RGB vs sRGB issue

[KB2]

I have a monitor with a high color gamut (a Dell UltraSharp U2713H ). I do newborn photography, and have been editing in Adobe RGB. I want the photos to print well, so I'm thinking Adobe RGB is better than sRGB. However, I also want to display my photos on my website and Facebook, as that is the best way to get new business. This montior is new to me, and I'm now seeing a huge difference between Adobe RGB and sRGB. It is having a horrible effect on the skin tones, making the baby look bright pink. I'm using Photoshop CS6. First I used "Save for Web" and converted to sRGB. When that looked terrible, I restarted from my original image and tried going to "Convert to Profile" in the Edit menu. In that screen the preview showed no significant color change, but alas, when I put the picture on the web, the skin tones were as red as before. Please let me know if there is a way to convert without having such a drastic color change, or advise if it would be wise to do all of my editing in sRGB from now on. Will the prints look bad? I really don't want to edit all of my images twice. Hopefully the below images will show you the problem... I've taken a screen grab of my original edit, which seems to be keeping the right color, at least on my monitor. I'm not really sure how the screen grab works, but I believe the resolution isn't as good, so I don't want to use this as a solution. The second photo is what happens when it's converted to sRGB.

 

[The_Traveler]

When you resize and save files for viewing on the web, use the 'save for web' option.
That will convert the exported file to sRGB

 

[KB2]

When viewing this thread on my iPhone, the two photos look nearly identical... and in the correct color! Here is another screen shot showing the side-by-side as seen on my monitor. It's driving me nuts wondering how everyone else sees it. I can't confidently convert files to sRGB because some people may see the red version that I'm seeing...

 

[Ysarex]

When viewing this thread on my iPhone, the two photos look nearly identical... and in the correct color! Here is another screen shot showing the side-by-side as seen on my monitor. It's driving me nuts wondering how everyone else sees it. I can't confidently convert files to sRGB because some people may see the red version that I'm seeing...View attachment 103593

These two photos look substantially different. They are much more different than the first set you posted.

You should be editing and saving your photos in sRGB.

How are you calibrating the monitor that you're using?

Joe

 

[BBush]

I have experienced the same issue a while back. 4 hours of research I found that it was due to web browser and OS. Once I saved my images with “Embed Color Profile” selected in Photo Shop the problem disappeared.
Here is a link to the article that helped me.
WEB BROWSER COLOR MANAGEMENT Tutorial - Test Page FireFox Safari Chrome Internet Explorer IE 10- FILES have embedded ICC profiles Photoshop ColorManagement

Hope this helps.
By the way this is my first post to the forum.

 

[KmH]

sRGB is just one of the family of color spaces that are part of the RGB color model.

Here is a group of tutorials with subjects related to color management - Tutorials on Color Management Printing

Adobe RGB is also a RGB color space, but Adobe RGB has a broader color gamut than sRGB does.
Editing experts recommend editing in the broadest color space available to you.
With Photoshop that would be the ProPhoto RGB color space. Lightroom uses a version of the ProPhoto RGB color space that has a gamma of 1.0 that matches the gamma of Raw files.
Once you are done editing you assign an appropriate color space to the photo based on how the photo will be used.
The Internet is sRGB. most electronic displays are SRGB but better computer monitors can often display a sizable % or all of the Adobe RGB color space.
Some print labs can print photos that have been assigned to the Adobe RGB color space.

Note: Raw files have no color space. So the color space setting options a DSLR camera offers have no effect on Raw files shot using the camera.

Per the post above about embedding a color profile - not all browsers and OS will know what to do with an embedded color profile, including mobile device OSs.

 

[Braineack]

the sRGB verison looks much better IMHO.

 

[KB2]

How are you calibrating the monitor that you're using?

I have not changed the factory calibration. This hadn't even occurred to me, as I'm not noticing the issue with anyone elses images that I see online.

