Photography - Windows Color Managment, Adobe Working Spaces, Adobe Gamma

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Windows Color Managment, Adobe Working Spaces, Adobe Gamma

I have decided to begin on the (seemingly) long path towards correct colour
reproduction for my computer, in particular my monitor. I believe I
understand the basics of 'colour management', but fail to see how all these
little elements form 'colour management' in it's entirety.

I use a Dell P992 monitor, NVIDIA graphics card running on Windows XP
Professional. I have Adobe Photoshop CS2 (and have in the past utilised
Adobe Gamma) and Adobe Illustrator CS2. The P992 monitor includes and ICM
profile (which I'm not sure whether to use or not).

I will try and split up my questions for clarity

1. Windows XP Control Panel Display Settings Advanced Color
Management

What is the purpose of this? The computer has automatically installed the
ICM profile I mentioned early for the monitor. Is this not superseded by
Adobe Gamma AND Adobe Photoshop Color Settings? If indeed this is of any use
at all where does it fit into the equation of Colour Management?

By default the ICM profile has been installed with the monitor driver. Is
this the best profile to use for this particular circumstance? Or would a
custom made version be better (i.e. Adobe GAMMA ICC profile, Eye-One Display
2 profile etc.). I am unsure as to where to use the different profiles in
each different case.

2. Adobe Software - Illustrator CS2, Photoshop CS2 (Color Settings Dialog
Box)

I am using http://www.computer-darkroom.com/ps9_colour/ps9_1.htm as a
tutorial to help me set up Adobe software and Adobe Gamma, which I'm hoping
will be a good solution to follow.

Am I right in saying Adobe Gamma simply alters the physical display
properties of the monitor and nothing else, so that it resembles the optimum
image to the eye? Is this independent from the 'Working Spaces' section in
the Color Settings Dialog Box in Photoshop? What exactly is the function of
this and again where does this fit exactly into the colour management
equation?

I appreciate any information concerning this, since answers to these
particular questions seem unavailable on the internet. Thanks in advance.

Andrew

Windows Color Managment, Adobe Working Spaces, Adobe Gamma

Andy Leese wrote:
I have decided to begin on the (seemingly) long path towards correct
colour reproduction for my computer, in particular my monitor. I
believe I understand the basics of 'colour management', but fail to
see how all these little elements form 'colour management' in it's
entirety.

Your first step should be to pick up a decent colorometer.
I recommend the Spyder 2 from ColorVision.

http://www.photoshopsupport.com/phot...on-spyder.html

--
Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by Mark² at:
www.pbase.com/markuson

Windows Color Managment, Adobe Working Spaces, Adobe Gamma

On Nov 22 2006 1:06 PM, Mark² wrote:

Your first step should be to pick up a decent colorometer.
I recommend the Spyder 2 from ColorVision.

http://www.photoshopsupport.com/phot...on-spyder.html

I like the Pantone Huey.

http://www.macworld.com/2006/07/reviews/huey/index.php

Rob-L

__________________________________________________ ___________________*
RecGroups : the community-oriented newsreader : www.recgroups.com

Windows Color Managment, Adobe Working Spaces, Adobe Gamma

Rob-L wrote:
On Nov 22 2006 1:06 PM, Mark² wrote:

Your first step should be to pick up a decent colorometer.
I recommend the Spyder 2 from ColorVision.

http://www.photoshopsupport.com/phot...on-spyder.html

I like the Pantone Huey.

http://www.macworld.com/2006/07/reviews/huey/index.php

Rob-L

__________________________________________________ ___________________
RecGroups : the community-oriented newsreader : www.recgroups.com

I use Gretamacbeth.

http://usa.gretagmacbethstore.com/in...isplay%202.htm

Windows Color Managment, Adobe Working Spaces, Adobe Gamma

On Nov 22 2006 3:55 PM, Roy G wrote:
[snip]

Ian Lyons site "computer-darkroom" has more than enough theoretical and
practical info to satisfy your needs.
[snip]
Roy G

Here is the URL. Thanks for the tip!

http://www.computer-darkroom.com/home.htm

Rob-L

__________________________________________________ ___________________*
: the next generation of web-newsreaders : http://www.recgroups.com

Windows Color Managment, Adobe Working Spaces, Adobe Gamma

"Andy Leese" wrote in message
...
I have decided to begin on the (seemingly) long path towards correct colour
reproduction for my computer, in particular my monitor. I believe I
understand the basics of 'colour management', but fail to see how all these
little elements form 'colour management' in it's entirety.

I use a Dell P992 monitor, NVIDIA graphics card running on Windows XP
Professional. I have Adobe Photoshop CS2 (and have in the past utilised
Adobe Gamma) and Adobe Illustrator CS2. The P992 monitor includes and ICM
profile (which I'm not sure whether to use or not).

Hi Andy,

Here's a procedure that should get you on track, without having to buy any
additional hardware.

