The 'I see different colours when save-for-web' question: how to rectify and cause? [Archive]

theMusicMan

26-09-2007, 19:27

Hi All

I have seen this mentioned before on here several times, but not seen a remedy for it as yet, maybe I haven't looked hard enough, apologies if I've missed it.

So, what is it with Photoshop when I see an image on screen, set the levels, and any other effects etc, but when I then 'save for web' - the image I am presented with in the save-for-web box is a totally different colour.

I have been experiencing this on the odd occasion and haven't managed to find out what the conditions are for when I do experience it!!!

I appreciate it's something to do with colour settings, but how do I actually get the image to save-for-web correctly? what do I need to change in Photoshop to get it to reflect the original colours...?

ta

mmcp42

26-09-2007, 20:12

rather than "save-for-web" which nukes the exif info
try just "save-as" jpeg

theMusicMan

26-09-2007, 21:04

Hi Mike

I appreciate that a save-as maintains the EXIF info embedded within the image, but it still doesn't answer the point as to why the image changes and what I need to do to rectify this when I wish to choose save-for-web...:shrug:

InaGlo

26-09-2007, 21:17

Ive never had this problem so cant help personally, but perhaps the answer to your problems may be here ...

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=28344&highlight=RGB

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=24042&highlight=RGB

Hth.

26-09-2007, 21:21

Regardless of what colour space you work in on your PC, when you publish pics to the web, you need to convert them to sRGB colour space. The 's' stands for 'Standard'.

sRGB colour space was the offspring of a brief frenzied coupling between Hewlett Packard and Microsoft. :D

The whole idea was to create as common a viewing experience on the web as possible, given the different monitor calibrations etc which everyone uses. On the whole it works pretty well.

theMusicMan

26-09-2007, 21:26

Thanks CT - but how exactly do I do this in Photoshop...? Is it part of the save-for-web dialogue or elsewhere?

InaGlo

26-09-2007, 21:28

tMM ... think you'll find it tells you in the first link I posted ;)

oldgit

26-09-2007, 21:32

Yep Glo and CT have the problem nailed... its the colour space

Hacker

27-09-2007, 07:08

Definitely the colour space, to change it go to Edit > Convert to profile and pick sRGB from the drop down menu. It's easy to create an action for this as well to make it a one click operation.

Janice

27-09-2007, 07:39

I agree, if you have your iimage in Adobe rgb colour space then save for web it will change to srgb and will look different.

theMusicMan

27-09-2007, 07:43

OK, that's what I wanted to know - thanks.

So - what settings do you suggest I should have selected in the dialogue for Edit > Colour Settings...?

Thanks.

Janice

27-09-2007, 07:46

well i have my camera in srgb and photoshop in srgb always. no doubt others will disagree!!!!

Bring it on........... !! :D

theMusicMan

27-09-2007, 07:51

OK, this is the dialogue screen I see when I go to Edit > Colour Settings: what should I change...?

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa14/themouthpiecedotcom/Picture1.png

awp

27-09-2007, 07:54

You've only been given one posibble cause of your problem. There is another perhaps more likely. When you 'save for web' are you trying to save as GIF - Gifs are not really designed for contimuous tone (photographs) and some gif version have restricted colour sets - this would dramatically change the way your picture looked. Save as JPEG. let me know if this was a reason.

theMusicMan

27-09-2007, 08:08

Hi Andrew - thanks for the suggestions.

I only ever choose to save-for-web as JPG or PNG format. I never use GIF format.

mmcp42

27-09-2007, 08:09

I'd go for sRGB everywhere, camera, post process, printer
in theory Adobe RGB has a wider gamut, but since nothing else, especially printers and the web, seem to support it, what's the point!
(well ok some specialist press shops can, but...)

oldgit

27-09-2007, 08:13

Why have you got "desaturate monitor colours - 20%"?

theMusicMan

27-09-2007, 08:14

Why have you got "desaturate monitor colours - 20%"?
I have no idea OG... I haven't touched anything in there at all, these are the settings I see when I go in there. Honest guv :):shrug:

InaGlo

27-09-2007, 08:17

Where it says 'Colour Management Policies' you have everything ticked as Off.
I have everything ticked as 'Preserve embeded profile'.

I dont know what difference this would make. :shrug:

awp

27-09-2007, 08:24

Hi Andrew - thanks for the suggestions.

I only ever choose to save-for-web as JPG or PNG format. I never use GIF format.

ah well - worth a try.

Janice

27-09-2007, 08:29

He hasnt got desaturate monitor colurs by 20%.

It is highlighted but the box isnt ticked so he hasnt

InaGlo

27-09-2007, 08:33

Hmm! mine isnt ticked either Janice.... should it be, and if so why?

Gandhi

27-09-2007, 08:33

Try changing your settings to these.....

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/1239/Untitled-16.jpg

At the moment it looks like you have no colour settings at all!

When you then go into the save for web option make sure......

1) 'embed icc profile' is ticked

2) at the top of the save for web window there is a small arrow above the save button. Click on this and make sure that 'use document colour profile' is ticked.

That should sort you out.

If not let me know!

HAve you calibrated your monitor btw?

Gandhi

27-09-2007, 08:35

And no, the bottom two boxes shouldn't be ticked.

Desturate colours allows you to suck the saturation out of images so the monitor has more chance of showiing the full gamut of coulours in wider colour spaces such as adobe rgb.

It means that then your output to printer will NOT match what you see on screen!

InaGlo

27-09-2007, 08:37

Yup! ... mine is set exactly like yours Spencer! :)

Foggy

27-09-2007, 09:39

I still have the issue - even using sRGB. I am sure I haven't missed anything either. I shoot in colour mode IIIa on my D40 which is sRGB. I then import into Lightroom, edit in Photoshop, which has the following settings:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/Picture_1.jpg

I then check my colour profiles on the image itself and get:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/Picture_2.jpg

and

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/Picture_3.jpg

and after that it still always desaturates the image when I click to save for web :bang:

InaGlo

27-09-2007, 10:04

Dunno if it would have anything to do with CMYK setting Foggy :shrug:

As I havent had any problems in this area, Colourspace is a matter Ive avoided confusing myself with but ...

For those with problems, there are two chapters dedicated to this in 'Adobe Photoshop For Photographers' by Martin Evening. He also has suggestions for further reading.
If I had the above problems ... Id go check it out.

Gandhi

27-09-2007, 10:15

When you then go into the save for web option make sure......

1) 'embed icc profile' is ticked

2) at the top of the save for web window there is a small arrow above the save button. Click on this and make sure that 'use document colour profile' is ticked.

That arrow at the top lets you view how the image would look under other colour spaces/profiles. Tick each one by one and see the difference it makes.