question for macbook pro users

[jena27]

I have recently switched to the mac book pro and I am having one big problem.

I'm wondering if I'm alone. Let me preface by saying that I do not have a

separate monitor, I just use the screen on the laptop. I use Huey Pro to

calibrate my screen and the colors are perfect. I also have gotten the setting

from my lab to calibrate it that way in conjunction with Huey. The problem is

not in the color temp or value, I find that every picture is over-saturated when

printed (or even when viewed on a different screen). The colors on my screen

are sorely undersaturated (even websites look more dull on my screen). I am

currently just trying to compensate for this by running an action to desaturate

every picture by 10% or so, but I thought maybe someone might have another idea

(that doesn't include spending a large amount of money on another monitor right

now). Thanks in advance.

[ellis_vener_photography]

" I find that every picture is over-saturated when printed"

 

Sounds like either a lab problem or a conversion problem. How are you using the profile

the lab sent you?

 

What you should be doing in Photoshop is prepping your master, making a dupe of it and

CONVERTING (not Assigning) the dupe to the profile the lab wants you to use and sending

the file to them. Make sure they know their profile as already been applied.

[jena27]

I used the profile the lab sent me to actually calibrate my screen.

 

The lab also sent me sample prints and a cd with the files those pictures were printed from to compare the two and in that comparison the prints were far more saturated than the files appeared on my screen, so I know its not just in me converting my files.

 

Further, my photos look oversaturated on other monitors as well.

[jena27]

whoa Jaz! I'm not even sure what language that was :). Please elaborate. Are you saying that if I switch to srgb my photos will be less saturated in printing than they are now? If so, what exactly is srgb and how do I switch to it? Would it make a difference on the web too or just in the printing process?

 

I'm sorry, I'm just now figuring out all of the options for saving and converting color files...

[joshua_shaw]

I've read that the MacBook Pro uses only a 6 bit display and hence is unable to produce millions of colors. Apparently it can only display 262,000 colors. Here is where I found this information:

 

http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/26/apple-quietly-settles-macbook-6-bit-lcd-screen-lawsuit

 

http://peewaiweb.free.fr

 

This loss of color quality may potentially be the cause of your problem. I realize that you don't connect it with an external monitor for normal use. But as a test, try connecting it with an external monitor that has an 8 bit screen and then test your prints.

 

Let us know how this goes.

[rick_shanahan]

are the other screens that look more saturated, not MAC's? Because Mac uses a different gamma, than Windows. Its a little more subdued.

[jena27]

Rick, the other screens are not macs...a dell pc and a sony pc (both books). And maybe thats the word, subdued. So what do I do to correct the problem? Is connecting my mac to a separate screen the only fix? And if so, will another mac screen have the same issue? (is no one else having this problem???) (or do the stand-alone monitors have 8-bit screens?)

[jena27]

Josh; p.s. I have a meeting tomorrow at the apple store with a "genius" so I will plug my laptop into one of their cinema monitors to see what happens and I will let you know.

[adw]

As rick said, its to do with Gamma.

 

In Photoshop you can use View >> Proof Setup >> Windows RGB to preview colours as they

would appear on a Windows PC.

[jena27]

Andy, I tried that just now and instead of showing the oversaturated picture I expected, it actually dimmed the colors even more, so I'm not sure that is the answer. However, I read the link from Joshua and the "color blind" mbp sounds exactly like my problem. If that is the case, I am pretty upset about it. I printed the link out and will take it to the Apple store tomorrow just to see what I can accomplish there. I don't have high hopes, but I will keep you informed.

[jena27]

Just wanted to give an update to the issue. I did some more research online last night and discovered that apple just settled out of court (on March 26) with two photographers who sued them for false advertising of the color capabilities of the Macbook Pro.

 

So, when I went to the apple store today and mentioned I have been having this issue (without mentioning the lawsuit - I would never be one of those people, I worked in retail too long - they were unusually helpful about it and even offered to exchange my laptop (which I've had since January) for free for a desktop version. I explained that I really need a book for client consultations, so they ended up giving me a new cinema monitor for about half-price. I was at least gratified they made the effort.