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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

    December 1, 2007
    >Just wondering if there's any practical advantage to having a wide gamut monitor.

    A valid question, since as has been pointed out CMYK fits handily within sRGB with room to spare, and most monitors out there right now are closer to sRGB. I also just read something about most OSes, video cards, cables etc not being able to provide the full gamut to a wider gamut monitor anyway. So a wide gamut monitor currently is basically useless for print OR web work. So what's it used for?

    Right now it seems to be more gimmick than practicality, especially for these kind of non-spec (not sRGB, not Adobe RGB) wide gamut monitors. It's just a sales tool..."look at the crazy colours on that thing!"

    If wide-gamut is the future of monitors, then perhaps sRGB will be outdated one day, and it'll be a "convert to Adobe RGB" (or something) button in SFW. In the meantime, given the fact that wider gamut is rare in monitors, it's surprising that there isn't more support for these kinds of questions. And I'm still looking for a way to gain more control over non-colour managed display. The answers are elusive.
    December 1, 2007
    Uh, commercial press printing is done with 4 color inks(most of the time) CMYK. If you let some dolt at the printshop convert your files you are certainly guaranteed to get a crappy conversion. A wide gamut monitor will not help you with this.
    Participating Frequently
    December 1, 2007
    I thought AdobeRGB was better suited for the printing industry. Just wondering if there's any practical advantage to having a wide gamut monitor.
    December 1, 2007
    >What's the advantage of a wider Gamut monitor... I mean, I tried a conversion to CMYK the other day and it still desaturated, as usual... just like before the Dell. Will it give me a more accurate representation of CMYK inks than the Apple??

    No. CMYK is a much smaller color space than RGB.

    RGB is transmissive

    CMYK is reflective.

    CMYK will always look duller than RGB especially if you don't know what you are doing.
    Participating Frequently
    November 30, 2007
    One more thing.... The new Aluminum iMac has a brighter, possibly wider gamut monitor (I had one for 4 days) and read all the terrible comments about how you can't calibrate it. I think the look, saturation, color, whatever, is similarly saturated... I didn't check out the SFW thing tho. Anyone know about this?
    Participating Frequently
    November 30, 2007
    The color boost on SFW just throws me.... but I am getting better at ignoring it.
    I do use Firefox alot and things look much different.

    What's the advantage of a wider Gamut monitor... I mean, I tried a conversion to CMYK the other day and it still desaturated, as usual... just like before the Dell. Will it give me a more accurate representation of CMYK inks than the Apple??
    Inspiring
    November 30, 2007
    What difference does it make what millions of ninnies see on their crappy monitors?
    Keep your Dell and make it look right to you in the wider gamut, get some advice from them and from calibrator vendors.
    November 30, 2007
    jefbak - Not sure then...if you still have CS1 installed you could go through all of the SFW menus and settings and confirm that they are the same in both versions. I have CS1 and CS3 here and am having identical performance in both. Check both SFW menus...the one above the right side of the preview window (includes "Browser Dither" etc.) and the one to the right of the Preset menu.

    Peter M - I haven't yet heard of a way to have the Dell operate using sRGB and still be calibrated. Without that info, you can keep the Dell and continue converting to sRGB on output through SFW, ignoring the colour boost with the assumption that it will appear more normal on most monitors...or you can ditch the Dell in favour of a more normal monitor.

    Anyone with some insights on how to achieve sRGB behaviour on wider gamut monitors?
    Participating Frequently
    November 30, 2007
    I've got the over priced, low-color, plain vanilla, sRGB Cinema display ordered from Apple now... arrives on Tuesday, Dell 2407-HC sitting right next to it's box... what the F should I do!!???? Is there a problem with my monitor, the calibrator, Photoshop, the world, what?! I cannot afford both and barely can afford the Apple... X-Mas is coming and kids are having babies, etc, etc..... I need some sound advice here, and FAST... No lectures please... I promise to stop bashing Photoshop and I'll sign up for a class if someone here starts one!
    jefbak
    Known Participant
    November 30, 2007
    Converting to srgb in cs3 gives the same problem.

    What else could adobe have changed? I will probably open a support call on this today or Monday.