Start by installing your P992 profile as your monitor profile. If you like
the result, stick with it. This is controlled in the color tab or your
display properties. If necessary, move the Adobe Gamma loader from the
startup folder to another location, and reboot your system. Then run Adobe
Gamma control panel, load the profile, and immediately quit without changing
anything. This will ensure that Photoshop will register the correct monitor
profile in its registry settings.

Next, load or otherwise create a gray step wedge of 21 steps, and make sure
that you can just detect the brightest and darkest squares, and that there
is no overall color cast, or a cast affecting part of the gradient. I've
created a step wedge like this, that also includes skin tones:
http://www.curvemeister.com/download...test_strip.htm

Here is another recent test that uses gradients of various colors to test
your video setup for banding.
http://www.curvemeister.com/download.../gradient6.png

If the step wedge and gradients look good in Photoshop, you're golden. If
they do not, download the following pair of free utilities, which will help
to calibrate and profile your display:
http://quickgamma.de/QuickMonitorProfile/indexen.html
http://quickgamma.de/indexen.html

Many people choose to purchase hardware to calibrate their displays, but
this is not necessary for single user systems where the extra time spent
calibrating manually is less important than the budget. I also believe that
it's a good chance for a hands on color adjustment experience to ensure that
your monitor is set up correctly. Good images were being created long
before monitor calibration gadgets arrived on the scene.
--
Mike Russell
www.curvemeister.com/forum/

Windows Color Managment, Adobe Working Spaces, Adobe Gamma

Thanks for the response. I have it in hand to get a monitor callibration
tool Spyder or gretagmacbeth probably. my main question (and the question
that I can't seem to find an answer to anywhre) is...

What is the purpose of Windows XP Control panel Display Settings
Advanced Color Management ?

It's a simple question, but I can't find the answer anywhere. If I am using
Adobe Gamma (to make my monitor display colors correctly) and using color
management in Photoshop etc... what purpose is this in Windows? What does it
do that anything else doesn't do?

I really can't find anything on its actual function in microsoft
documentation and web sites etc...

Thanks again...

Windows Color Managment, Adobe Working Spaces, Adobe Gamma

"Andy Leese" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the response. I have it in hand to get a monitor callibration
tool Spyder or gretagmacbeth probably. my main question (and the question
that I can't seem to find an answer to anywhre) is...

What is the purpose of Windows XP Control panel Display Settings
Advanced Color Management ?

It's a simple question, but I can't find the answer anywhere. If I am
using Adobe Gamma (to make my monitor display colors correctly) and using
color management in Photoshop etc... what purpose is this in Windows? What
does it do that anything else doesn't do?

I really can't find anything on its actual function in microsoft
documentation and web sites etc...

Thanks again...

Hi.

From what I can make out, all that the Display Settings Colour Management
does is to allow you to select which Monitor Profile is used as the Default
for that Monitor.

You also need to check that Photoshop is using the same Profile as its
Monitor Profile.

Roy G

Windows Color Managment, Adobe Working Spaces, Adobe Gamma

Andy Leese wrote:
Thanks for the response. I have it in hand to get a monitor callibration
tool Spyder or gretagmacbeth probably. my main question (and the question
that I can't seem to find an answer to anywhre) is...

What is the purpose of Windows XP Control panel Display Settings
Advanced Color Management ?

They're are useful settings that are generally good for the monitor
being used. If one were not into graphics, these settings would suffice
for general use. But they do not calibrate the monitor to display colors
accurately in the environment where the monitor is being used. For
example, I have calibrated the color temperature of my monitor to be
5500K, in a moderately darkened room. The color temperature I have
chosen to use as the calibrated mode for my monitor is close to daylight
temperature and using that as a baseline for viewing my photographs, I
can readily see the true effects of filters or just the ambient colors
of the scene photographed.

It's a simple question, but I can't find the answer anywhere. If I am using
Adobe Gamma (to make my monitor display colors correctly) and using color
management in Photoshop etc... what purpose is this in Windows? What does it
do that anything else doesn't do?

If you had the opportunity to calibrate your monitor (Adobe Gamma must
be off and any other generalized monitor tool must be off during the
calibration process) and compare the settings you're presently using to
the new calibrated setting you have created specifically for the monitor
used, you would see a difference in the display of colors. There may be
major difference or there may be a minor difference, but there would be
a difference. The difference would be seen from specifically customizing
your monitor to your ambient working conditions as opposed to using a
generalized setting that does not compensate for the brightness and
color temperature of the ambient light in the room.

I chose the gretamacbeth color calibrator over the spider 2 because the
gretamacbeth will allow the user to choose one out of about 7 optional
color temperatures when calibrating the monitor as opposed to the spider
2 allowing the user to choose one color temperature from about 3
offered. If one choses not to use the advanced mode of calibration, I
believe the color calibrator will default to 5000k as the standard color
temperature. I think the spider 2 will do the same; that is, default to
5000k as the standard color temperature.

Once having calibrated the monitor, reminders can be set in time periods
of your choosing, to check the calibration thereby maintaining a
constant standard color temperature, screen brightness, contrast, and
tonal range.

I really can't find anything on its actual function in microsoft
documentation and web sites etc...

Thanks again...