Save for Web, Washed Out Colors, and ICC

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

09/19/2006 12:04:19 PM · #1

I noticed recently that when I Save for Web and upload, the colors look washed out. If I view the exact same file in Photoshop, it looks fine. I've been reading and I think it's because I'm using a custom ICC profile. I had to create this profile after I mucked up my calibration and that got everything looking good again. It's my understanding that more browsers (Firefox and IE included), do not use the ICC profile. Photoshop is set to sRGB.

Is there a workaround that I can do to get my images to look OK in browsers, besides dropping my custom ICC? If I drop it I'll have to deal with the calibration headache and I'm not ready for that. Thanks.

TechnoShroom

Canon EOS-30D

09/19/2006 12:10:16 PM · #2

Just convert from your custom color space to standard sRGB.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

09/19/2006 12:13:47 PM · #3

Originally posted by TechnoShroom:

Just convert from your custom color space to standard sRGB.

I already have Photoshop set to sRGB. Is there another step I need to do? The tutorial for preparing photos says to convert before save for web, but if it's already set, why do again?

When I get home I'll verify that PS is on sRGB, but I did a couple days ago it was set on that.

TechnoShroom

Canon EOS-30D

09/19/2006 12:19:37 PM · #4

Little difficult to follow. Are you using your custom color space or are you using sRGB or did you save your custom color space over the sRGB profile?

Assuming you didn't save over the original sRGB color space with your custom profile and you are working in sRGB then there shouldn't be a color change when you Save for Web.

Since there is, something else must have happened. You must either be working in your custom color space and not converting to sRGB or you saved over your sRGB space with the custom one.

Message edited by author 2006-09-19 12:19:54.

09/19/2006 12:31:59 PM · #5

Originally posted by TechnoShroom:

The customer color space is not saved over sRGB, unless I really screwed up and just don't realize it. It's been a month or so, but I remember giving it a new name when I saved it.

I believe that I have th ecolor managment for my monitor set for the custom profile, but PS is sRGB. I am really sure that's how they're set, but I will verify when I get home. What gets me is why PS displays the "saved for web" picture different than the browser. Flipping back and forth yields a big difference.

Thanks.

Nusbaum

Fujifilm X-T1

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

09/19/2006 12:48:19 PM · #6

Remember that you set photoshop to a default color space, such as sRGB, but you also set the color space for each individual image. Check the current color space for the image that gets washed out, if it's not sRGB change it before you save for web.

09/19/2006 12:52:07 PM · #7

Originally posted by Nusbaum:

OK, I'll check that out. What would change the color space for an image? I converted from RAW in PS and did all my editing there in PS. Is there a setting in the RAW conversion screen for color space?

hanneke

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

09/19/2006 12:54:15 PM · #8

for uploads at DPC I always set:

view -> proof setup -> monitor RGB
view -> proof colors

this gives you the colors the way they will be upoaded :)

TechnoShroom

Canon EOS-30D

09/19/2006 12:58:00 PM · #9

Originally posted by mad_brewer:

Yes, lower left of the ACR screen.

EDIT: If you've properly set up PS though it shouldn't be a problem because you'll get a warning message every time there is a profile mismatch. Double check your PS settings to make sure you have warnings for mismatched profiles enabled.

Message edited by author 2006-09-19 13:01:41.

Artifacts

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/19/2006 02:08:52 PM · #10

Originally posted by Nusbaum:

There is a way to check and see if this is your issue.

In Photoshop CS2:
Edit->Convert to Profile

In Photoshop PS7
Image->Mode->Convert to Profile

In this dialog you see a "Source" and "Destination" color spaces. Check this. If the Destination color space is not sRGB as shown you will want to change it before you output a web graphic. Just be sure that you do not save it when you close out of image otherwise you will change from your custom ICC.

09/19/2006 02:47:37 PM · #11

Lots to check tonight. I'll post back here what I find.

Edit: I didn't notice, but when I went to save for web, it had ICC Profile and Progressive checked. I unchecked them and tried it again, same result.

The image is sRGB before save for web.

Under Edit, color settings, what should it be setup for?

Message edited by author 2006-09-19 23:33:58.

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

09/19/2006 11:37:26 PM · #12

Originally posted by biteme:

for uploads at DPC I always set:

view -> proof setup -> monitor RGB
view -> proof colors

this gives you the colors the way they will be upoaded :)

hanneke - that's it!! When I did the proof colors thing it came exactly how I uploaded it. Does this mean that I need to do my editing with this turned on?

Rebecca

Nikon D80

09/19/2006 11:56:08 PM · #13

I dunno... I've been having the same problem, and have been editing my photos to be darker than I want them to compensate for the lightening effect. I don't have "proof setup" or "proof colors" in my view menu, but when I view it in Macintosh RGB that's the difference - since that's what I have my monitor set to display.

09/19/2006 11:58:02 PM · #14

Originally posted by karmabreeze:

I just did some quick editing with the proof thing on. The results aren't as good as my original, but better than washed out. I'll guess I'll see how it goes in a few minutes.

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

09/20/2006 10:00:30 AM · #15

Bump for the morning color space gurus.

So does everybody edit with proof on or should I look for another solution?

Rebecca

Nikon D80

09/20/2006 08:35:35 PM · #16

Originally posted by mad_brewer:

Bump for the morning color space gurus.

So does everybody edit with proof on or should I look for another solution?

I've been fussing with monitor calibration in my free time since last night... my solution seems to have been to change it to the Windows default and mostly fuss with gamma. I wonder if this is to blame for my run of ridiculously bad scores, since it seems to have really begun when I got the new computer, and looking at a few recent entries post-calibration I seem to have lost a fair bit of detail in the darker portions. Though my September Free Study entry now looks better. Weird.

tmph

Pentax K20D

Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4 AF

09/20/2006 09:00:34 PM · #17

Originally posted by stdavidson:

Originally posted by Nusbaum:
Remember that you set photoshop to a default color space, such as sRGB, but you also set the color space for each individual image. Check the current color space for the image that gets washed out, if it's not sRGB change it before you save for web.

There is a way to check and see if this is your issue.

In Photoshop CS2:
Edit->Convert to Profile

In Photoshop PS7
Image->Mode->Convert to Profile

In this dialog you see a "Source" and "Destination" color spaces. Check this. If the Destination color space is not sRGB as shown you will want to change it before you output a web graphic. Just be sure that you do not save it when you close out of image otherwise you will change from your custom ICC.

Thank a lot that solve my washed out colors problem!

Rebecca

Nikon D80

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

09/20/2006 09:08:51 PM · #18

Originally posted by tmph:

Originally posted by stdavidson:

Originally posted by Nusbaum:
Remember that you set photoshop to a default color space, such as sRGB, but you also set the color space for each individual image. Check the current color space for the image that gets washed out, if it's not sRGB change it before you save for web.

There is a way to check and see if this is your issue.

In Photoshop CS2:
Edit->Convert to Profile

In Photoshop PS7
Image->Mode->Convert to Profile

In this dialog you see a "Source" and "Destination" color spaces. Check this. If the Destination color space is not sRGB as shown you will want to change it before you output a web graphic. Just be sure that you do not save it when you close out of image otherwise you will change from your custom ICC.

Thank a lot that solve my washed out colors problem!

This is helpful to me as well. However! In PS 5.5, the menu path is as follows:
Image / Mode / Profile to Profile
and from there you switch from whatever you're in to sRGB.