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Participating Frequently
October 31, 2007
Question

Photoshop CS3 color management "Save for Web" problem

  • October 31, 2007
  • 680 replies
  • 62136 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

    Participant
    November 14, 2007
    g ballard gets a well-deserved award for remarkable patience, way beyond the call, perseverance and accuracy. (should have gotten one a long time ago for his contributions to understanding color management here)

    Peter Mars gets some needed color management information, even MORE important teaching in logic, and if he'll pay attention, a MUCH MORE important life lesson, (which he's still refusing to acknowledge). -

    If you ask someone for help, don't keep insisting that since you're a genius, your understanding of things, and your faulty logic is still right and that the advice you,re receiving must be wrong. Or that your argumentativeness is really curiosity or search for truth.

    Or, to paraphrase Einstein, "You can't keep using the same thinking that got you into trouble to get you out of it."

    I can't count the number of times I had to butt heads with a designer/client, otherwise, intelligent enough to understand quantum mechanics who just couldn't wrap his understanding around the simple concept of overprint/knockout and who got it wrong EVERY damn time, while insisting HIS reasoning HAD to be right as the press proofs from his files came out hosed. Yeah, the inks were obviously at fault.

    Rich
    November 14, 2007
    >I am truly sorry for causing anyone any grief.

    the only person with grief is you because you won't listen.
    Ramón G Castañeda
    Inspiring
    November 14, 2007
    Peter,
    >I still do not completely understand

    One last time: Photoshop uses your (custom) monitor profile to display the colors on your monitor; non-color managed applications do not, they ignore it.


    >Do I mark this closed now?

    You can't do that here. You must think you're in some other forum.
    Participating Frequently
    November 14, 2007
    I require more than just orders... I'm a thinker, sorry! I still do not completely understand why colors look awesome with this profile, yet photoshop changes the colors when saving. I truly do not.

    I am willing to wait and see what happens with a new puck. I will no doubt contemplate this for a very long time.

    Thanks to G Ballard, all contributors, and everyone that this thread has touched. I am truly sorry for causing anyone any grief.

    Do I mark this closed now?
    Inspiring
    November 14, 2007
    Your problem was resolved in post 29 and here we are 229 posts and two weeks later..
    Please memorize everything g ballard has ever written.
    Participating Frequently
    November 14, 2007
    The profile displays things good to my eye. Better than my hand made Apple Calibrator profile. It turns out that there are 2 parts to profiles, maybe something is wrong with one of them. I won't know the full story until I receive an updated puck. I will certainly let you all know what happens.

    Like G ballard said... the monitor profile may be confusing the issue because it may be bad.

    I understand why using sRGB 2.1 for monitor profile looks the same in Proof>Monitor RGB... they are the same profile!

    When I pick a different Monitor Profile, I will naturally get a color shift. That's why this procedure makes no sense to me.

    Lets wait and see... plus I need time for this al to sink in.

    Thanks for your concern. I hope this doesn't ever happen to you! Nightmare!
    Inspiring
    November 14, 2007
    Let's see here Peter, how many times were you told that your calibration was bad? Ten? Thirty?
    November 14, 2007
    Shoulda bought a real calibrator in the first place.

    EyeOne 2
    Participating Frequently
    November 13, 2007
    That's good, let us know how it goes...
    Participating Frequently
    November 13, 2007
    OK Thanks! That makes sense!

    Update #1
    During this whole process, I discovered that I had a bad DIMM riser and got it replaced yesterday. Not sure if makes any difference to color performance, but I would not have checked for ECC errors had it not been for this weird color problem. OWC had sent replacement DIMMs and still had errors. Apple replaced the Riser and all is well.

    Update #2
    I just got off the phone with Pantone Tech Support in New Jersey.... AND THIS IS THE BIG ONE!!! They have a serial number reader application, which I downloaded, that determined my HueyPro calibrator serial number as older... meaning that they have correctd a few "issues" recently. Seems that certain monitor viewing angle technologies can cause anomalies with previous sensor filters. They are sending me a new one!!! Let's hope this solves the problem!!!