Colour Blindness in Photoshop

[maxsearl]

Hi All,

I've been diagnosed with Deuteranopia Colour Blindness, which basically means that I have trouble distinguishing the difference between Green and Red light waves, which can make editing images pretty challenging.

I know that there is a proof option for both Protanopia and Deuteranopia but if I've read correctly, they are proof's to visualise the image as if you had colour blindness, not a proof for those with colour blindness.

My question is, is there an option in Photoshop or a plug-in for someone with colour blindness? Also if you have colour blindness how have you overcome or work around the problem?

This would be super useful for me, as I shoot and scan a lot of film, so I find achieving accurate colour quite challenging.

Cheers and thanks in advance,

Max

[D Fosse]

You need to use a color checker or similar, and always work with good icc profiles. This way you always have a numerical reference you can go back to.

Each patch has standardized Lab values. Normally you won't be able to match the color patches exactly, and that is never the goal anyway. But it will tell you if you're in the right neighborhood.

The six gray patches are more useful. Not only can they be used to set a basic contrast curve and brightness, but also check neutral color balance from highlights to shadows.

Digital cameras will normally get you there just by setting the white balance, and the colors will basically be right. Film and scanners are much more uncertain. If you shoot film, include a colorchecker in a test shot, and above all, get a good scanner profile.

Much can be said for film, but in terms of predictable and accurate color, digital beats it hands down.

[D Fosse]

These are the Lab values in a standard color checker - they can be translated to any other standard color space. The file has sRGB embedded.

[josephlavine]

Hi Max-

I like D Fosse's post about using something such as the Xrite ColorChecker.

Another option is to use a simple photographic gray card in the first image of a series, and also learn to read RGB values. The gray card because it is neutral should have all three RGB values equal when captured under normal daylight. You'll learn to understand that if the values are slightly low on the blue then the scene is a tad warm (yellow) and so on.

Also, with the card in the scene, you can use White Balance Selector in programs such as Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw to neutralize color shifts.

I hope this helps.

[Norman Sanders]

If you are interested in exploring this subject further, I suggest you locate a copy of Dan Margulis’ book “Photoshop LAB Color” (the 2006 edition). Dan devotes a section (pp 52-58) to working within the confines of your specific type of color anomaly and presents images, examples and practical color adjustment suggestions.  If you are interested in Lab Color mode and working with Curves I think this entire manual and subsequent editions are essential.  Good luck.