'Windows Color System Defaults' - I'm lost

<p>This stuff is all over the net and in every place they mention different settings. Nobody's making any sense, namely because they don't know what they're talking about. I played around with those setting and now I'm not even sure I returned them to their default. To tell you the truth I don't even know if 'default' is what I need.<br>

Here's what I have.<br>

Win 7 pro 64-bit, Dell U2711 panel, Spyder3 + dispcalGUI.<br>

My panel is properly calibrated and profiled. I work mainly in Lightroom and Photoshop. I use almost exclusively the 'Adobe RGB' colorspace and frankly, that's the only space I care about. I don't print.<br>

According to dispcalGUI, my display covers 99% of 'Adobe RGB's gamut. Seeing all them colors in LR and PS is really the only thing I care about. What should my color settings be in 'Color management' for all of the available gamut to be utilized while making sure all the colors are displayed correctly (in LR and PS)?<br>

Maybe you can just grab a screenshot and post it here, assuming your setting are what *my* settings should be. Remember, I have a pretty good profile for my panel only I don't really know where it fits. As far as I know there are no 'color' settings in LR. I haven't seen anywhere 'Display profile' or anything of this sort, just some basic settings in the 'export' dialog (which are not ever related to display), but maybe you can correct me if I'm wrong on this.<br>

Would be really nice to sort this mess out once and for all.<br>

Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>Your display profile gos in /windows/system32/spool/drivers/color. Then just tell PS and LR that they manage color, not the printer. No further action is required. The OS uses the profile when it boots.<br>

Your display profile has no effect on your export setting or your print settings.<br>

You are making too much about this, it's completely transparent to the user once the profile (.icc file) is in the right place.<br>

<Chas><br /><br /></p>

<p>Thank you but I really was looking for some clarification on what the hell was going on in the "Advanced" tab. Assigning my custom profile in the Color Mangement>Devices is child's play.<br>

Well, the 'Advanced' tab is definitely not for kids. For starters, the first thing there is labeled: Device profile. Most people seem to have some version of sRGB in there, which is *not* a device profile. Don't you find this confusing? I know I'm lost. 'Viewing conditions': there's the ICC, the sRGB option and what not. I have a pretty good idea of what 'viewing conditions' are. I don't have any of those in *my* custom display profile because the room is always dark and I've decided not to mess with that. But then, if in the 'Device profile' is some sRGB then we're not even talking about the profile of my display. And why the hell should it even be sRGB? I want my beloved 'Adobe RGB'! My panel is not an sRGB display, my files are not sRGB and the most important software to me doesn't "think" in sRGB!<br>

I'm having some color issues here. In order to solve them I had to start from the ground up. I've covered the part of display calibration which was the first step. Now I need to make 100% sure that all my system settings are correct (for my needs). Once I've got that covered, I'll move on to the next stage.<br>

In my initial inquiry I've described my conditions and requirements which are *very* common. Lotsa guys out there are in the same boat. Someone's gotta know something.</p>

<p>You have Photoshop right? IF you go into the Color Settings, select the RGB working space popup menu and look at the top of the list of profiles, and you see <em>Monitor:XXX</em> (XXX is the name of your display), then you’re all set. DO NOT select that! It simply indicates that Photoshop (and equally LR) is using the proper display profile for previews. That is all the profile is used for, previewing the data in various color spaces on YOUR display system. </p>

<p>I've been working in photoshop since 1995 (version 3) and by now like to think that I know my way around it, especially all the 'color handling' stuff. However, Windows 7 is fairly new to me. I need to know what *I* need to have in Color Management > Advanced.<br /> Seeking help from Microsoft is useless, it's like asking your dad where the babies come from. Instead of making some sense they just start blabbering on and on about what color management is.<br /> Can it be true? Doesn't ANYBODY know what a guy in my scenario should have those parameters set to?</p>

<p>Yuri<br>

First do as Andrew has suggested. Look and see if your monitor profile is listed in the Photoshop Color Settings RGB working space dropdown menu. DO NOT SELECT IT. Simply finding it there confirms that DispCal has installed it to the proper folder. (Select Adobe RGB if that is what you desire as your working space.)</p>

