Color Matching Monitor, Windows, PP Output

[Higgs Boson]

What am I supposed to do? I set CS5 and LR3 to edit in proPhoto, Adobe 1998, srgb, etc and if I use anything other than sRGB for everything it looks great in program but displayed in Windows Photo Viewer it looks dark and gross.

I currently have my set up:

Monitor: sRGB (I am using a laptop so the monitor is crappy though - hoping NEC sends me something for Christmas)
CS5: sRGB
LR3: sRGB
RAW settings in camera: sRGB

If I change the software to a better color cal they look better only in the software. Output to windows the look worse.

What do I need to do to get Windows to display the same as PS? I know my monitor can do it, but Windows Photo Viewer is altering the image or something....?

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[KmH]

Color Matching Monitor, Windows, PP Output

Can't be done.

Windows is not color managed.
Your laptop has a TN type display with limited accurate viewing angles.
The look of your PP output depends on it's destination.

Monitor: sRGB (I am using a laptop so the monitor is crappy though - hoping NEC sends me something for Christmas)
CS5: sRGB
LR3: sRGB
RAW settings in camera: sRGB

There is no Raw color-space setting in the camera. The sRGB (or Adobe RGB) setting only affects the JPRG Basic that is embedded in the Raw data file so it has something to show you on the rear LCD.

Lightroom is ProPhoto RGB and can't be changed to sRGB till output.

It is best to use ProPhoto RGB in both ACR 6 and CS5 for the same reasons Adobe® makes it the default for Lightroom® 3.

Convert to Profile when you know the final destination of an image. For prints you need the ICC profile for the type of paper and the printer being used to make the print, and then 'soft-proof' in CS5 to get an approximation of what the print will look like in hand.

[Higgs Boson]

You da man! When I go into my Display settings, I can select a color profile. Should I leave that at default or change it to ProPhoto? I think when I had everything at ProPhoto is when it looked bad in Windows..... I guess I'll have to experiment.

edit: ok got it now. i just can't look at files in windows viewer until they are made sRGB. Guess this will force me into leaving LR open at all times.....

[George_lew]

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Monitor Calibration & More (Advanced Monitor Calibration with Datacolor?s Spyder) : Manfrotto School Of Xcellence