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Participating Frequently
October 31, 2007
Question

Photoshop CS3 color management "Save for Web" problem

  • October 31, 2007
  • 680 replies
  • 62091 views
This problem is getting the best of me.......

After spending 3 full days researching this problem, I am no closer to finding an answer than when I started. I still cannot produce a usable image through the "Save for Web" feature of Photoshop CS3. I have read web page after web page of "Tips, Tricks and Recommendations" from dozens of experts, some from this forum, and still I have no solution... I am exhausted and frustrated to say the least. Here's the simple facts that I know at this point.

I have a web design project that was started in PS CS1. All artwork was created in photoshop and exported to JPG format by using "Save for Web". Every image displays correctly in these browsers (Safari, Camino, FireFox and even Internet Explorer on a PC).

I have recently upgraded to PS CS3 and now cannot get any newly JPG'd image to display correctly. My original settings in CS1 were of no concern to me at the time, because it always just worked, and so I do not know what they were. I have opened a few of my previous images in CS3 and found that sRGB-2.1 displays them more or less accurately. I am using sRGB 2.1 working space. Upon openning these previous image files, I get the "Missing Profile" message and of course I select "Leave as is. Do Not color manage". CS3 assumes sRGB-2.1 working space, opens the file, and all is well.

The problem is when I go to "Save for Web", the saturation goes up, and the colors change. The opposite of what most people are reporting. Here's another important point... new artwork created in CS3 does exactly the same thing, so it's not because of the older CS1 files.

I have tried every combination of "uncompensated color", "Convert to sRGB", "ICC Profile", etc. while saving. I have Converted to sRGB before saving, and my monitor is calibrated correctly.
I have tried setting the "Save for Web" page on 2-up and the "original" on the left is already color shifted before I even hit the "Save" button. Of course, the "Optimized" image on the right looks perfect because I am cheating by selecting the "Use Document Color Profile" item. Why do they even have this feature if doesn't work, or misleads you?

Does anyone have any ideas what could be happening here? Why is this all so screwed up?
CS1 worked fine out of the box.

Final note: I do have an image file I could send along that demonstrates how it is possible to display an image exactly the same in all 4 of the browsers I mentioned with no color differences. It is untagged RGB and somehow it just works.

I am very frustrated with all of this and any suggestions will be appreciated

Thanks,
Pete
    This topic has been closed for replies.

    680 replies

    Participating Frequently
    December 5, 2007
    By default, Save For Web in CS1 only strips the profile.
    This means if your file is AbobeRGB or 1.8 MonitorRGB going in, it remains in the same source space going out, but it's going out untagged, without a profile.

    By default, CS3 Save for Web CONVERTS to sRGB and strips the profile going out.
    This means that all RGB produced by SFW default is properly Converted untagged sRGB.

    Ask BigBad to convert your site over to untagged sRGB, that's most likely the issue that needs fixing (not matching the original problem)...
    jefbak
    Known Participant
    December 5, 2007
    I am just jumping in the site here at www.smith.edu so I am still getting up to speed. A company called BigBad setup the site and it was updated all this time using default settings in CS1.

    CS1 still works fine so I am going to use that for now, but would like to get cs3 to produce the same images soon!
    Inspiring
    December 5, 2007
    I calibrate to 1.8 and 9300 on my 17" LCDS because the gray scale is brown at 3/4 if I don't.
    1.8 also gives me better correspondence between monitor and Epson inkjet on ordinary copy paper, which is exactly what I want. SuperCal delivered rich blacks without looking like fresh manure, too. That app does a nice job of aligning the gammas of the R,G,and B. I don't need a hardware cal because I don't do any color for pay.
    People who agonize over what Joe E-bay will see on his 13" CRT are out of their freakin tiny minds.
    Ramón G Castañeda
    Inspiring
    December 5, 2007
    That's what Raven says. :p

    In reality, if there are real differences they must come from an improper color management in your earlier workflow, or in your current CS3 workflow; but any decent, accurately calibrated and profiled monitor should show you the differences if they are there.

    My best guess is a gamma setting problem which would have led you to over- or under-correct the earlier images. It's a very common issue when misguided users calibrate their monitors to 1.8 instead of 2.2.

    Please understand this is just a guess based on experience helping users that have had the issue. Obviously I have no insight into your former or current setup.
    jefbak
    Known Participant
    December 5, 2007
    Can you send me the css for that? :)

    So if I look at the results on another monitor I might not see the cs1/cs3 difference?
    Ramón G Castañeda
    Inspiring
    December 5, 2007
    Just follow Raven's "advice": get a crappy monitor that won't show you the differences and forget about color management.
    jefbak
    Known Participant
    December 5, 2007
    None of this seem to help with my problem of getting different SFW results between CS1 and CS3.

    I have all these CS1 SFW rollovers to update in CS3 and the slight color difference is a real problem for me.
    Participating Frequently
    December 5, 2007
    "make sense?"

    yes
    Participating Frequently
    December 5, 2007
    I have been watching, listening and learning... I think I've got it now. Thanks.

    One concern I have is when testing all this stuff on an Apple Cinema Display, Previewing in SFW area works as expected, WindowsRGB and MonitorRGB and Uncompensated Color now look virtually identical.

    While Softproofing in View>ProofSetup>WindowsRGB looks normal, SoftProofing in MonitorRGB still gives a slight saturation boost. This is with an ACD... which by the way exhibits an image persistence effect that is very annoying, but that's another topic.

    So I guess this means that Cinema Displays are not exactly sRGB perfect, which has been stated here, but it seems much closer to sRGB space than the Dell 2407wfp-HC... make sense?
    December 5, 2007

    "Just be happy you dont work in print."

    Tell me about it! I worked for one of the biggest printers in Tampa Florida. It really sucked!