<p>As for the Advanced tab in the Control Panel > Color Management Dialog: The topmost entry labeled: Device Profile should contain the same monitor profile as seen in PhotoShop. It can be selected from the dropdown list. If you cannot find it in that list, contact me and I will tell you how to move it there. The remainder of the entries in the Advanced tab can simly be set to the default values.</p>

<p>NOW we're getting somewhere... <br>

I always knew my display profile could bee seen in PS. What was bugging me is the system color settings. I did what you advised, Mike, and I must say that you've been very helpful and understanding. So I selected my custom tailored profile in the "Device profile". In the "viewing conditions profile" I selected "WCS profile for ICC viewing conditions". When I was calibrating and profiling my panel I decided not to mess with those, so there are actually *no* 'viewing conditions' embedded in my dispcal profile. I selected the ICC option strictly because I don't like the idea of having there something that goes like: 'default sRGB'. That would be pretty much like saying to Windows: "Hey, Windows, you can do whatever the hell you want. I don't care what the colors look like anyway".<br>

Please correct me if I'm making a mistake with that.<br>

One last thing. Are these settings applied immediately or do I have to reboot? I don't see any changes but I can't reboot right now. I'm uploading some important files and it looks like it's gonna be at least a couple of hours more.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I selected the ICC option strictly because I don't like the idea of having there something that goes like: 'default sRGB'. That would be pretty much like saying to Windows: "Hey, Windows, you can do whatever the hell you want. I don't care what the colors look like anyway".</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I don't think that is the case. I think you are better off with the default sRGB option; however I really doubt it will have any effect on your monitor colors in either case, provided the proper profile is loaded.</p>

<p>To ensure your custom profile is always loaded, do the following:<br>

Right click the DispcalGUI icon and <strong>choose Run as Administrator</strong>; open dispcalGUI . <br>

On the top line, "Settings": the name of your custom profile should already be entered in the box. Just to the right of this box there are 4 icons. The 3rd icon is "Install Profile". Click this and check the following selections:<br>

*Load Calibration on login<br>

*Let operating system handle calibration loading<br>

*Install profile system wide.</p>

<p>Now you should be all set up.</p>

 

<p>Thank you but I had all of that covered.<br>

I am still experiencing some problems which I did not mention in this post. I can take it from here, especially that I'm making progress in the right direction.</p>

<p>I've been looking for the same information as Yuri for a long time. I've always wondered what the 'Device Profile' and Viewing Conditions profile via Advanced Tab via Color Management in Win 7 meant.<br>

I've been calibrating with the i1 display 2 for 5 years at 6500K, setting my device profile to Adobe RGB 1998 and viewing conditions profile to WCS profile for ICC viewing conditions. I've had good color reproduction in prints, sometimes the tonal range isn't all that wide (I blame that on canned profiles from paper companies) but may this is the solution.<br>

Just to be sure: I SHOULD set me device profile to my monitor profile and LEAVE viewing conditions profile as 'System Default (WCS profile for sRGB viewing conditions)?<br>

Sorry, its not a simple color system like OSX. I love it but for color its just what?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Just to be sure: I SHOULD set me device profile to my monitor profile and LEAVE viewing conditions profile as 'System Default (WCS profile for sRGB viewing conditions)?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, that is correct. It is likely that the i1 software will, on its own, ensure that your custom monitor profile is installed at boot time, regardless of what you have entered into the device profile box in Color Management. But entering it there is extra insurance. </p>

<p>I know it's a while ago but did you find the answer? My understanding is that the 'advanced' tab is simply what you would like things to default to in a non colour managed situation and where an image does not have a profile. Anything else is managed by your selected profiles under 'Devices'. In other words, if you have half an idea about managing colour, you probably don't need the 'advanced' tab - just set it to sRGB and leave it.<br>

As an aside, I've just got a wide gamut monitor and noticed that Windows phot viewer is colour managed (but the preview pane is not - half a job again from MS)</p>