Matching color profiles, mismatching appearance

If the color profile selected PS CS1 is the same one (same file) as is

selected in Windows display properties, should images viewed in Windows pic &

fax viewer appear as they do in PS?

 

My images don't appear at all the same even though both use Adobe RGB (1998).

PS images are much warmer. If I change both color spaces to my monitor's

profile (file), the appearance is a bit different but still mismatched.

 

Nick

Use sRGB for web graphics. This is at least in the same ballpark as most monitors. Using Adobe RGB for web images leads to washed-out looking colors in applications that are not color aware (i.e. most web browsers) , windows pic & fax viewer.

Windows Picture and Fax viewer is not color managed like Photoshop. Images need to be in sRGB profile for Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. Color managed software reads the image profile and modifies data sent to the monitor so the image appears correct, non color managed software (like Windows Picture and Fax Viewer) just sends the data to the monitor without modification.

Nick, your monitor profile should never be used as the color space for Photoshop. The monitor profile is not a color space, but is to correct errors in the monitor so it displays color correctly. Photoshop automatically detects the monitor profile you selected and uses it. If you want the monitor to display correct color you need to generate a monitor profile on a regular basis - like every 4 weeks or less. I use Gregtag Macbeth Eye One Display to generate monitor profiles. If you have not calibrated your monitor using software/hardware for that purpose your monitor is probably not displaying color correctly.

So under Display Properties, I should select the monitor profile that I created with the monitor's utility?

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I am not 100% certain about this, but under Windows XP Service Pack 2, if you install the Color control panel applet from Microsoft's Pro Photography website, it does enable ICC awareness for both Windows Explorer and Windows Image and Fax Viewer. The uncertainty is whether or not the Color applet adds this support or XP has had this level of support for a while.

 

I have tested this extensively, and I have found that the JPEG preview of Windows Explorer uses embedded profiles.

 

Windows Image Fax and Viewer only uses embedded profiles that are listed in the system color directory. So if you have an image with an unusual ICC profile that's not in your system32/.../color directory, it will look wrong in Image and Fax Viewer but correctly in Windows Explorer.

 

However, Internet Explorer is not ICC aware, and neither is any alternative web browser available for Windows. ( I am thinking of writing a plugin for IE, Firefox, and Opera, if I feel up to learning the Windows API) So you have to convert sRGB for the web.