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October 31, 2007
Question

Photoshop CS3 color management "Save for Web" problem

  • October 31, 2007
  • 680 replies
  • 62072 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

    November 15, 2007
    Ok I'm in testing mode now, using the infamous "simple steps" in post #29. Excuse my wordiness here, but I'm going to try to be very clear.

    "If your monitor is calibrated to 2.2/6500, you have Converted to sRGB, you should see very little if any color/saturation change when going to SFW or ImageReady. If you do see the shift, go back and check your CS3 SFW settings to Convert to sRGB, and strip the profile space."

    I have calibrated to 2.2/6500 using SpyderPro 2. Test image from printer looks about the same on screen as it does on the high quality proof of the same image. So far so good, right?

    Test 1. Adobe RGB image --> SFW (uncompensated colour selected) with "convert to sRGB" checked..."Original" window in SFW looks very close, JPG version (highest quality setting) looks oversaturated. If I uncheck sRGB, it looks very close.

    Test 2. sRGB image --> SFW..."Original" window looks oversatured, so does the JPG window and it doesn't change whether or not "convert to sRGB" is checked.

    "...strip the profile space." At what point and how? Do you mean when I open the image and am shown the "embedded does not match the working etc." that I should check "discard the embedded profile"?

    Moving on..."Your problem is very easy to pinpoint in Photoshop> View> Proof SetUp> Monitor RGB. This strips the profile and previews it the same as your FireFox, Opera, Safari browsers will. If you see the jump here (Monitor RGB), your system is screwed up or you have an odd approach to monitor profiling (a bad monitor profile)."

    Test 3. Using an sRGB image, I do indeed see a major saturation boost when I choose Monitor RGB for the Proof Setup. It looks exactly the same as if I Assign Profile > SpyderNov1 (my calibrated monitor profile). You say this means I have a "bad monitor profile". How can that be, if I have used the reputable SpyderPro 2 -- subject to user error I know, but I have confirmed that my calibration test image matches the appearance of my reference hard-copy proof?

    "Also, look at View> Proof SetUp> Windows RGB (this is how calibrated Windows monitors will display your color and it should be very close to your Monitor RGB)."

    Test 4. Again using an sRGB image, the Windows RGB Proof Setup looks very different than the Monitor RGB Proof Setup. In fact there is no difference between no Proof Setup and Windows RGB Proof Setup.

    I'll stop here and hope for a response from g ballard, or anyone else who thinks they have some light to shed. Many thanks for the patience and persistence of those who are trying to help, and I can only hope you appreciate my own patience and persistence as well.
    November 15, 2007
    mine works perfectly
    Participating Frequently
    November 15, 2007
    OOOps... OK thanks. So the EyeOne should be OK?
    November 15, 2007
    >HueyPro and the Eyeone are both made by Pantone.

    Wrong!

    the Eye One2 was made by GreytagMacbeth which was bought by X-Rite.

    Both spyder and Huey are Pantone and I was advised to avoid them like the plauge.
    Participating Frequently
    November 15, 2007
    If anyone is interested in trying to open, copy, paste the industry standard Illustrator file from iStockphoto, here it is, as downloaded today:

    DenmarkFlag.zip

    Untagged format
    No profile fits this file (I tried 7 common profiles and "dont color manage")
    Copy and paste to a new Illustrator file CHANGES COLOR Dramatically.
    (Shifts from Orange to Magenta... relatively speaking)
    Participating Frequently
    November 15, 2007
    I wish I knew someone with a Spyder... might be interesting as the HueyPro and the Eyeone are both made by Pantone.
    Participating Frequently
    November 15, 2007
    I have just finished a complete comparison test on my still running G4 Dual 450 with Sony Multiscan PS500. Calibrated with EyeOne by my son who works for **** Digital, a well known print house in Southern California. Granted, the Sony was calibrated 6 months ago, and I do not have immediate access to the EyeOne for use on the Dell 2407WFP-HC, but I figured it might make an interesting contribution to all this.

    I have spent 3 hours trying all kinds of files, settings, comparisons, and even tho my older CRT is less capable of displaying color differences such as saturation, the results were what I expected.

    The Sony MultiScan 500PS on a different computer with Adobe CS3, shows the exact same results as I have been talking about. I then tried opening an untagged .ai graphic file I downloaded from iStockPhoto in Illustrator, and absolutely nothing I try will give acceptable results when opening, copying OR pasting to a new sRGB file in that program either. I did get an interesting message... "Your CS programs are not syncronized" so I researched that and got it squared away. No change in colors tho.

    I believe that the G4 with my older Sony CRT was simply unable to display much of a difference in the color profiles or conversions. I never really noticed this before the Dell monitor and Mac Pro combination. I have looked at this very closely and I believe the same color shift is occuring on the CRT, it's just not nearly as noticable.

    The good news is that during this whole ordeal I have found and replaced some questionable RAM, Apple replaced a faulty DIMM Riser, I have an update coming for the HueyPro and I finally purchased a Full Pantone Color Guide.

    Please don't make me test this on the wife's 2005 white iMac with NO Calibration!!
    November 15, 2007
    I use the same Dell monitor and my problem seems to be fixed by re-calibrating the correct way with the Spyder2 Pro.
    November 15, 2007
    For what it's worth, I have done some googling on this monitor and it gets pretty solid reviews, and I haven't come across this complaint. The fact remains that I am seeing accurate colours in Photoshop on this monitor (as per the test image from the printer that I mentioned) but still am having SFW issues. For my part, I will try to access someone with an Apple monitor and investigate, and I'll also revisit the infamous "simple steps" later this evening.
    Participating Frequently
    November 15, 2007
    >> I am using the same Dell monitor as he

    There you go, what you have in common.

    If custom profiles don't work I would look at the monitor/model, at least test another monitor.