Color Discrepancies. Kind of a big deal...

beline

This is interesting. My pictures look different on line and on my computer... :dunno

I am shooting with a Konica-Minolta Maxxum 5D. I have the color space set to "Normal" which shoots with the standard (not Adobe) color space.

I use Apple Aperture to work with my photos, and I have the proofing color set to Smug Mug's color space.

So I tweak my photos, adjust my curves, sharpen, etc. and I get my pictures looking just the way I want them too for the final image, so I upload them. However, once they are on line they look a little washed out. When I run Auto Color on them they come back to where I thought they should have been in the first place. :huh

My question is, "sure, my laptop isn't perfectly calibrated, but, shouldn't my photos look the same on my computer as on line?" Secondly, "which should I trust (I am using True Color)? Should I just set my print preference to Auto Color and forget about it?"

Thanks for the fast responses. I have like six orders waiting to go out, but I want to be sure of this first... :scratch

Andy

Are you using Safari?

We're discussing this over here:
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=52712

beline

Andy wrote:

Are you using Safari?

We're discussing this over here:
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=52712

Firefox...

beline

But. Like I said. When I run the Auto Color on the Smug Mug wesite, they look fine...

Should I shot Adobe Embeded? Should I just forget it and change my print settings to Auto Color?

I am considering the Auto Color thing... What do you say?

marlinspike

Are you saving your photos in the Adobe rgb color space or srgb color space? srgb is the correct one.

Andy

beline wrote:

But. Like I said. When I run the Auto Color on the Smug Mug wesite, they look fine...

Should I shot Adobe Embeded? Should I just forget it and change my print settings to Auto Color?

I am considering the Auto Color thing... What do you say?

Do not use Adobe - use sRGB. Let us know. Yes, I recommend auto color - here's why:
http://smugmug.jot.com/WikiHome/Pros

Auto in color effects is not the same as Auto at the lab. It's good, but not nearly as good!

beline

soo... pretty much, set my galleries to Auto Color, in the lab, and they will look better than I can get them at this point in time...

DavidTO

beline wrote:

soo... pretty much, set my galleries to Auto Color, in the lab, and they will look better than I can get them at this point in time...

And convert them to sRGB before upload.

beline

aperture states my color profiles are "RGB", should it say "sRGB"?

DavidTO

beline wrote:

aperture states my color profiles are "RGB", should it say "sRGB"?

sRGB

beline

ok, so they have been exporting as sRGB this entire time... so just turn Auto Color on and leave it?

beline

oh, and ps, at this rate, my girlfriend thinks "worried grin" is a rather fitting title... she told me to mention that...

mkress65

I'm not an expert on this but isn't Aperture ICC/ color management aware vs. FF having no idea what color management is? My pictures look different in CS2/LightRoom (calibrated monitor)vs. what I see in FF or ie 7 (on the same monitor). Or maybe I'm missing something as I continue to learn color management.

As for auto vs. true color, since what I see on my monitor matches what I print on my printer at home, I tend to use TrueColor -- unless I haven't really worked very hard on getting the colors right.

My suggestion for you would be to order the same print where you haven't done anything to it on SmugMug, then using AutoColor in SmugMug and then AutoColor from EZ prints and see how they match up w/ what you are expecting/ what you are seeing in Aperture vs. what's online. Or you might want to order the sample prints from SmugMug and download the sample images (same images) to your hard drive and compare those.

beline

Ok, so untill I have time to order a test print and do my thing, I am setting my galleries to Auto Color so I dont piss any customers off. I may have lost one already... I thought the shots looked kind of off as they whent out... Hopefully it was just FF...

rddphotos

beline wrote:

Ok, so untill I have time to order a test print and do my thing, I am setting my galleries to Auto Color so I dont piss any customers off. I may have lost one already... I thought the shots looked kind of off as they whent out... Hopefully it was just FF...

You may want to rethink that.

I have always noticed a problem with color shifting, but I think I hate the nailed it on the head this time. I took a RGB 800x600 saved with the sRGB profile.

Here's the original file (stored on smugmug)


and here's the large file


if viewed with firefox both images look ALMOST identical, but the color cannot be exactly replicated in photoshop, as for safari the original file looks correct as what is seen in photoshop and the large file looks similiar to the problem as seen in firefox.

The interesting thing is that when I open the original file from my desktop in safari the result is correct compared to the original file on smugmug, but when opened in firefox it does not match the online original.

As far as i'm concerned trying to utilize a browser that does not support the embedded sRGB profile (ie Safari) the results will be when trying to working with others that are previewing your files online, will only make it that much more difficult

Andy

beline wrote:

I may have lost one already...

Tell them, the SmugMug Guarantee to the rescue:

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?p=456689#post456689

I'll take care of you and your customer.

Andy

Bump

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=52712

Baldy

Hey, I poured my heart and soul into making the oh-so-elusive Mac color issues clear:

http://blogs.smugmug.com/onethumb/2007/02/14/this-is-your-mac-on-drugs/

I'd love some digg love if you like the post.