighter than what it is at 2.2 the gamma I'm viewing them in.