Knowing and Setting My Documents' Color Profile?

[lilCystar]

Hi All.

With my image file open, Under Edit > Color Settings, it says "North American General Purpose 2" which is described as, "General Purpose Color Settings for screen and print in North America.

But at the bottom left of my image workspace, when I select Document Profile, it shows the file's color profile as: Untagged RGB (8bpc)

1) Does this mean my document is embedded with a color profile good for both screen and print?

2) If not, how do I change it so it is?

Any replies are genuinely appreciated! 🙂

[D Fosse]

"Untagged" means there is no color profile. You need to assign one right away, before you do any work (Edit > Assign Profile).

Those color setting presets are not important. The only important setting is Policies. It should always be set to "Preserve Embedded Profiles". This is the default; don't change it.

What matters is the embedded profile. It will always override your working space. That's how modern color management is intended to work.

The embedded profile travels with the file. If for some reason you want to change the profile, you convert (Edit > Convert to Profile).

Yes, it's very good practice to keep the status bar set to document profile. This way you keep track of your profiles with a single glance.

[lilCystar]

Thanks for the reply!

Don't I feel foolish. I created this picture, (a lot of work), with no color profile!

(I thought because I had the colors settings set to "North American General Purpose 2" that it would be good for printing and screen use in one shot.)

The file is to be sold as an artwork download, mainly for commercial printing. However I want to include a home printing file and a 'for screens' file as well.

Now that I've done this...

1. Which color profile should I assign it as CYMK is not available? (see screenshot for what I am able to choose from.)
2. Which color profile should I convert it to for home printing use and screen use?
3. Lastly, when I make new files in future, to create digital paintings in, which profile should I use as CYMK is not offered here either? (See screenshots 2 and 3 for what I can create new files with.)

I guess there is no color profile good for both printing and screen display.....

Thank you so much for your help!!!

[lilCystar]

Part Two: I have to sell the commercial printing files in .jpg format because my art store is based on an instant download model and the .tiff files are too large to have hosted and available for this.

[NB, colourmanagement]

@lilCystar for downloadable printable files (for home users) you'll ideally be working in sRGB colorspace, in my opinion. If your images are in another colorspace you can convert them.

A few notes on Jpeg:
Jpeg files have compression applied, changing resolution or cropping and re-saving enhances the compression artifacts - this means that Jpeg is only really suitable for final file delivery/transfer - with the Jpeg created only once size and resolution (and any sharpening) have been completed. 
 
So,Jpeg is far from ideal for editing and not OK for archiving or for any file that may need to be resaved, resized or cropped down the line.
 
Jpeg is the worst possible format if you want to keep high quality - you should always archive a copy of your original, ideally with any adjustment layers intact - if you work with layers.
Jpeg compression (at any setting*) really is "lossy”, irreversible, and cumulative, so Jpegs should ONLY be used only for final delivery and only created from the original file format AFTER resizing & cropping to the FINAL size and crop.
To explain: any edits to size or crop, or even just re-saving a Jpeg file means further compression, potentially that’s very damaging.
The JPEG compression damage is not always immediately apparent, which is perhaps why it's still widely used - however, that compression will soon cause issues if you do further work and save again. That’s when you’ll see a Jpeg with some real issues.
 
*don’t imagine that selecting maximum quality for your Jpeg is preserving the original data, it’s still compressing a lot which discards information.
SO, don’t reuse Jpegs if any resizing or resaving is needed. Always go back to the PSD/ Tiff originals, Jpegs are essentially a 'use once and trash' file type.
 
I hope this helps

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management
Help others by clicking "Correct Answer" if the question is answered.
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[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

OK. If the file has no profile, that's when the working space takes effect. The problem with that is of course that it only applies to your machine. On another system it may look completely different.

But at least it tells you which profile to assign: the one you had set as working RGB when you created the file. That's the color space it was created in. If I recall correctly that would be sRGB in the general purpose presets.

Now, CMYK is a completely different animal. I would recommend that you do not go there. Keep it RGB.

First of all, CMYK is strictly for commercial offset printing. Inkjet printers expect RGB data (they do their own conversion to the actual inks used in that particular printer. This is done internally in the printer driver). So for standard inkjet printing, it needs to be RGB.

Even assuming that this will go to commercial offset printing, there is no standard generic CMYK. You need to know which CMYK profile is appropriate, and if you're selling this you have no way of knowing.

