Achieving Accurate Color on the Web Across Platforms?

Leslie Ficcaglia · 03-21-2003, 09:35 AM

I'm using Photoshop Elements 2 on a Mac running Jaguar and I haven't seen anything in the literature or here which offers guidance about how to get "accurate" color across operating systems on the web. What looks good to me on my Mac, and seems like a true depiction of my work, may look garish on a PC because I understand that colors are stronger and brighter on PC monitors.

As an additional variable, with the first Photoshop Elements I found that if I set the color management for the web, the resulting image looked the same whether I opened it in Elements or in Netscape. If I set it for non-web use Netscape's version looked paler. However, with Elements 2, setting it for the web results in richer colors than when I open it in Safari or IE. I have no idea which results in a more faithful version for PCs, either: web or non-web.

How do you all handle this issue? And what settings do you use in terms of CMYK and all the other options?

And lastly, would you set these parameters differently if you were scanning for printing?

Michele Rushworth · 03-21-2003, 10:57 AM

I've been involved, professionally and otherwise, in trying to get consistent color fidelity on computer input and output devices for more than twenty years. I worked with IBM and Microsoft, among others, to study this and see what could be done. I've basically given up, as there are far too many variables.

It's just not possible to have an image look the same from where it started on a camera or scanner through the output stages on every (or even most) monitors or printers.

One would have to control the ways in which color was defined on all of the following:

- The "color space" or color system used by camera and scanner manufacturers
- Software used on the computer for color maniuplation and file storage
- The limited "color gamuts" on monitors, web, output devices, etc.
- How users have their monitors calibrated, or (more likely) not calibrated
- Monitor manufacturers
- Printer manufacturers
- And last but not least, any non-standard color manipulations done by potential viewers in an attempt to get "accurate color" (whatever that is) on their devices.

I gave up over a decade ago.

Leslie Ficcaglia · 03-21-2003, 12:23 PM

That's very discouraging, Michele! I have some lovely scans of my work some of which look softer and less contrasty on my machine than do the actual portraits. I'm concerned about displaying images that give a different impression in terms of my palette - I'd hate to have someone contact me for a portrait and then be surprised at my true color range once they saw some originals. Do each of you simply go with what looks right on your computer, or do Mac people go for a paler look to correct for PCs, or do you just do your best and not worry about it? It sounds as though you would go with the latter, Michele.

Michele Rushworth · 03-21-2003, 12:39 PM

I use a PC but when I did use a Mac I didn't hear anyone talking about monitors showing less vivid color. (Could be the case, but I just never heard anyone mention it.)

I just go with what looks best on my monitor and leave it at that.

Leslie Ficcaglia · 03-21-2003, 12:57 PM

Do you do anything in terms of color setting selection in your software, or compare how the file looks in a browser as well as in your photo manipulation software?

Michele Rushworth · 03-21-2003, 05:18 PM

I have never changed any of the color settings in Photoshop and the images look the same there as they do on the web.

Elizabeth Schott · 03-21-2003, 06:39 PM

Leslie, Michele, I am not kidding when I said I spent the day trying to get this to work.

I know there is a color/value card for photography, but I do not own one, so I took a bar from my PMS series that I knew was really easy color breakdowns

Elizabeth Schott · 03-21-2003, 06:43 PM

When I put the portrait above in my system, I layered a computer generated bar on top of the one in the actual shot.

Here is the correcting process I tried.

Elizabeth Schott · 03-21-2003, 06:44 PM

Sorry I forgot the image.

Elizabeth Schott · 03-21-2003, 07:03 PM

Leslie, I saw your question about showing detail on your portraits and thought I might be able to help you.

I am not sure about Photoshop Elements. It might be a knocked down version of Photoshop (?) When you save your first image from your camera to your computer, make it a TIFF (.tif) file and change your resolution to 300 and your size to 8 x10.

Most cameras record the file in a huge width x height @ 72 pixels per inch. It is larger so when you resize the resolution it will be an 8 x 10.

Once you have your saved TIFF file you can keep that as your master and crop it with the cropping tool to just the face area and save that to the size you want. Be sure to rename it. I always keep a detail and full TIFF file of my portraits for print purposes.

You can then change the resolution of these back to 72 and before closing the image size box, change the pixels to the requirements here - 400w x 600h. You should have the proportional box clicked so you just put in the one measurement. Make a new folder and save these as jpegs (.jpg) for attaching with the browse button.

I hope I haven't confused you too much.