 

[KB2]

the sRGB verison looks much better IMHO.

Honestly, I agree, BUT the colors appear more washed out after I upload them. If only someone could see this from my monitor... I am baffled. Here is one more screenshot, in case it makes a difference. This one also shows what I usually do in photoshop.

 

[Braineack]

what happens when you change preview "monitor color" to "internet standard"?

 

[Ysarex]

How are you calibrating the monitor that you're using?

I have not changed the factory calibration. This hadn't even occurred to me, as I'm not noticing the issue with anyone elses images that I see online.

This could be the root of your problem. Your monitor is uncalibrated and has not been profiled. What Photoshop displays on the screen when you're editing is based on the monitor ICC profile -- right now you have only a generic monitor profile that does not match your uncalibrated monitor.

Calibrate your display: Amazon.com X-Rite CMUNSML ColorMunki Smile Computer Mice Camera Photo

Joe

 

[KB2]

Editing experts recommend editing in the broadest color space available to you.
With Photoshop that would be the ProPhoto RGB color space. Lightroom uses a version of the ProPhoto RGB color space that has a gamma of 1.0 that matches the gamma of Raw files.
Once you are done editing you assign an appropriate color space to the photo based on how the photo will be used.

I completely agree with editing in the broadest color space available, which is why I bought this monitor. I will take your recommendation on ProPhoto RGB. However, I'm still distressed regarding the effect of assigning the sRGB color space to my photos.

I'm hoping you all can see the effect in my latest upload. On my screen, she looks like she has a bad sunburn. I understand you will all see these pictures differently depending on your monitors, I'm hoping someone with the same monitor or a similar wide gamut monitor will be able to offer some advice.

Once I saved my images with “Embed Color Profile” selected in Photo Shop the problem disappeared.

I would love to try this, as I'm willing to try anything ;-) I don't see an option to Embed Color Profile when I go to save. I have tried finding it on google, but most of the information on this is a few years old, and is supposedly "fixed" by CS6 (is that option even there anymore?). Also, it seems to be used to correct the issue of photos appearing washed out, whereas mine are becoming over saturated. Can anyone give more info on this? I'm afraid some of the technical terms in the article that BBush linked to are over my head, but I will continue to research it. I appreciate all of the responses I've gotten, thank you all!

 

[Ysarex]

When that looked terrible, I restarted from my original image and tried going to "Convert to Profile" in the Edit menu. In that screen the preview showed no significant color change, but alas, when I put the picture on the web, the skin tones were as red as before.

Your answer is here. Photoshop converts well between color spaces. When you converted from aRGB to sRGB the photo didn't change it's appearance in Photoshop. And that's because the color conversion was well done and in fact the photo's colors were not changed.

You don't see a difference when inside Photoshop. You see a difference between the Photoshop display and the display in other software or other devices. If you're seeing the difference on your computer between Photoshop showing you the photo and the same photo displayed by other software then the problem is in how those two programs (PS and other software) are handling the various ICC profiles involved.

Joe

 

[KB2]

what happens when you change preview "monitor color" to "internet standard"?

In that case the color does not change in photoshop, but it still appears very red once it is on the web.

 

[KB2]

When that looked terrible, I restarted from my original image and tried going to "Convert to Profile" in the Edit menu. In that screen the preview showed no significant color change, but alas, when I put the picture on the web, the skin tones were as red as before.

Your answer is here. Photoshop converts well between color spaces. When you converted from aRGB to sRGB the photo didn't change it's appearance in Photoshop. And that's because the color conversion was well done and in fact the photo's colors were not changed.

You don't see a difference when inside Photoshop. You see a difference between the Photoshop display and the display in other software or other devices. If you're seeing the difference on your computer between Photoshop showing you the photo and the same photo displayed by other software then the problem is in how those two programs (PS and other software) are handling the various ICC profiles involved.

Joe

What is the fix? Do you still think I need to calibrate my display?