A CMYK profile is a characterization of a specific offset print process - a press calibrated to a certain standard, using certain inks on certain paper stock. These standards vary widely. You need to know in advance. So if you convert to one CMYK profile, you can actually ruin the file for the buyer if it's intended for a different process.

The de facto standard for web is sRGB. This has the highest likelihood of being correctly represented in the highest number of possible scenarios.

For inkjet printing, Adobe RGB is universally preferred and will be accepted everywhere. It translates well to most inkjet print profiles. But note that if your file is already sRGB, there is no real point in converting. sRGB is smaller than Adobe RGB, and converting won't change that. If it is sRGB now, I would just leave it as sRGB.

[NB, colourmanagement]

Hi @lilCystar you are doing the right thing =to ask about this - your document profile does not need to match the default profile in color settings, that's just a default - but you do need to have a document profile.

As @D Fosse commented, you should go to Edit > Assign Profile and choose from the list you'll see (start with sRGB or Adobe RGB, they are amongst the "working color spaces" loaded with Photoshop so are likely candidates) - you'll see that choosing a profile can alter the image appearance.

Once the profile is assigned (and down the line, embedded) that sets the appearance. If you are working on a properly calibrated monitor display screen you can trust your opinion as to what profile to assign based on appearance. 

Unless you can go back to the image originator and check what profile should be assigned, you have little choice but to use your best guess based on appearance.

Learn more about icc profiles here.

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management
Help others by clicking "Correct Answer" if the question is answered.
Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

[lilCystar]

I appreciate both of helpful replies so much! 

NB, could you see what I wrote above, 2 posts, and then explain a little further as what I should do now.

Much Thanks!

[lilCystar]

The file I painted this i, quite unforetuantely, had no color profile. It says it has: Untagged RGB (8bpc).

I have limited profiles I can Assign it now.

I still want to use this for commercial printing (as well as home/web).

Should I assign it: Adobe RGB?

I really messed up! Looking for the best way to salvage the situation. ( Can't do all that painting again...)

Thanks so much!

[lilCystar]

Now that I've messed it up by painting it with no color profile whatsoever, which profile should I pick from what's available (see screenshot) to Assign it now?

[D Fosse]

@lilCystar 

It seems you missed my reply to that exact point above.

[lilCystar]

So, Assign it: sRGB IEC61966-2.1  or Adobe RGB or CIE RGB or e-sRGB - they all have RGB in them...

I will follow up on all the links to learning about profiles too.

Thanks so much!

[D Fosse]

@lilCystar 

That's not what I said. I said assign whichever you had as working space when you created the file. And then I explained why. Here it is again - seems it got lost in the cross-posting:

[NB, colourmanagement]

@lilCystar did you "paint" it in Photoshop? If so you m,ust have opted out of embedding the profile on saving. That’s not good practice.

Anyhow - When a document (image) has no ICC profile Photoshop uses the default profile from color settings. If it looks OK now on screen, just assign that one.

"Now that I've messed it up by painting it with no color profile whatsoever, which profile should I pick from what's available (see screenshot) to Assign it now?"

assign the one that makes it look right (on a calibrated screen).

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management
Help others by clicking "Correct Answer" if the question is answered.
Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

[lilCystar]

"Anyhow - When a document (image) has no ICC profile Photoshop uses the default profile from color settings. If it looks OK now on screen, just assign that one."

When I reopened the file I painted in, it says the profile is " Untagged RBG (8bpc)" which my first helper in this forum said meant it has no color profile at all.

 So Assign it to one of these now, but which one would be best for commercial printing purposes: sRGB IEC61966-2.1,  or Adobe RGB, or CIE RGB , or e-sRGB.

Sorry to be so dense, trying to do this too quickly I think. Will read more about color profiles later and appreciate all your help so very much!

[lilCystar]

Thank you!

I want to apologize for using this forum earlier today when I was not the most focused. One, my attention was being pulled in different directions and two, I was in a hurry to find a solution as I had a buyer waiting for a the finished image file.  I have since told the buyer I need to resolve some technical issues first.

I appreciate the valuable time and knowledge shared by everyone who replied and in future will ensure I have time to properly digest your informative replies before asking more questions!

(I am going to calibrate my monitor and see what the work looks like after I assign it the Adobe RGB profile.)

- Cynthia M.