Gamma Warning

[j. caputo]

<p>I am in a little bind and I think you all would be the people to ask. I do not print much but I am trying to print some of my fall images today via an outside lab. I never paid attention to printer profiles, color space in photoshop, etc. Today I set up my photoshop CS3 to adobe 1998 in the color settings. I also set my monitor calibration via the in computer software since I cant afford a hardware sync tool right now. I run a new 27" Imac. So with my monitor somewhat calibrated, my photoshop color settings set to adobe rgb 1998, and the correct printer profiles installed I am trying to soft proof an image for print. I am hitting a big problem when I click on my Gamma warning. It shows most of my yellows and oranges out of range. I am afraid to send to print with any gamma warning showing. If I go tweak my curves then adjust specific colors that are out of range (hue, brightness, saturation) I am able to get the warning to go away to an extent but my image looks horrible. I mean drastically desaturated. I am not making my adjustments in my printer profile space. I am making them in editing space. Am I doing something wrong? Is there something I have set up incorrectly in my color spaces? The printer to be used is going to be an Epson 7880.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

[digitaldog]

<blockquote>

<p> It shows most of my yellows and oranges out of range.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Its out of gamut, that’s often a fact of life. The output device has a gamut in terms of yellows that are smaller than the yellows in the working space. When you convert to the output space, you’ll map the out of gamut colors into gamut, you have the option of using a Perceptual or Relative Colorimetric intent to do this, pick the one who’s color appearance you prefer (soft proof). <br>

You can’t fit a gallon of liquid into a pint container. Something has to spill over. Not a huge big deal, especially when the rendering intents allow some control over what spills and what gets kept. </p>

<p>The gamma warning is pretty useless anyway. It predates soft proofing and gamut control via ICC profile rendering intents. <br>

This may help too:<br>

<a href="http://www.adobe.com/digitalimag/pdfs/phscs2ip_colspace.pdf">The Role of working spaces in Adobe applicaitons</a><br /><br /></p>

[kevin_delson]

<p>Excellent link and article Andrew.<br>

I read these type of articles every so often, if for nothing else to stay abreast of the latest commercial printing technologies.</p>

<p>You mention something in your article I found interesting.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Scene gamut</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>How does one factor this into determining the editing color space?...or is it only important when considering output? </p>

<p></p>

[digitaldog]

<p>You can’t really factor scene gamut in a reasonable way. Point is, the potential of the working space you select can depend on the scene gamut and as such, just use a big working space gamut and know you’ve contained as much gamut as you could. </p>