Full Write-up on Embedding the ICC Color Profile into our Jpgs

[neilfleming]

A little O/T, but here is the compilation of the notes from the last few days.

This write-up illustrates how to set up full ICC color profiling in Firefox 3 (so you can view the corrected image that the author intended you to see), as well as how to set up color profiling and embed the ICC color profile into your own jpgs.

Fleming Astrophotography

Enjoy!...Neil

[JMS]

Hi Neil, I just bought a HP 19" 1440x900 monitor and one of the settings is sRGB. Is this the setting you are talking about and if I use this setting on monitor will my images be calibrated so they look the same everywhere and print out accurately?

Joe

[35mm]

Joe, I'm not Neil, but I can answer your question.
No, don't use sRGB as your monitor profile. Perhaps you received a profile on the disk that came with your monitor; use that to get started. Then, you can proceed with the rest of Neil's guidance about using Photoshop to embed assigned profiles in your image files.

sRGB and AdobeRGB are two profiles that are widely used for embedding in image files, but they're not suitable for use as monitor profiles nor printer profiles for that matter.

Probably more than you wanted to know.

Larry

[neilfleming]

Larry's got it.

It is actually better, conceptually, to regard sRGB or Adobe 1998 as "color spaces", with associated available color value possibilities, rather than "profiles".

What you really want to do is to profile your monitor, using a colorimeter of some sort, like an Optix, Spyder, or Huey. The resulting ICC monitor profile will tweak the color presentation on your monitor to appear closer to "reality". (Check out the test link on my web page write up.) Then, as you choose to work in the sRGB space for web-destined work, the colors will look good - but again, embed the ICC profile.

For printing, you'll want to go through a similar process to profile your printer, or perhaps use a manufacturer-provided icc profile. (The former is preferred.) I use the same Optix for this.

I hope this helps...Neil

[JMS]

Hi Neil, optix and spyder are tools for adjusting monitor? Can I find them and download them on the web? I'll look for them. I started writing for a local newspaper and the first image came out lousy on newsprint. I downloaded their color setting into photoshop like they said to for this next article, hopefully it turns out better. I can see it being difficult to get galaxy pictures to be vivid on news print.

Thanks, Joe

[Edsport]

I am totally lost. I printed the test page and all the colors seem to be there but not as vivid as they look on my monitor. Is this ok?

I have my monitor set to Ed's rgb icc profile. It's a profile that i setup to lighten my monitor because i cannot get it light enough using the monitor control buttons. Do i embed this profile into my photoshop images? I am totally confused from what i read on this article. Thanks...