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08/23/2002 10:52:57 AM · #1 |
Thank you to everyone that commented on my pencil photo this week (although you won't know which one unitl Monday). This thread is in no way a complaint about comments. Rather, more of a concern that I may have become color blind. I put a lot of time and effort into my photo this week and while doing so, learned a lot. I'm (or was) very content with the results. I was very proud to have achieved a decent black background. But reading through the comments, I noticed many viewers saw the background as being grey - not black as I see it. So I asked a co-worker - and he says that it is grey. Now I'm beginning to really question what I'm looking at. I have three separate monitors (1 laptop, an IBM flat panel[work] and a second-hand 17" compaq) to compare these photos. I have gone through monitor calibrations, adjusted colors associated with PS (although I do notice that when I use PS - the colors are much more richer than when viewed with ACDsee) and changed monitor settings. I believe one problem is that I may 'see' the colors as they should be - or something like that.
I didn't post this to justify or whine about the results of my photo, I posted it to learn from the experience. So I have a couple of thoughts/questions:
-Black vs Grey - is it as simple as black & white (although I don't see black and white as simple) - or are there different tones of black as opposed to only one black and everything less than just black is grey? Then does the same thing hold true for white? I guess, then for myself, when I refer to something being grey, I will note it being light or dark. - I don't know - feeling wordy today - sorry.
-Printing: order: shoot, transfer to comp - comp adjusts to monitor and software - software adjusts to printer...Is this correct - or when you print, is it the computer - not what is on the monitor - that tells the printer what to print - does this make sense? ....If I print from PS, will the same file in Corel print differently?
-Will a printed file look basically the same as being downloaded to the site? Hence, giving me another means of comparing the end result?
Alright - I know you've all had enough - but I thank you for your time, effort and knowledge....blah blah blah - OK OK it's Friday and I've had 2 cups of coffee
Ruthann
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08/23/2002 12:33:28 PM · #2 |
The ones that say it is grey probably have the intensity too high on their monitors. If you adjust your brightnes as the machine starts up (before starting windows or whatever), to where you have a black screen vs a grey screen that may make a difference. Reboot your co-workers computer and see if the background is black or grey when it first starts it's boot process. (Keep in mind that I go back to the days of old and dos, so my method may not be appropriate anymore)
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08/23/2002 10:15:53 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by RedRuthann:
-Black vs Grey - is it as simple as black & white [...]
-Printing: order: shoot, transfer to comp - comp adjusts to monitor and software - software adjusts to printer...Is this correct - or when you print, is it the computer - not what is on the monitor - that tells the printer what to print - does this make sense? ....If I print from PS, will the same file in Corel print differently?
-Will a printed file look basically the same as being downloaded to the site? Hence, giving me another means of comparing the end result?
Hi Ruthann -- As you already know, this topic can drive you crazy with all of the details that you need to juggle to make any sense of the situation. First, the following link points to an Adobe page that discusses the terminology related to Color Management:
Adobe Resource
Keep in mind that your laptop and flat-panel display probably are not showing accurate color information. Some of the best flat-panel displays that I've seen include the Apple Cinema Displays, and the reviews that I've read warn that even these high-end panels don't reproduce color information like a high-end CRT. In time I'm sure this will change as the technology keeps getting better.....but right now I would not trust the color information you are seeing on the laptop or flat-panel display.
Your second-hand 17" compaq monitor probably will provide the best results, if you carefully tweak the calibration. Another point to consider is that a Macintosh computer uses a different gamma (intensity) setting than a Microsoft Windows computer.
I prepare my DPChallenge photo on a Macintosh computer (where it displays brighter than on a typical PC).....and try to find a happy medium so it will look close to the way I want it for most computer systems. There is no "perfect setting" when you are dealing with the web!
You also asked about printing.......that opens a whole 'nother can of worms! Lots of variables with printing too. In general I would not trust a printout of your photo when trying to determine how it will look on DPChallenge. The best thing to do is post your photo on the web (here at DPChallenge or elsewhere), then look at the photo on several different computers......ideally include a Macintosh, a cheap PC, a high-end PC that is calibrated, etc. This will give you the best overview of how others will see your entry.
Hope this helps!
Alan
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08/23/2002 10:36:49 PM · #4 |
Pete - thanks for your response - and for reading my very long post. Actually, my coworker was looking at the same screen - we realized that while he was standing and I was sitting - the lcd displayed a very different image at different angles - ugh how frustrating.
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08/23/2002 10:39:56 PM · #5 |
But what do you do when you only have an old (3-5 yrs) compaq monitor?
It must be too bright. everybody says my pictures are too dark. I made adjustments in the preferences of my editor. but that doesn't seem to have helped.
Help. Aelith
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08/23/2002 10:42:09 PM · #6 |
Alan - thanks for reading my long winded post and replying. Yes, I think that I'm just going to have to accept what ever comes out. If I'm happy with the way it appears on my screen - then that should be enough. Besides the intensity of the black - really isn't the most important thing for me right now. As time permits (as well as my patience level) I will keep adjusting the monitor and compare with different monitors. As far as the printing - I thought that there was something I was missing, but I knew that answer and you help to reassure that I was understanding the printing.
Thanks again!!
UGH monitors
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08/24/2002 12:15:42 AM · #7 |
Originally posted by aelith:
But what do you do when you only have an old (3-5 yrs) compaq monitor?
It must be too bright. everybody says my pictures are too dark. I made adjustments in the preferences of my editor. but that doesn't seem to have helped.
Aelith -- Like I mentioned in the post above, it would be helpful for you to post a few photos online and then visit your public library's computer (or friend's computer or work computer, etc) and try to get a good sampling of how different computer monitors display your photos. You could even do this with the previous entries you've entered on this site. This will give you a better idea of how to adjust your photos so they look better on the "average" monitor (of course, there is no such thing as an average monitor!). |
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08/24/2002 10:44:31 AM · #8 |
One thing worth bearing in mind is that in general LCD screens (and therefore laptops too) are not as good at colour as conventional monitors - and they can also be very sensitive to viewing angle.
This is partly the reason I've decided to resist replacing my ageing Iiyama monitor with a sleek LCD model. The other reason, of course, being that I want to spend all my money on a new camera :-) |
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