1 Correct answer
Yes, and you've been given the reason, you just don't like it and choose to reject it. That's your choice.
So just to sum up for anyone else reading this - any given color will produce different RGB numbers, depending on what color space the numbers refer to. Any set of RGB numbers will produce different colors, depending on what color space the numbers are assigned to.
That's the long and short of it. This question is answered.
It's not rocket science, unless you see color management as the enemy
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Replies
Let's just clear something up: I'm asking for an answer based on data. I've come to the table with data: assumptions are not a valid response.
These numerical discrepancies occur if colour management is turned on or off.
Also, here is a JPEG of the table, to keep things clearer.
It would be great to hear from an Adobe engineer of some sort.
D Fosse
I've drawn up a new table, with just two colour sources:
One is pantone.com (chosen, because, well, it's Pantone. A reputable source, one would think, yes?)
The other is color.adobe.com (chosen, as Adobe is the source of the numerical inconsistencies)
So, one can safely say, using these sources, we are dealing with pure data. Nothing to do with colour management, colour spaces, colour profiles. Indeed, no documents are actually open in an application. Just numbers. No colour picking, just dialling in numbers, and noting the results of other areas of the interface.
Would you not expect the values to be the same? As in numerical descriptions of colour, as in differing descriptions of colour spaces/modes such as CMYK, RGB, # HEX, HTML.
Granted, the actual green "looks" the same, but the numbers differ. Personally, I don't care. I've been in the industry for many years, and I know what I'm doing. I get the results I expect to get. However, this came up again recently, when a studio quizzed me about which app was to be trusted with the correct numbers. They too were confused to see differing numerical results. My advice was to be consistent, and use the same app throughout, for dealing with vector artwork from print to web workflow. That way, you can always refer back, if a witch hunt occurs. I didn't think much of it immediately, but went back later to check. Differing numerical numbers. I also remember this issue from many years ago (around CS3 days), when a client gave me a print brand guide. Colour values dictated in the guide did not match the software. I had a hell of a time convincing the client the result would be fine in the end. So, after so many years passing, I still see these odd discrepancies in different software.
Even if software engineers could never make these values consistent, and there was a fundamental reason behind it, I would like to know what that is. Wouldn't you?
PS: I've dropped references to the myPantone app (it's no longer free, and is quite an expensive subscription).
deeland wrote:
we are dealing with pure data...Just numbers. No colour picking, just dialling in numbers
Yes, and that's your whole problem. Pure data mean nothing. It's like specifying distance as "25". 25 what? Numbers are just numbers, they don't define a color until you assign a specific color space.
You seem to assume that "RGB" is a color space. It's not, it's a generic color model. Here's how one particular set of numbers looks in three specific color spaces, 120-202-86, or hex 78ca56:
Same numbers, different color.
If you run these numbers through an application without color management, you'd get a fourth patch, yet again different. There's no point in me doing that, It'd be different from yours.
Pantone is defined in Lab. That's a different color model, but again a defined color space, which means that you can convert from Lab to the other RGB spaces. So any Pantone color will produce a certain set of sRGB numbers, a certain set of Adobe RGB numbers, and a certain set of ProPhoto numbers. All different, but yielding the same Pantone color visually.
D Fosse wrote:
deeland wrote:
we are dealing with pure data...Just numbers. No colour picking, just dialling in numbers
Yes, and that's your whole problem. Pure data mean nothing. It's like specifying distance as "25". 25 what? Numbers are just numbers, they don't define a color until you assign a specific color space.
You appear to have gone off on a tangent, which I have said from the start, has nothing to do with Colour Management. Now, think about what you just stated: "Pure data means nothing. It's like specifying distance as "25". 25 what? Numbers are just numbers, they don't define a color until you assign a specific color space."
Again, these numbers in my data, have been arrived at, without the use of an open document, or any assigned colour spaces to said document.
You seem to assume that "RGB" is a color space. It's not, it's a generic color model.
Really? You're stating that RGB is not a colour space. Well, that's a new one on me. If you want to introduce the idea of colour models and colour space, please do. An RGB colour space is based on an RGB colour model. Specific gamuts are described, modelled, and made consistent by established colour spaces, such as Adobe RGB, sRGB etc. What you've done here, is assumed my issue is about rendered colours with applied, and/or converted to, colour spaces. It's not: simply numbers in a UI.
Perhaps the following will help illustrate my point.
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